The winning four-year-son of Camelot was second to Magical in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh in June. Sir Dragonet is now trained jointly by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace and was previously handled by Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle. Ozzie Kerr bought the colt from the Coolmore partners Ozzie Kerr last August.

This morning’s victory was a first Ladbrokes Cox Plate for former jump jockey Ciaron Maher, who has previously won four Grand Annual Steeplechases.

Even though he hadn’t won since the 2019 Chester Vase, Sir Dragonet was sent off at 13-2 for the 10-furlong weight-for-age Group 1.

Sir Dragonet broke slowly

Though Sir Dragonet broke slowly from stall 6, Boss found himself towards the rear of midfield for much of the AUD$5 million 14-runner contest.

Grandslam led until just before the home bend with Russian Camelot (5/2f) moving into contention. The favourite briefly led two furlongs out, with Irish challenger Armory (13/2) looking comfortable.

Glen Boss moved Sir Dragonet off the rail as they entered the home straight and the former Ballydoyle inmate powered clear to win by a comfortable length-and-a-half. Aidan O’Brien’s Armory outstaying the Irish-bred Russian Camelot for the runner-up spot.

Hugh Bowman was the intended rider for Sir Dragonet. When he got suspended Glen Boss was called in to replace him.

Boss said after winning his fourth Cox Plate:

“This is unbelievable. I couldn’t have scripted the run any better. He was up for the task.”

Joseph O’Brien’s Buckhurst, who only got into the race yesterday on the withdrawal of Magic Wand, finished 10^th.

Sir Dragonet’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate now guarantees him a place in the Melbourne Cup on 2 November.

This morning’s result was a victory for Coolmore as the first three horses are by the Tippperary stud’s stallions. The winner and third are by Camelot, while Armory, the runner-up is by Galileo.

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The imported stayer confirmed his spot in the Caulfield Cup field when winning the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes on Saturday for jockey Damien Oliver.

The former Aidan O’Brien-trained colt has been handed a 1kg penalty for both the Group 1 Caulfield Cup and Group 1 Melbourne Cup after his impressive Group 3 success, with the Danny O’Brien-trained son of Galileo now set to carry 51kgs in both feature races.

“It was encouraging to see Orderofthegarter record his third career win in the Naturalism Stakes and his first since winning a Listed race for 3-year-olds in April 2017,” Racing Victoria Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter said.

“The merit of the victory on Saturday warranted a 1kg penalty for both Cups as he seeks to emulate Jameka who won the Caulfield Cup after winning the Naturalism Stakes in 2016″, Carpenter added.

Top Australian rider Damien Oliver is unable to ride below 53.5kg and with Orderofthegarter handicapped on 51kg, connections opted for McNeil as their lightweight rider.

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The O’Briens alone account for 16 of the 30 internationally trained entrants for the 160^th Lexus Melbourne Cup, with 25 Group 1 winners among the entries for the AUD $8 million race.

Joseph O’Brien, who became the youngest person ever to train the winner of “the race that stops a nation” when triumphing with Rekindling in 2017, has entered seven horses, five of which are owned by top Australian owner Lloyd Williams.

The Carriganóg handler’s full list of nominations is Bolleville, Buckhurst, Degraves, Master Of Reality (second past the post last year only to be demoted to fourth following an objection), Patrick Sarsfield, Pondus, and Twilight Payment.

Numerically Aidan O’Brien accounts for most of the overseas entries, with 9 nominations. They include 2019 Investec Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck as well as the 2019 and 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby victors Sovereign and Santiago. The Ballydoyle handler’s team is completed by Cormorant, Dawn Patrol, Mythical, Nobel Prize, Order Of Australia and Tiger Moth.

Ireland’s champion National Hunt trainer Willie Mullins has entered both last year’s VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner True Self and Lonsdale Cup runner-up Stratum, while former jockey and now successful trainer David O’Meara has one nomination in Eagles By Day.

English trainer Andrew Balding’s Dashing Willoughby and Fabrice Chappet’s Australian-owned San Huberto are expected to contest both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup for the first time this year. They could be joined by horses recently acquired by Australian ownership groups: the former Ger Lyons-trained Nickajack Cave, now with Peter Moody, and former Ballydoyle inmates Sir Dragonet, now trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, and Delphi, now handled by Anthony Freedman.

Australian trainer Danny O’Brien, winner of the 2019 Lexus Melbourne Cup with Vow And Declare, has entered last year’s victor as well as his leading Cup fancy Northern Hemisphere three-year-old Russian Camelot, winner of the South Australian Derby under Cork-born jockey Johnny Allen.

International stables have entered 34 horses for the 143^rd Caulfield Cup with 29 individual Group 1 winners among the 177 entries for the AUD $5.15 million Stella Artois-sponsored 2,400m race.

Aidan O’Brien has 13 entries in the Caulfield Cup including six-time Group 1 winner Magical, Japan, Magic Wand and 2019 Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck. His tranche of nominations is completed by Armory, Dawn Patrol, Mogul, Mythical, Nobel Prize, Order Of Australia, Santiago, Sovereign and Tiger Moth.

Joseph O’Brien has the same seven horses entered for the Lexus Caulfield Cup as he has for the Lexus Melbourne Cup, namely Bolleville, Buckhurst, Degraves, Master Of Reality, Patrick Sarsfield, Pondus andTwilight Payment.

The Willie Mullins pair Stratum and True Self are nominated for the Caulfield feature, as is David O’Meara’s Eagles By Day.

Danny O’Brien leads the Australian charge with a number of high-profile horses including Vow And Declare, South Australian Derby winner Russian Camelot, along with Adelaide Cup winner King of Leogrance and VRC Oaks heroine Miami Bound.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained partnership have the most entries in both races with 19 in the Melbourne Cup and 16 in the Caulfield Cup, with Sydney Cup winner Etah James among those to feature in both, while eight of the top 10 placed horses in the 2019 Caulfield Cup have been entered for a tilt at the race again this year.

Weights for both races will be released on Tuesday, 8 September, with first acceptances for the Caulfield Cup on Tuesday, 22 September and the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, 29 September. Late entries for both races close on Thursday, 3 September.

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Now trained in Australia by Danny O’Brien – no relation of the Master of Ballydoyle – Orderofthegarter will have his first run since finishing second in a Flemington handicap behind Furrion in September 2018.

The Lloyd Williams-owned horse was previously trained by Liam Howley on his only Australian start.

The six-year-old horse’s best form saw him win a stakes race in Ireland and place behind Benbatl in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes in 2017.

Speaking ahead of his return to the track, his handler Danny O’Brien said:

“He’s had a lovely long prep coming off a long break so we’re treating Saturday as a bit of a learning experience, but he’s been in work since the start of March so he’s ready to go to the races. His form is a long time ago – he hasn’t raced for two years. He ran at Royal Ascot in 2017 and that’s three years ago and he’s only had one run since.

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