De Kock eyes Cox Plate for Musir

Dubai : South African trainer Mike de Kock revealed that UAE Derby winner Musir will now head back to Australia where the W.S. Cox Plate is likely to be his spring mission.

"He'll go to Australia now as I have to do what is best for my client," de Kock said of the impressive colt, owned by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.

"Musir would have won the Guineas and the Derby back home. Of all the three year olds I've trained for this race, he could be the best of them."

With Christophe Soumillon in the saddle, Musir outraced stable companion and UAE Oaks winner Raihana.

In doing so he maintained the stranglehold that de Kock and Saeed Bin Surour have on the race as they are the only two trainers to win it. Bin Surour has six wins to de Kock's five. Musir was a Group 1 winner in South Africa as a two year old and has recently won three in succession in Dubai including the UAE Guineas before his Derby success.