Damien Oliver is relying on the comeback veteran Gailo Chop to turnaround his recent Cox Plate fortunes by committing to the nine-year-old for this year’s $5 million race.
At his first sit on the horse, Oliver rode Gailo Chop into third place in Sunday’s $750,000 G1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield and by Monday morning Oliver’s manager was on the phone to trainer Matthew Williams confirming Oliver’s Cox Plate commitment.
“Damien Oliver confirmed he will ride him in the Cox Plate,” trainer Matthew Williams said on Monday.
“When he got off after the Underwood, he said he will definitely ride him next in the Caulfield Stakes but Terry (Henderson, managing owner) was keen for someone to commit to the Cox Plate as well and we got that from Damien this morning.
“He now knows what tempo he needs to be running well and the horse is taking great benefit out of these races.”
Williams said Gailo Chop’s Underwood performance, at his third start since recuperating from a tendon strain, meant he was a genuine contender for a Cox Plate and that fact has not been lost on other jockeys.
“The phone has certainly been running a bit hot,” Williams said.
“We went to the Makybe (Diva Stakes) and we were struggling to get a rider and now it’s the other way around.”
Williams said recent results in Melbourne – underlined by the Underwood Stakes win at $101 of nine-year-old Black Heart Bart – showed that the changing of the guard in the post-Winx era has not yet occurred.
“There don’t seem to be too many up and coming horses,” Williams said.
“All the old boys are still there and competitive so it’s probably the right year to have him going well and have a crack.
“He pulled up great. There are no changes to his tendons so we go to the next race.’’
Oliver, 47, has won two Cox Plates with Dane Ripper in 1997 and Northerly in 2001 but since that victory he has barely bothered the scorers.
In his nine Cox Plate rides since Northerly’s first win in 2001, Oliver has taken nine rides in the Cox Plate but got no closer than a third on Haradasun in 2007.
In the 10 years since he was beaten out of a place on favourite Whobegotyou ($2.75), Oliver has finished no closer than sixth in the Cox Plate.
Williams said his unbeaten import Harbour Views had come through his performance on Sunday well and would now be given some time off with a view to his next run on Geelong Cup day in a little over two weeks time.
“He probably left a little bit of feed last night, which you sort of expect after their first-up run,” he said.
“He was terrific and he’s got two and a half weeks until his next run so he’ll just have a week at the beach this week to let him get over it and bounce off it.”
