Racing: Brilliant So You Think has Cox Plate at his mercy

Steven Arnold riding So You Think celebrates after winning the Yalumba Stakes. Photo / Getty Images

So You Think confirmed he was Australia's best racehorse when he remained unbeaten this spring with an easy win in the Yalumba Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

The Bart Cummings-trained superstar is now odds-on favourite at $1.75 with TAB Sportsbet, firming from $2.40, for the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 23.

The High Chaparral entire will become the first horse to win the Cox Plate at 3 and 4 years of age if he is successful.

The Yalumba (2000m) was So You Think's third victory at group one level and took his record to six wins and two seconds from nine starts, his only unplaced effort being fifth in last year's Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at the corresponding meeting.

Cummings has said that the 4-year-old would try to emulate another of the trainer's champion gallopers, Saintly, who completed the 1996 Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup double.

Cummings' Melbourne stable foreman Reg Fleming still rates Saintly ahead of So You Think at this stage.

"Saintly is on a pedestal on his own in my opinion. This horse is going the right way," he said.

"He's very good and I'm glad to have him."

Sydney-based Cummings was unable to be at Caulfield as he is still recovering from a fractured pelvis.

"After watching that he'll be a lot better," Fleming said.

"He'll be down here very soon."

Steven Arnold, who remains unbeaten on So You Think ($1.40 fav), had the horse travelling sweetly behind race leader Red Ruler and took off inside the 600m.

He was never threatened with last year's Yalumba winner Whobegotyou ($4) struggling to make any impression.

At the post, So You Think had a 3-length gap on Alcopop ($41) with Whobegotyou 1 lengths away third.

"The other day [in the Underwood Stakes] he got a bit stirred up and went to over-race a bit early," Arnold said. "Today, when he dropped the bit through the first half I was pretty confident.

"Five furlongs from home, I wanted to get going a little bit early on him because I'd had a soft time and he just powered out of the bend."

Arnold is justifiably confident of So You Think's Cox Plate prospects.

"Well, he led and won it last year so you know it's great to have an on-pace good weight-for-age horse and I think that adds a lot to them," he said.

"Sure they can all get beat, but he's got a good style and he's going great.

"[Track rider] Joey Agresta and Reg Fleming have done a great job with him to tick him over between runs and he'll take some beating.

"He's just a magnificent horse. You know, I wipe my feet before I get on him, he's beautiful, he's first class and a pleasure to ride."

Red Ruler held on for fourth ahead of Master O'Reilly with Empires Choice tailed off.

Gai Waterhouse will use the next two weeks to plot a way to defeat So You Think with More Joyous, who she described as absolutely top class after setting a weight-carrying record for a mare to win the Toorak Handicap later on the card.

Shouldering 58kg, More Joyous took a moment to find her gears in the straight before charging into the record books in emphatic fashion.

Waterhouse was lavish in her praise of the mare who firmed from $8 to $4.50 with TAB Sportsbet for the Cox Plate less than an hour after So You Think won the Yalumba Stakes.

Both Waterhouse and jockey Nash Rawiller refused to concede the Cox Plate to the favourite and are looking forward to the challenge of meeting him in Australia's weight-for-age championship.

"She really was impressive," Waterhouse said.

"About a furlong and a half out, I thought there's no way in the world we're going to pick up with this weight and get past them, but I just love the way she grittily just came at it and came at it and then the last 50m, I said 'Done, I've got it'.

"You've seen the two who will be the main contestants of the Cox Plate and both have been extremely impressive."

Asked how More Joyous could beat So You Think in the Cox Plate, Waterhouse replied: "I've got two weeks to think about it."

She said it was a test for More Joyous with the big weight on Saturday and she was a deserving winner.

"We think she's the best mare we've got in New South Wales so she should be winning a handicap like this," Waterhouse said.

"She is top class, absolutely top class. There is no mucking about with her, that's what's so lovely.

"She's feminine, she's very, very physical and she just fills the bill as you saw today."

Rawiller said More Joyous just kept getting better.

"Nothing surprises me with her," Rawiller said.

He said he feared More Joyous was feeling the big weight when she appeared to flounder at the 300m but she was only changing stride.

"I thought she may have been feeling the weight a fraction but she was basically on the wrong leg for about 100m," Rawiller said.

"Once she got her rhythm she really hit the line good."

Rawiller said the Cox Plate was a challenge that he welcomed with More Joyous who has now won 10 of 13 starts. "She will give So You Think a terrific run for his money."

- AAP