CHAMPION Irish jockey Kieren Fallon may not get even a glimpse of the unique Moonee Valley course, let alone ride a horse in work on the tight circuit, before he partners Caulfield Cup runner-up Aqua D'Amore in Saturday's Cox Plate.
Fallon, who is on a retainer to ride for the Coolmore group in Ireland, yesterday received the call-up for their mare Aqua D'Amore, but may not even look at the course until race morning.
Fallon, 41, who is in Melbourne for the first time to ride Irish star Yeats in the Melbourne Cup, in 13 days, will also ride Cinque for David Hayes in the Mornmoot Stud Stakes, California Dane for Lee Freedman in the Schweppervescence Stakes, and Don Raphael in the Moonee Valley Cup for Brian Jenkins.
Aqua D'Amore drew eight in the 13-horse Cox Plate field at yesterday morning's barrier draw.
Sydney trainer John O'Shea was relieved last night that Racing To Win will not require another strong gallop before the Cox Plate after failing to find a suitable course to work him again tomorrow.
"It would have been a problem if I needed to give him one more hard gallop," O'Shea said. "I certainly would have been reluctant to use the viscoride at Flemington for a strong gallop.
"But it's not a big drama. He did everything I wanted him to do this morning and so he's pretty much where I want him. He might do something on Thursday but won't need to work hard.
"He's had a couple of easy weeks as he was coming off two hard runs in Sydney over the taxing mile (1600m). "He might need one more hard gallop before the race."
O'Shea was hopeful of returning to Moonee Valley tomorrow morning but club officials said that any request would be denied. The Flemington course proper is closed and only Caulfield trainers can use the main track at Caulfield.
After failing to make much impact at his first gallop at Moonee Valley last Saturday morning, Racing To Win certainly turned on the heat yesterday, galloping over 1600 metres in one minute 52.43 seconds, his last 400 in 23.68, and beating stablemate Primus. Mick Price's pair Pompeii Ruler and Red Dazzler also worked at the Valley yesterday, Pompeii Ruler running 1600 metres in 1:48.36, his last 400 metres in 23.39.