Trackwork to provide Plate clue for Conlan

An early morning match-up with New Zealand star Jimmy Choux will give trainer Jim Conlan a clearer picture about the Cox Plate chances of Rekindled Interest.

Rekindled Interest and Jimmy Choux will gallop together as part of Moonee Valley's Breakfast with the Best trackwork session on Tuesday morning.

Jimmy Choux and Caulfield Guineas winner Helmet are the two Cox Plate horses Conlan fears most going into Saturday's Group One weight-for-age classic.

"I can't draw any line on either of them," Conlan said.

Conlan has a lot of respect for Jimmy Choux while he believes Helmet maybe a superstar in the making.

He said Rekindled Interest, who two starts ago won Moonee Valley's Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m), needed a strong hit-out and expects him to get it from Jimmy Choux who is considered a strong track worker.

"He needs just that one crunch (workout) to bring him right on," Conlan said.

"He's carrying about 5kg more than when he won Dato (Tan Chin Nam Stakes) and this will tighten him up and get him down to the same weight.

"I want to see him (Rekindled Interest) put in a nice gallop because he normally parlays his gallops into his races."

Conlan said Rekindled Interest's campaign had been "all perfect".

"He's had a really trouble-free preparation from day one and seems to be coming to his peak at the right time," Conlan said.

"If we can get him to the races next Saturday the way he is today he is an enormous chance.

"We just have to rely on him having a good run in the race.

"I just think he is spot on. Really ready."

Conlan said the gelding's last start fifth in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington completed an almost identical lead up to that of El Segundo before he won the 2007 Cox Plate.

"Before the preparation started I went back through the last 20 winners of the Cox Plate and I tried to identify a couple of horses that I thought were similar sorts of horses to him," Conlan said.

He said El Segundo, noted for his turn of foot, stood out and he has faithfully used the same lead up races for Rekindled Interest with remarkably similar results.

El Segundo, posted a third in the Aurie's Star, fourth in the Memsie, won the Dato Tan Chin Nam and was sixth in the Turnbull.

Rekindled Interest has finished, second, fourth, first, and fifth in the respective races.

The Cox Plate field will be declared after Moonee Valley trackwork.

Other Cox Plate contenders working are Sincero, Glass Harmonium, Lion Tamer, Wall Street, Playing God, Shamrocker, Secret Admirer, Descarado, and Yosei.

Efficient, Avienus, Wall Street and Yosei appear to be vying for the last two spots in the 14-horse field.

Conlan wants Rekindled Interest to draw a barrier between two and five to make Dwayne Dunn's job easier find a position to the first turn.

Rekindled Interest has come from last and second last at his last two runs but Conlan believes he may race closer to midfield on Saturday.