Melham booked for star 3YO in Cox Plate
Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young move swiftly to secure lightweight jockey Jamie Melham for Blind Raise (NZ) (Ace High) in the Gr.1 Cox Plate, following the gelding’s brave second behind Warwoven (Sword Of State) in Saturday’s Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas.
Being a three-year-old gelding, Blind Raise will carry 49.5kg in the weight-for-age classic, which will be run over 2040 metres at Flemington on October 24.
Blind Raise has been ridden by Blake Shinn at all three runs this prep, but he cannot ride at 49.5kg.
Melham rode the James Cummings-trained Broadsiding at 49.5kg in the 2024 Cox Plate. The then-three-year-old finished third behind Via Sistina and Prognosis.
Young said a decision on whether Blind Raise definitely runs in the Cox Plate will be made in the coming days.
“We’ll see how he pulls up; he’s got to come through it in good order,” Young told Racing.com.
