Shinn On Standby For Raheeb Plate Ride
Story By Chris Scholtz
Monday, 20 October 2008:  | | Blake Shinn |
Melbourne rider Chris Symons will lose the Raheeb mount if he cannot secure a two meeting reduction when he appeals against the severity of an eight-meeting careless riding suspension he incurred at the Caulfield Cup meeting last Saturday.
The 26-year-old has appealed in a bid to keep the ride on Raheeb in Saturday's $3 million W.S. Cox Plate, providing the Anthony Cummings-trained chestnut is included in the select final field for the Group One race.
Raheeb is not a Group One winner but under past Moonee Valley Racing Club Cox Plate selection criteria would be entitled to be included in the field as he has been placed in Group 2 company.
The Cox Plate selection criteria is now based on official ratings, a system Cummings says is disadvantageous to Raheeb as he did not race for more than 12 months due to the onset of equine influenza last year.
“Raheeb has had little chance to advance his rating since he was a three-year-old,” said Cummings.
“He has already won a Group 3 this spring and did start favourite in the Group One Epsom Handicap when he struck a wet track that ruined his chances.
'He came from a bad gate when fifth in the Group One Toorak Handicap at his last start and has been trained for the Cox Plate.
“I would be disappointed if he was excluded from the field in a year when they will struggle for a full field.
“He worked brilliantly around Moonee Valley on Saturday and is not entitled to be at such a big price in Cox Plate betting.”
Raheeb will run in Saturday's $205,000 Jayco Crystal Mile over 1600m if he is overlooked when the Cox Plate is finalised on Tuesday morning after the Breakfast with the Star trackwork session.
There are 33 horses still entered for the Cox Plate but the final number is unlikely to reach the full field quota of 14 when final acceptances are taken on Tuesday.
Raheeb is among four horses Cummings has listed to work at Moonee Valley on Tuesday.
His team includes Red Lord, who will be having his final lead-up to a Melbourne Cup start at Moonee Valley on Saturday in the $273,000 Cathay Pacific Cup over 2500m.
Other Cox Plate entries down to gallop at Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning include Sirmione, Alamosa, Theseo and Gallant Tess.
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