Racing: Wall Street may need to lift his stocks to challenge in Cox Plate

Michael Coleman returns to scale aboard Wall Street after the Spring Stakes. Photo / APN

In most years the question would be: Is Wall Street a Cox Plate horse?

This year it is: Is Wall Street up to facing So You Think?

The owners and trainers of most of Australia's best weight-for-age horses have already conceded the Cox Plate to the Bart Cummings-trained So You Think.

The $2 quote for last year's Cox Plate winner to repeat on top of Cummings saying he's only one win away from declaring So You Think the best horse he's trained, tells you all you need to know.

Many in Melbourne are tipping a small field.

"I think you can forget the idea that there will be the 12 runners and four emergencies. I wouldn't be surprised if eight horses went

around," said DoubleBet bookie Brian Tayor. "At the moment, you've got four horses under double figure quotes: So You Think at $2, More Joyous on $4, Whobegotyou at $6 and Shoot Out on $9.

"Then you can go out to $20 for Typhoon Tracey, $23 for Wall Street and $31 for Vigour, Trusting and Zipping.

"Zipping might go around in it again because he always seems to be there, but Vigour and Trusting are just as likely to go around in another race."

If you can for a moment ignore the Wall Street V So You Think scenario, Wall Street is probably close enough to the idea type of racehorse for a Cox Plate, even though his 2040m Spring Classic win at Hastings on Saturday was his first run beyond 1600m.

The Cox Plate is for horses with brutal tenacity.

Wall Street showed that on Saturday when he had to perform against his usual pattern and sit outside the leaders after drawing wide. The racing pattern in all the previous races clearly showed it was virtually impossible to drop back early - the usual tactic from wide gates at that barrier - and Michael Coleman seized the initiative.

But it left Wall Street exposed to the swoopers when he took over on the home turn.

To avoid being left behind you have to be up for the fight a long way out in the Cox Plate.

Wall Street gritted it out so well against Ginga Dude and Keep The Peace, both of whom had more comfortable runs, you have to say it's worth a Cox Plate crack by the connections, even though there are safer, easier pickings for the horse in Melbourne.

Winning rider Michael Coleman described Wall Street as a "super racehorse" after Saturday's memorable victory.

Coleman would love to stay with Wall Street through to the Cox Plate, but the connections said on Saturday there are not yet prepared to commit to a jockey.

The probability of a small Cox Plate field may work against Coleman's wishes, because that would leave a greater list of topline Australian jockeys available to take the ride.

Wall Street is booked on a flight to Melbourne on Sunday.

Placegetters Ginga Dude and Keep The Peace are also Melbourne-bound.

Jeff Lynds has done a superb job with developing Wall Street through from a problem horse to a weight-for-age star. However, he has had no such recent luck with last year's winner Vosne Romanee.

Opie Bosson virtually retired the horse from Saturday's race when he feared he'd broken down in the home straight.

A veterinary inspection could find nothing amiss, but stewards ruled Vosne Romanee has to undergo strenuous vets tests before next being allowed to race.

SPRING CLASSIC

* Wall Street earned himself a crack at the Cox Plate with his dominating victory on Saturday.
* The stumbling block is Aussie champ So You Think, already at $2 for the Cox Plate.
* Melbourne bookmakers are tipping a small Cox Plate field.