Ruling favourite Lys Gracieux has been given the visitor’s draw after barriers were taken in the final field for the 2019 Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on Saturday.

Black Heart Bart, above, was paid up as a late entry for the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Black Heart Bart, above, was paid up as a late entry for the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The two times Group 1 winning Japanese champ Lys Gracieux drew barrier fifteen in the original draw of the final fourteen horse Cox Plate field  plus four emergencies, but will jump from gate eleven if all four reserves fail to gain a start.

Damian Lane has been booked to ride Lys Gracieux in the Cox Plate and he is looking for another big payday teaming up with a Japanese trained galloper after winning last Saturday’s Group 1 $5.15m Stella Artois Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield for the Hisashi Shimizu trained Mer De Glace.

Lys Gracieux is the current $3.60 favourite for the Cox Plate at Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of the Tasmanian champ Mystic Journey at $7.50 and Ladbrokes Stakes winner Cape Of Good Hope at $8.50.

Mystic Journey drew perfectly at barrier six and is likely to jump from gate five with regular rider Anthony Darmanin in the saddle while the Lindsay Park trained import Cape Of Good Hope drew in the middle of the pack at eight.

Mark Zahra rode Cape Of Good Hope to victory in the Group 1 $1m Ladbrokes Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 12 and has retained the mount in the Cox Plate.

New Zealand’s Cox Plate hope Te Akau Shark was also given the visitor’s draw and will jump from the outside gate when the field is reduced to the final fourteen on race morning.

Top Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson is back aboard Te Akau Shark, replacing James McDonald who steered the Kiwi into second place behind Kolding in the Group 1 $1m Epsom (1600m) at Randwick on October 5.

McDonald will ride the Chris Waller trained Verry Elleegant who came up with barrier five in the original draw.

Castelvecchio is the only three year old in the Cox Plate field and drew in close at barrier four with Craig Williams wasting to get down to the colt’s allotted weight of 49.5kg.

Williams is very happy the Richard Litt trained colt has drawn in close and is giving Castelvecchio a great lightweight chance.

“The committee has selected because of his form, he is a Group 1 winner and he will be a great chance in the race,” Williams told Racenet.

“I love the fact that I had my first ride on him this morning and he got around The Valley really well. I had a feel for him and he will come into barrier three which is a perfect barrier for him.”

Connections of six times Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart paid a $200,000 late entry fee to secure a spot in the Cox Plate and the nine year old drew barrier eleven in the original draw with Brad Rawiller booked to ride.

Betting for the 2019 Cox Plate at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.60 Lys Gracieux, $7.50 Mystic Journey, $8.50 Cape Of Good Hope, $11 Avilius, $12 Castelvecchio, $15 Danceteria, Kluger, Tw Akau Shark, $16 Homesman, $17 Magic Wand, $19 Verry Elleegant, $21 Kings Will Dream, $31 Humidor, Mr Quickie, $41 Black Heart Bart, Gailo Chop, $81 Dream Castle, $101 Harlem.

Final field and barrier draw for the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m)

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 96870×8012 BLACK HEART BART Lindsey Smith Brad Rawiller 11 59kg 117
2 11511×4214 AVILIUS (GB) James Cummings Kerrin McEvoy 7 59kg 119
3 x984x42x8x KLUGER (JPN) Tomokazu Takano Tommy Berry 9 59kg 117
4 x4719x0063 HARLEM (GB) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Dwayne Dunn 2 59kg 116
5 6x2172x126 HOMESMAN (USA) Liam Howley Ben Melham 16 59kg 116
6 43236Px581 KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 17 59kg 115
7 14x111x222 TE AKAU SHARK (NZ) Jamie Richards Opie Bosson 18 59kg 118
8 594x13141x DANCETERIA (FR) David Menuisier Jamie Spencer 10 59kg 115
9 8x212x231x LYS GRACIEUX (JPN) Yoshito Yahagi Damian Lane 15 57kg 119
10 x2x5322022 MAGIC WAND (IRE) Aidan O’Brien Ryan Moore 3 57kg 114
11 x3x14083x1 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Mark Zahra 8 56.5kg 117
12 1x1111x125 MYSTIC JOURNEY Adam Trinder Anthony Darmanin 6 55.5kg 119
13 7x2111x941 VERRY ELLEEGANT (NZ) Chris Waller James McDonald 5 55.5kg 115
14 11331×472 CASTELVECCHIO Richard Litt Craig Williams 4 49.5kg 115
15e 17333×0005 HUMIDOR (NZ) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Blake Shinn 14 59kg 113
16e 112131×300 MR QUICKIE Phillip Stokes Glen Boss 12 57.5kg 114
17e 112142×037 GAILO CHOP (FR) Matthew Williams Damien Oliver 1 59kg 113
18e 0x111050x9 DREAM CASTLE (GB) Saeed Bin Suroor Patrick Cosgrave 13 59kg 116

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