Tough draw for Te Akau Shark

NEW Zealand star Te Akau Shark will have to hold out the might of Japan to put his name alongside Australasia’s galloping greats by winning tomorrow’s Cox Plate.

The Jamie Richardstrained 5yrold faces a massive task to win the race known as Australasia’s weight for age championship after drawing its widest possible gate.

Richards has done all he can to get the galloper to peak for the $A5 million ($NZ5.3 million) event following his second in last month’s Epsom Handicap.

Te Akau Shark looked sharp when galloping at the breakfast with the stars event at Moonee Valley on Tuesday.

Just minutes later though, the horse’s hopes dipped and his Cox Plate task got a whole lot harder when he drew barrier 18.

‘‘It’s great to get the horse into the race but it just makes it really difficult from the outside,’’ Richards told Australian media.

‘‘We’ve just got to have a look at things and work it out as best as we can.

‘‘We’ve got a fit, happy and healthy horse that galloped well. He really is in great shape.’’

Te Akau Shark’s draw could be negated if the wild weather that has been forecast hits Mooney Valley tomorrow.

The galloper should have no problems with a wet track, should the possibility of rain or strong winds be realised.

Te Akau Shark will start three spots inside the race favourite, Lys Gracieux.

The wellperformed international raider will aim to give Japan a rare Melbourne spring double following fellow Japanese horse Mer De Glace’s win in the Caulfield Cup last weekend.

Victorian rider Damian Lane is aiming to help the Japanese raiders notch that double after riding Mer De Glace to victory.

And the jockey is confident he has the right ride to do it.

‘‘She’s certainly the right horse,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s never easy to win these sorts of races, so she’s going to need luck on the day and she should be running well.’’

Lys Gracieux has been the Cox Plate favourite throughout this week ahead of popular Australian galloper Mystic Journey.

The Tasmanian galloper rose to culthero status with a string of wins that ended last season.

Mystic Journey goes into the Cox Plate after a second in the Makybe Diva Stakes and a fifth in the Turnbull Stakes.

That form has some of her fan base questioning the mare’s chances ahead of tomorrow’s race.

Her trainer Adam Trinder is not among them, reporting Mystic Journey is where he wants her ahead of her Cox Plate tilt.

‘‘Everything has fallen into place as well as it could’ve. We’re really comfortable with how it’s all transpired,’’ Trinder said.

Leading Melbourne rider Craig Williams is under as much pressure as anyone leading into tomorrow’s race. The jockey must waste to make the featherweight of 47kg to ride third favourite Castelvecchio.

Williams is confident it will be worth it when the 3yrold starts from barrier 4 tomorrow.

‘‘He’ll put himself in a great position from the draw,’’ the jockey said.

‘‘Hopefully we’ve got the horse to deliver.’’

New Zealand could claim a second Cox Plate representative in former North Island galloper Verry Elleegant.

The 4yrold will start for expat Kiwis — trainer Chris Waller and rider James McDonald.

McDonald said race tempo would be the key to Verry Elleegant’s chances.

‘‘She needs to get into a rhythm,’’ the jockey said.

‘‘When it’s stopstart she tends to overrace . . . and does a lot wrong, but when she gets into a rhythm, she can be strong late.’’