Melbourne diary: four Europeans in Caulfield field as Red Verdon makes the cut

Yucatan and Emotionless may have been ruled out of Saturday's Stella Artois Caulfield Cup, albeit for very different reasons, but there will still be four European representatives as Best Solution (Saeed Bin Suroor), The Cliffsofmoher (Aidan O'Brien), Duretto (Andrew Balding) and Red Verdon (Ed Dunlop) all made the final field of 18 for the Group 1 handicap.

Pat Cosgrave, who has a 100 per cent strike-rate at Caulfield after winning on his first ever ride there aboard Benbatl, has stayed for the ride on Best Solution, while Hugh Bowman rides The Cliffsofmoher, Dwayne Dunn partners Duretto and Hong Kong's reigning champion jockey Zac Purton takes the ride on Red Verdon.

Red Verdon relaxes after arriving at WerribeeCredit: Ed Dunlop Racing

The Red Verdon camp were apprehensive about getting a run earlier this week, yet made the field at number nine and Robin Trevor Jones, Dunlop's travelling head lad, said: "We're a long way up, which is quite astounding, but there you go – that's Australian racing.

"One minute you're not getting in the next minute you're in at nine. So it's all systems go now, fingers crossed for a favourable draw tomorrow."

Charlie Appleby's Comicas, who finished last in the Listed Hussler Stakes at the same track last weekend, also runs on the card in the Group 3 Moonga Stakes.

Winx is 'as good as she's ever been'

It is less than two weeks until Winx's date with destiny as she attempts to become the first horse to win four Cox Plates.

She worked at Moonee Valley on Tuesday, doing a three-quarter paced gallop under Hugh Bowman before finishing off strongly.

Winx: bids for her fourth Cox Plate victoryCredit: Scott Barbour

Her trainer Chris Waller said in a statement: "Winx worked over 1,200 metres at three-quarter pace and then breezed up over the final 400 metres, where she went through her gears nicely and was full of running at the completion of her work.

"Hugh Bowman was very complimentary about how she felt and he was extremely pleased with where she is at leading into the Cox Plate. It is our intention to take her to the Breakfast with the Best at Moonee Valley next Tuesday as we have prior to each of her Cox Plate victories to date."

Speaking to the Moonee Valley Racing Club afterwards, Waller said: "She's never gone any better I don't think. She's as good as she's ever been. I'm not saying she's improved, but it will take a champion to beat her.

"She's loving it back at The Valley. She's just a natural around here and I guess it's one of her great assets wherever she goes. She adapts so quickly, but the way she gets around that bend and quickly balances up to get up the straight is quite remarkable."

Her task looks like being made considerably easier as crack three-year-old The Autumn Sun, who happens to be a stablemate, looks unlikely to take her on.

He was mesmerising in the Caulfield Guineas and, in receipt of 16½lb, would provide Winx with a thorough test, but his part-owner John Messara told the Daily Telegraph: "I don’t want to be the one that shot Bambi – I'd have to leave town. So, even if he could beat her, I don’t really want to beat her."

Withhold sails through final piece of work

Withhold did a more serious piece of work on Tuesday with Geelong Cup jockey Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle.

Tom Charlton oversaw his efforts and said afterwards: "He worked seven furlongs and it was just maintenance work. He's where we want him so it's a question of ticking him over and keeping on top of him as he can get quite fresh, which is a good thing.

"He went nice even fractions and just quickened up from the two. I was very pleased with him and Kerrin was very complimentary, he said he's where you'd want him and was really pleased."

Withhold: sailed through his final piece of serious workCredit: Mark Cranham

The removal of Chris Waller's Count Octave and Emotionless has resulted in Withhold moving up one spot on the order of entry to 35 as Yucatan, who was number 55, also leapfrogged him and is now number 23.

There was also a late arrival at Werribee on Tuesday as US Navy Flag hot-footed it from his poor run in the Everest to Melbourne, with the Manikato at Moonee Valley the night before the Cox Plate his intended target.

Melbourne diary: magic McEvoy set for plum ride on Withhold in Geelong Cup

Melbourne diary: second wave of Europeans en route as raiding party hits limit