TASMANIA’S star galloper The Cleaner must break a barrier hoodoo if he is to win the $3 Million W. S Cox Plate over 2040 metres at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
The Cleaner will start from the outside gate (14) and no horse in the history of the race has won from that barrier.
But the gelding’s trainer Mick Burles wasn’t fazed, saying the starting position has “played into our hands”.
“Ideally I would have liked gate three or four but our next best option was the outside because he has already won two races in Melbourne from barrier 14,” Burles said.
“With the outside gate Steven (jockey Arnold) can push forward and not have to worry about anything outside him barging across to give him grief,” he said.
The Cleaner finished off his preparation with a sensational track gallop at Longford this morning.
He loped around the first lap then worked off from the 1000-metre peg the second time ar0und and dashed home his last 400m in a slick 21.68 seconds.
“I couldn’t be happier with the horse. He is in a very good place mentally and physically so all I have to do is hold him together until race day,” Burles said.