Yankee Rose up for the Cox Plate challenge

Trainer David Vandyke says Yankee Rose is ready for the fight in Saturday’s Cox Plate.

David Vandyke says Cox Plate contender Yankee Rose is a bit of a showgirl.

And the filly gets her chance to shine on the big stage when she takes on the older horses for the first time in the weight-for-age contest at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

To be ridden by Dean Yendall, Yankee Rose will carry just 47.5kg and currently shares the third line of betting with French horse Vadamos at $15 behind $1.85 favourite Winx and Hartnell at $3.20.

Yankee Rose goes to the Cox Plate off a last-start victory against her own age in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick on October 8 when she became the first filly to win the race.

Vandyke says Yankee Rose won’t be put off by the crowd and the noise before Saturday’s race.

“The bigger the crowds the more she relishes it,” Vandyke said.

“She gets quite agitated when she’s in the stable and there’s not many people around.

“She’s a showgirl.”

Yankee Rose stayed with Vandyke when he moved his stable from Warwick Farm in Sydney to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

She has impressed track watchers with her two recent gallops at Moonee Valley, the only serious work she has done left-handed.

“We didn’t do anything before coming down,” Vandyke said.

“She was struggling to go the Sydney way in her trackwork but she’s amazing how she’s turned it around.

“She wouldn’t have won a Gatton maiden the way she was working six weeks ago and now she’s third favourite in the Cox Plate.”

Vandyke said it was important for Yankee Rose to get experience working left-handed and the filly has had no trouble adapting to the Moonee Valley circuit.

“She changes stride but in a good way,” Vandyke said.

“She’s quite comfortable on either leg and as such I don’t think it is a problem coming down here.

“I’m pretty excited about Saturday as we’re competing in such a prestigious race.

“She has to put in a career-best performance to be competitive but we’ve been around here twice which is a big plus.

“She’s on top of her game and there’s no improvement in her fitness-wise.

“She’s ready to get out there and show her best.”

Yankee Rose finished second to Capitalist in the Golden Slipper before winning the Sire’s Produce Stakes in the autumn.

The Spring Champion Stakes was her first attempt at 2000 metres and the manner of her win has her the early favourite to win the VRC Oaks on November 3 over 2500m.