Cox Plate 2014: Punters swoop on Irish raider Adelaide for Plate

• 10 HOURS AGO OCTOBER 19, 2014 9:00PM

Joseph O’Brien pilots Adelaide to victory in the Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland. Picture: Getty Images Source:Supplied

PUNTERS have launched into Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien’s Adelaide, backing him to beat the best Australia can muster in Saturday’s $3 million Cox Plate.

Perhaps convinced the raiders hold the spring carnival aces after Admire Rakti’s ­barnstorming Caulfield Cup win for Japan, multiple agencies reported plunges on the O’Brien visitor, who is still a three-year-old to northern hemisphere time

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The Aidan O’Brien-trained Adelaide looks set to be the mane attraction at this year’s Cox Plate. Picture: Colleen PetchSource: News Corp Australia

One source said some of the bigger bets had come from ­stable insiders.

Adelaide was $6.50 third favourite with TAB on Sunday night, having opened the day at $7.50.

TAB’s Nick Quinn said the entire could move past Lloyd Williams’ Fawkner and Chris Waller’s Sacred Falls into ­favouritism by post time.

“Eighty per cent of the bets today have been on Adelaide,” Quinn said.

Adelaide firmed from $9 to $6 with Sportingbet.

“We turned him into $7 and one punter had 10 grand each-way,’’ Sportingbet’s Andrew Brown said.

Timeform’s top Australian form analyst Gary Crispe said Adelaide ranked second to Sacred Falls on Cox Plate ratings.

“And there is still a query on Sacred Falls running the trip,’’ Crispe said.

“Adelaide is a class horse and maybe the locals are not that strong. If he gets around the track, he might just be too good.’’

The perception is that Australia’s middle-distance and staying ranks are thin, and Admire Rakti’s Caulfield Cup win, plus a one-two finish from recent European imports in the David Jones Cup on Saturday, seemed to confirm it.

The frontrunning style of The Cleaner will suit Adelaide. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Corp Australia

Crispe said the presence of frontrunning Tasmanian The Cleaner in the Cox Plate would suit Adelaide.

“He can run 2400m and a solid tempo, which will allow him to find his rhythm, would really suit him,’’ he said.

Crispe said Adelaide was a good thing beaten last start, in the 2400m Prix Niel at Longchamp, Paris.

He won the 2000m Secretariat Stakes in Chicago at his previous start, a win that had him rated second only to dual Derby winner Australia in the 300-strong O’Brien team.

Racing Victoria international scout Leigh Jordon described Adelaide as a “seriously good horse’’ but said immaturity might be his undoing in the Cox Plate.

“He did want to lay out a bit in that win in the US, which might not be a great thing,’’ Jordon said.

“But, against that, the horse has settled in perfectly at Werribee, right since day one.’’

Chris Waller-trained Sacred Falls is one of the main contenders for the coveted Valley Group 1. Picture: Simon BullardSource: Supplied

Originally published as Punters swoop on Irish raider Adelaide for Plate