KEY POINTS:
Media personality Alan Jones has been in the spotlight this week over a possible return as rugby coach for the Wallabies, but it's an animal of a different kind commanding his attention.
Jones is the part-owner of outstanding mare Miss Finland, who is the early favourite for today's
A$3 million ($3.6 million) Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley in Melbourne.
The Sydney radio host has been happy enough talking rugby union this week but he is happier still to focus on his star galloper's Cox Plate tilt.
Last year's Golden Slipper winner will be striving to become the first to win the two-year-old feature and come back as an older horse to take out Australasia's weight-for-age championship race.
An impressive winner of the Memsie Stakes first-up, Miss Finland has been beaten at her past two starts by Rubiscent in the Underwood Stakes and Maldivian in the Yalumba.
She was sent out the short-priced favourite both times but Jones said those races weren't run to suit her.
"This will be a more truly run race than those last couple, although I think we most probably went to sleep on those last couple," Jones said.
"They got a bit in front and she clawed them back. But her sectionals have been very good and she's trained very well this week. Everyone down there at the business end of things seems very happy."
Jockey Craig Williams has ridden Miss Finland in all but one of her 20 starts and he only missed that because he could not get down to the 46kg she carried as a three-year-old in last year's Cox Plate.
That ride went to New Zealander Lisa Cropp and the filly was an unlucky sixth.
Williams won the race on Miss Finland's David Hayes-trained stablemate Fields Of Omagh.
Williams has been criticised in some quarters for his rides on the mare at her last two starts but Jones said her owners never thought about dumping him.
"No, there was never a thought about a change," Jones said. "I think connections can often be criticised here, I think jockeys are sometimes given too many instructions.
"My view is leave the jockey alone, he knows what to do."
As for whether Miss Finland will line up in the Melbourne Cup, Jones says the 3200m Flemington feature is firmly on the agenda, provided she comes through the Cox Plate unscathed.
"That's absolutely right, there's no use pretending. If she comes out of the Cox Plate she'll be going to the Melbourne Cup," he said.
Miss Finland was yesterday at $3.80 for the Cox Plate with TAB Sportsbet in Australia and at $9 for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday week.
* Haradasun is yet to win a race this spring but punters are warming to him breaking his duck in the Cox Plate.
The Tony Vasil-trained four-year-old has been the best-backed runner with TAB Sportsbet in Australia, firming from $5 to $4.40, just behind the $3.80 favourite Miss Finland.
TAB Sportsbet spokesman Glenn Munsie said a Haradasun victory would be its worst result and predicted the Doncaster Handicap winner would challenge Miss Finland for favouritism come start time.
"I reckon they will run around $4.20 each of two, although Miss Finland will probably start favourite on the tote," Munsie said.
"Put it this way, straight after the draw Miss Finland had double the amount invested on her as Haradasun but now there is only A$50,000 between them."
