LEADING Sydney trainer Chris Waller believes Tasmanian star The Cleaner holds the key to Saturday’s $3 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
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Waller, who will have three runners, said The Cleaner’s bold front-running tactics would ensure a genuine speed.
‘‘He’s a tough horse and it’s going to be a tough 2040-metre race," Waller told racingnetwork.com.au.
‘‘(The others) will know they’ve been in a race at the 600m mark, let alone another 600m after that.’’
The Cleaner yesterday drew the outside barrier (14), prompting Tattsbet to ease his price from $10 to $12.
However, Longford trainer Mick Burles was not perturbed.
‘‘I’d have preferred to draw 3 or 4 but the next best option was the outside,’’ Burles said.
‘‘Our jockey (Steven Arnold) can push forward steadily without anything on his outside annoying him.
‘‘It won’t matter if he takes 300m to find the front.’’
In 43 starts, The Cleaner has only once drawn wider than barrier 12.
He started from barrier 14 when he won the $100,000 Provincial Plate at Flemington last year.
Steven Arnold won the Cox Plate in 2010 on Bart Cummings-trained superstar So You Think.
He said The Cleaner was obviously not in the same class but had similar strength and stamina.
‘‘The Cleaner gets his rivals out of their comfort zone,’’ Arnold said.
‘‘I don’t know whether he’s good enough to win but he’ll give a good sight.’’
The Cleaner worked strongly at Longford yesterday morning to complete his Cox Plate preparation.
“I couldn’t be happier with the horse,’’ Burles said after the workout.
‘‘He is in a very good place mentally and physically so all I have to do is hold him together until race day.’’