Australia  

Thursday night's meetings include France’s Deauville and Auteuil, South Africa’s Vaal, UK’s Carlisle, Lingfield-All Weather and Ireland’s Thurles and Navan - Friday’s meetings include New Zealand’s New Plymouth, Benalla, Canberra, Scone, Gawler, night meetings Manikato Stakes at The Valley and Sunshine Coast,

Race Tips and Previews for feature races at The Valley on Friday night and Saturday - Manikato Stakes - taking the real class in the Tips and Race Preview for the 2020 Manikato Stakes, Trekking was brave last week and is a $3.60 chance.

RV reported on Thursday afternoon that RV veterinarians earlier Thursday inspected all 14 starters and the emergency for this Saturday’s Group 1 WS Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley - two horses trained by Aidan O’Brien, Magic Wand (IRE) and Armory (IRE), will be re-examined by veterinarians on Friday

Jockey Ben Melham will miss the crowd at the Cox Plate meeting at The Valley on Saturday - he says sitting in the jockeys’ room prior to the race you get a sense of the atmosphere, but due to COVID-19 that will be missing from this year’s event - listen to Melham discussing the lack of crowds this year and his ride on Armory (IRE)

Thermosphere - “The boys in Melbourne were bullish about her having more to offer after an unplaced Thousand Guineas effort. The filly is strong and bright, she is well-placed in this and off her brave Edward Manifold form she can run on competitively around The Valley camber.”

Grant Williams has had his trials and tribulations with Arcadia Queen since arriving in Victoria in July but that will all be forgotten if the Perth mare can win the $5 million Cox Plate.

Trainer Chris Waller is no stranger to having multiple representation in feature staying races in Sydney and that is the again the case in Melbourne on Saturday with three runners in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup.

In form trainer Danny O’Brien is hoping the predicted rain falls early on Friday afternoon in a bid to give Order Of Command an advantage in the $1 million Group 1 Manikato Stakes at The Valley.

Race Tips and Preview for the feature race at Randwick on Saturday - taking the very in form mares in the Tips and Race Preview for the 2020 The Nivison

📹: The @TheValley track report has landed for a big 24 hours with rain on the way - the rail will stay in the true position for both meetings

Randwick Track Manager Michael Wood with an update on the Randwick Course Proper ahead of the meeting at Randwick on Saturday - Track Good 4 and the rail is out 4m for the entire circuit.

Steel Prince (IRE) looks assured of gaining a start in the $8 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington after Racing Victoria handicappers penalised him 1kg for his Geelong Cup success.

Early track conditions, form and scratchings for Randwick - Track Good 4 - rail out 4m for the entire circuit - no irrigation for the last 24 hours, 4mm for the last seven days - no rain for the last 24 hours, 11.5mm for the last seven days - weather sunny 25c Thursday, partly cloudy 26c Friday, partly cloudy showers with up to 8mm possible with 19c to 29c Saturday - four scratchings

100th Cox Plate – Arcadia Queen $5-$6 $500 @ $6, $1,450 @ $5.50, $500 @ $5.50, $500 e/w @ $5.50/$2.12, $400 @ $5.50, $500 @ $5, $450 @ $5, $400 @ $5 - Russian Camelot $4-$4.60 $1,000 @ $4.60, $6,500 @ $4.50, $5,000 @ $4.50, $1,000 @ $4.50, $800 @ $4.50 - Probabeel $13-$8 $500 @ $13, $500 @ $11, $250 e/w @ $11/$3.50, $300 x $100 e/w @ $9/$3, $500 @ $8 twice, $400 @ $8

The connections of Steel Prince will be hoping for a weight penalty into the Melbourne Cup after the stayer scored a dogged win over his imported stablemate to claim the Group 3 Geelong Cup on Wednesday.

Wednesday's wagering review of TAB.com.au fixed odds markets for races at the Cox Plate meeting at The Valley and the meeting Randwick on Saturday:

High-priced yearling sale purchase Colonel (by Snitzel) broke through for his first career win when comfortably leading from start to finish in the four-runner Josh Howe Big Sports Breakfast Plate (1100m) on the midweek Randwick-Kensington program in Sydney

This year the winner of the listed Roderick Insurance Brokers Geelong Classic (2200m) at Geelong will not go forward on the traditional path to the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on the 31st with Confrontational being saved for the autumn

Champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien won Australasia’s weight-for-age championship, the Cox Plate, with his first runner when Adelaide scored in 2014 - this year O’Brien has dual representation in the Cox Plate at The Valley when his travelling foreman T J Comerford saddles Armory (IRE) and Magic Wand (IRE) - listen to Comerford and watch both in trackwork at Werribee

Craig Williams is no stranger to Cox Plate success and is banking on veteran galloper Humidor (NZ) to give him a third win in Australasia’s weight-for-age championship at The Valley - listen to Williams discussing Humidor after Tuesday's trackwork at The Valley

Peltzer has opened as the $2.90 favourite with TAB after a field of 10 accepted for the Randwick feature on Saturday, the $1m, Bondi Stakes (1600m) for three-year-old’s

Geelong Cup – Ashrun $3.70-$4.20-$4 $2,000 @ $4.20, $600 x $900 e/w @ $3.80/$1.70, $350 e/w @ $3.60/$1.60, $500 @ $3.60 - King Of Leogrance $11-$10-$8 ($500 @ $11, $500 @ $10, $500 e/w @ $8/$2.40, $250 e/w @ $8/$2.40 - Skyward $4.60-$5-$4.60 $500 @ $5, $2,000 @ $4.80, $500 @ $4.60

Track conditions, form and scratchings for Randwick-Kensington - Track Good 4 - rail out 4m for the entire circuit - no irrigation for the last 24 hours, 12mm for the last seven days - 0.2mm of rain for the last 24 hours, 11.5mm for the last seven days - weather sunny 25c - 16 scratchings - FINAL

Track conditions, form and scratchings for Geelong - Track Good 4 - rail in the True position for the entire circuit - 2.5mm of irrigation for the last 24 hours - no rain for the last 24 hours, 10.8mm for the last seven days - weather partly cloudy 17c - 15 scratchings - FINAL

Having guided Verry Elleegant to success in the Caulfield Cup, jockey Mark Zahra will be given the opportunity of adding the Melbourne Cup to the trophy cabinet aboard the mare.

Jockey Jye McNeil is well on the way to getting down to 49.5kg, the weight allotted his Cox Plate mount, three-year-old Grandslam - the Matthew Smith-trained galloper Fierce Impact settled beautifully for the Luke Currie - strong work from Kolding - Patrick Payne puts Probabeel through her paces

The make-up of the fields for three feature races during the Melbourne Cup Carnival has become clearer after first acceptances closed for the $2 million AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m), $1 million Kennedy Oaks (2500m) and $1.5 million Darley Sprint Classic (1200m).

International spring raiders have had outstanding success in the Geelong Cup and they again have strong representation in the Group 3 race on Wednesday.