BLINKERS DO THE TRICK WITH ‘WHOBE’ AT THE VALLEY

THE brilliant WHOBEGOTYOU took a stranglehold on early Cox Plate betting with his win in Saturday’s $500,000 Group 2 Dato Tan Chim Nam Stakes, 1600m, at Moonee Valley.

Mark Read’s IASbet.com reacted quickly by shortening Whobegotyou to $3.50 for the $3 million Cox Plate on October 24 with yesterday’s placegetters, Mic Mac and Jolie’s Shinju, next in the betting at $11 and $12.

The decision by trainer Mark Kavanagh to add blinkers to Whobegotyou paid instant dividends when the heavily-backed $2.40 favorite, finished strongly to win by a length from Mic Mac, $3.4. Singapore raider, Jolie’s Shinju, $10, led and fought on well for third at his Australian debut.

“The blinkers went on to tune him up,” Kavanagh said. “We always had them up our sleeve for the run into the Cox Plate but we decided to use them this time. He hadn’t won for a while so we decided to put them on him and got the result.”

Whobegotyou remains unbeaten after four starts on the Moonee Valley StrathAyr track, three of those at Group 2 level (the 2008 Bill Stutt Stakes and AAMI Vase), which was his last win before yesterday.

Kavanagh now has to decide whether to back-up Whobegotyou in next Saturday's Underwood Stakes at Caulfield or wait three weeks for the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October 3.

Winning rider, Damien Oliver, said: “The blinkers switched him on a lot more and not only that, coming back to Moonee Valley. He really appreciates the track here and he was back to his best today.

“They dawdled through the first 1000m. We expected the Singapore mare to go a bit quicker than that but she really had it all to herself. We quickened up really strongly from the 600 and the race was on in earnest then.”

Oliver believes Whobegotyou is an ideal Cox Plate horse. “You know there is no problem with the 2040m for him and he just loves Moonee Valley,” Oliver said. Kavanagh has refused to declare who will ride the horse in the big race with Michael Rodd still on the sideline.

Trainer Greg Eurell was thrilled with the run of Mic Mac and hasn’t changed his plans to head to the Cox Plate.“Tactics conspired against us but it’s no disgrace to be beaten by Whobegotyou,” he said.

$500,000 G2 DATO CHIN NAM STAKES, WFA, 1600m

WHOBEGOTYOU, $2.40fav 1, Mic Mac, $3.40 2, Jolie’s Shinju, $10 3.

ALTHOUGH ONLY FOUR FAVORITES WON ON THE NINE RACE CARD AT THE VALLEY, PUNTERS GOT THE BETTER OF THE BOOKMAKERS YESTERDAY.