Twelve accept for Cox Plate

Twelve runners have accepted for Saturday’s Cox Plate, with Saint George a surprise addition to the field alongside three of his Ciaron Maher-trained stablemates.

Runner-up in last week’s Caulfield Cup, Saint George will drop back to the 2000m and weight-for-age conditions of the Cox Plate while other horses set to back up are Cosmic Crusader and Middle Earth at Flemington. Ceolwulf, who was runner-up to Autumn Glow in the King Charles III Stakes at Randwick, is also set to run seven days later in Melbourne.

Sir Delius and Aeliana are equal favourites at $4.50 ahead of Ceolwulf and three-year-old Caulfield Guineas winner Warwoven are equal second favourites at $5 as the only horses in single figures for the Cox Plate.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Sir Delius galloped on the Flemington course proper on Tuesday.

“He’s not working quite the same as he did last year, he’s a year older, he’s more mature, but I thought he handled it very well,” Waterhouse said.

“He’s very fit and he’s a happy, happy horse, going into the race.”