Ciaran coy over tactics for Plate

Grandslam eyes big win

Ciaron Maher is not willing to give his opposition an even break and openly declare his hand with Cox Plate tactics on x-factor runner Grand slam.

But Maher insists there is no specific blueprint for the three-year-old, a likely leader or on-pace runner, to take off and go for home at a certain point of the famous race on Saturday.

The colt led up the Caul field Guineas field before hanging on well to finish third and with just 49.5kg in the Cox Plate it would be no surprise to anyone if in-form jockey Jye McNeil adopts a catch-me-if-you-can mantra.

However Maher, who cotrains with Dave Eustace, says McNeil won’t be locked into scooting for home at a designated point in the weight-forage contest.

“Grandslam will be on pace but I’m not screwed down to saying that he has to lead or he has to take off at a certain time ,” Ma her told Race net.

“There is no firm plan in regard to that but I guess, even if there was, I probably wouldn’t be telling you anyway. In all seriousness, Jye is riding in really good form and he had a nice feel of the horse the other day when hero de him at work.

“We will be up there but it’s a Cox Plate and if you think you were going to get it in a hand canter, you would probably have another thing coming. It’s a high pressure race, it’s why the Cox Plate is the CoxPlate.”

There was high controversy before the Cox Plate barrier draw on Tuesday when Lloyd and Nick Williams were in “shock” over Buckhurst being initially rejected from the field by the Moonee Valley Committee.

“We didn’t even consider we would miss the field … somehow that three-year-old is in front of him,” Nick Williams said, before going on to suggest Buckhurst should also be in the field ahead of Master Of Wine and Sir Dragon et.

Grand slam, the little brother of Caul field Cup winner and three-time Group 1 winner Jameka, currently only has just one win in a Benchmark 66 race in Adelaide from his six starts.