KEY POINTS:
Melbourne's Cox Plate has been something akin to a familiar old friend to New Zealand trainers.
Five times the title of champion weight-for-age galloper crossed the Tasman between 1991-2000, culminating in mighty mare Sunline's consecutive victories in 1999-2000.
Solvit, The Phantom Chance and Surfers Paradise were also crowned Kiwi kings of Moonee Valley in the 1990s. That's not forgetting Bonecrusher and Poetic Prince in 1986 and 1988 respectively.
But since Sunline's defeat by fellow two-time winner Northerly in 2001, New Zealand racing followers have been holding out for a turf hero, or heroine, to challenge the Australians on their home soil.
The Mike Moroney-trained Xcellent had the most hype in 2005, but after jockey Michael Coleman was flushed about 10-wide and champion mare Makybe Diva took charge, it was a no-contest.
Among today's leading fancies, Efficient, trained by Graeme Rogerson, and El Segundo are Kiwi-breds but raced their entire careers in Australia.
Efficient and Lad Of The Manor are looking to give Sir Patrick Hogan's super sire Zabeel his fourth win after Octagonal, Might And Power and Savabeel.
Moroney saddles New Zealand's best hope in today's A$3 million ($3.6 million) 2040m feature in Eskimo Queen, fresh from her painful Caulfield Cup drama.
This is plan B for Eskimo Queen, and there's also the possible mental scars from being trapped underneath the barriers, which led to superficial cuts and her late scratching.
In a Tuesday track gallop at Moonee Valley with blinkers on, Eskimo Queen "went to sleep" and showed no ill-effects, according to Moroney.
"But I've never had a horse that had that happen to it, so we won't know until the day," Moroney said.
Bookmakers are unconvinced, rating the Queensland Oaks winner a $35 chance this week, but after talking to Moroney you would gladly take such a price.
"She's brilliant enough to win a 1200m maiden and she's led some of our sprinters in jump-outs [minor trial races] at Flemington.
"We've always thought she'd be more of a Cox Plate horse than a Melbourne Cup horse. The jury's out as to whether she's really a two-miler [3200m]."
The muddling form around the favourites adds to Moroney's confidence.
Miss Finland was yesterday a $3.80 favourite but has been beaten by Rubiscent and Maldivian in her previous two weight-for-age runs at Caulfield.
"Because of what's happened this spring it's hard to tell who's hardest to beat," Moroney said.
"Eskimo Queen would have beaten Miss Finland and Marasco with a clear run in the Underwood [when a luckless fourth]," Moroney said.
"Devil Moon is the only one you can make a strong case for on winning form and she's been blessed with a good barrier draw [three]."
The other Kiwi raider, Magic Cape, has been "the most talked-about 100-1 shot of all time", according to trainer Shaune Ritchie.
His association with the mighty Bonecrusher 21 years ago has made the affable Ritchie centre of attention but the locals don't have much time for his Two Thousand Guineas winner, who ran third to Princess Coup in the Kelt Capital Stakes at his last start but has remained friendless in betting.
* Three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Glen Boss has lost his appeal against a careless riding suspension, forcing him to forfeit the mount on Divine Madonna today.
Dwayne Dunn, who had been on standby for the ride, will take the mount.
