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“So you’re telling me there’s a chance!”
Those words might have been heard from Moonee Valley Racing Club head office after Chris Waller submitted his entries for this year’s Cox Plate.
Waller has more than a quarter of the entries for this year’s $6 million race, which were revealed on Tuesday, with glamour mare Autumn Glow among his 27 potential starters in the 2040-metre event.
But despite parting with the $1320 entry fee, Waller reiterated that a start in the October 24 race was unlikely, unless regular rider James McDonald – who has won the Cox Plate the past four years – suggests otherwise.
“Just to keep options open,” Waller said when asked of Autumn Glow’s entry.
“It’s not on our radar, but if James at any stage says, ‘have a go at the Cox Plate’ she’ll be having a go.”
Autumn Glow resumes in the Group 1 Winx Stakes at Randwick on August 22 with her performance in that 1400m event likely to determine whether she heads to the $20 million The Everest (1200m) or King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 17.
Autumn Glow was among 103 nominations for the Cox Plate, which will this year be run at Flemington with Moonee Valley out of action due to a track redevelopment.
Sir Delius heads the list of locally-trained entries with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-prepared import chasing redemption after being ruled out of last year’s race when a short-priced favourite.
Ireland, the United Kingdom, France and Japan are represented among 15 international entries, headlined by star three-year-old Gstaad, who was last week runner-up to superstar miler Bow Echo in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Calandagan, who had been touted as a possible visitor, was not among the entries but the Japan Cup winner’s trainer Francis-Henri Graffard is represented by Royal Ascot winner Map Of Stars.
Waller is this year without Via Sistina, who has won the past two Cox Plates and edged him within one of Tommy Smith’s record of seven wins in the race, but his 2026 team includes two of last year’s beaten brigade.
Buckaroo, a narrow runner-up to Via Sistina, is again nominated along with last year’s sixth placegetter Aeliana, who is likely to run in the Cox Plate enroute to the Melbourne Cup.
“It’s not my job to seed them, but she’d certainly be right up there,” Waller said of Aeliana, whose campaign was thrown a curve ball on Tuesday morning when she was a late scratching from a trial at Warwick Farm.
“We’ll probably make it her target race. I’m not saying she’s our top seed, but she will be set for the race and I think it fits into a Melbourne Cup.
“But, first and foremost, a Cox Plate.”
Waller trains half of the 16 three-year-olds who have been entered, including Group 1-winning two-year-olds Campione D’Italia, Fireball and Tron Bolt.
