CHAMPION Winx didn’t need to be at her absolute best to win a record fourth Cox Plate last week.

Timeform’s Gary Crispe said Winx returned a 129 rating in the Moonee Valley showpiece, which was her second highest Cox Plate-winning figure behind the 133 she returned when thrashing Hartnell by eight lengths in 2016.

Crispe also pointed out that it was significant Winx’s 129 rating was equal to the highest figure she has returned on firm ground, but below her master Timeform rating of 134 which places her equal with dual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Enable.

THINKIN’ Big needs to win Saturday’s Victoria Derby convincingly for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to confirm a Melcbourne Cup start on Tuesday.

The talented young stayer currently has 49kg in the Melbourne Cup but is eligible for a penalty if he wins the Derby.

However, as Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter pointed out on social media this week, Thinkin’ Big has 1kg under weight-for-age for a three-year-old which makes him the worst weighted horse against the wfa scale still in the Melbourne Cup.

Caulfield Cup winner Best Solution, who has topweight of 57.5kg in the Melbourne Cup, is the next with 2kg under weight-for-age for a five-year-old.

Michael Dee has been placed on standby to ride Thinkin’ Big at 49kg if he was to run in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.

MOORE LOCKED IN FOR CUP
RYAN Moore, England’s superstar jockey, has been booked to ride The Ciffsofmoher in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. The Cliffsofmoher is one of three Aidan O’Brien-trained stayers in the Melbourne Cup including early favourite Yucatan and Rostropovich.

OLIVER GOOD TO GO
HALL of Fame jockey Damien Oliver is confident of being fit to at Flemington tomorrow.

Oliver suffered a foot injury in a barrier incident at Bendigo on Wednesday and was unable to take his mount in the last race.

But X-rays have revealed no breaks and the champion jockey expects to be fit to ride at Friday night’s Moonee Valley meeting.

Oliver, who has ridden five Victoria Derby winners, rides Grinzinger Star in the $2 million classic on Saturday.

It wasn’t all good news for Oliver after it was learned his Melbourne Cup mount, English stayer Red Verdon, had suffered a minor setback in training.

The Ed Dunlop-trained River Verdon missed a crucial workout at Werribee Thursday morning after he was found to have some minor swelling in his near fore hoof.

Dunlop’s travelling foreman Robin Trevor-Jones said although the setback is not ideal, he still believes the six-year-old can take his place in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup if he works well Saturday morning.