The 2016 Cox Plate is one of the most highly anticipated races in recent memory shaping up as a classic match race between champ and challenger.
Winx returns to defend her crown having gone unbeaten in the 12 months since but in Hartnell - the new and improved deluxe edition - she meets her biggest challenge to date.
Ultimately it really doesn't matter whether we like Winx or we like Hartnell. All that matters in this game is how much we like Winx or like Hartnell - price is everything.
Hartnell comes off the best piece of recent form - his Turnbull win from the top shelf and it has already been well advertised by the runner up Jameka who came out and turned the Caulfield Cup into a one-act affair.
He's hard to oppose off that form, but in Winx we have one that we can oppose with, and we have little doubt that Winx is entitled to be favourite.
The form around her George Main win has worked out everywhere you look and by the figures she was better than that when winning at Caulfield last time.
It was just a three horse field but while there were few equine competitors to measure her performance against there was a key rival in the clock - the most consistent form market in the game.
After a slow opening 1000m the race really ramped up and her closing speed shone through against the clock. Her last 600m pointed to all of her ability being there when she needed it. On Saturday she will need it for longer but we know she can sustain her speed.
By the Melbourne Mail's read of things any price even money or better is a worthwhile gamble. It should be a competitive betting race early - and we'll hope to get our flip of the coin odds at some stage - but ultimately we expect to the big late money surge for the great mare.
For an each way play we are looking at the Moonee Valley Gold Cup and Godolphin's Second Wave.
The visitors in blue have run well in the Caulfield and Geelong Cups to this point and we are thinking that in Second Wave they throw the saddle on another strong winning chance.
Second Wave has run twice this year and given a good account of himself on both occasions - both in strong looking handicaps. The form around him makes for good reading against these - his ratings stack right up - and given the way that the stable's runners have been going we are fairly confident that we are going to see Second Wave turn up ready to play.
At each way odds it's very easy to keep him on side.
Click here for Moonee Valley markets from TopBetta
THE MELBOURNE MAIL
Bet Of The Day: Race 9 #8 Winx @ $2.00
Each Way Play: Race 8 #9 Second Wave @ $6.50
