Cox Plate favourite Fawkner has drawn what owner Lloyd Williams described as the “perfect” gate for Saturday’s $3 million race at Moonee Valley.
Williams has yet to win a Cox Plate but Fawkner will be given every chance in the Group 1 feature after son Nick drew gate four at the barrier draw on Tuesday.
Fawkner firmed into $4 favourite following the favourable draw.
The Chris Waller-trained second favourite Sacred Falls eased in betting after drawing barrier nine while Waller’s Underwood Stakes winner Foreteller drew the inside gate.
Popular Tasmanian horse The Cleaner drew widest in gate 14 while Irish raider Adelaide also fared poorly drawing gate 13.
Last year’s runner-up Happy Trails drew barrier two while AJC Derby winner Criterion fared well in six as did British horse Side Glance in seven.
| No. | Horse | Jockey | Barrier | Weight (kg) |
| 1 | Sacred Falls | Zac Purton | 9 | 59 |
| 2 | Fawkner | Nicholas Hall | 4 | 59 |
| 3 | Side Glance | Jamie Spencer | 7 | 59 |
| 4 | Happy Trails | Damien Oliver | 2 | 59 |
| 5 | Foreteller | Tommy Berry | 1 | 59 |
| 6 | The Cleaner | Steven Arnold | 14 | 59 |
| 7 | Guest of Honour | Craig Williams | 10 | 59 |
| 8 | Criterion | Hugh Bowman* | 6 | 57.5 |
| 9 | Silent Achiever | Nash Rawiller | 11 | 57 |
| 10 | Royal Descent | Glen Boss | 3 | 57 |
| 11 | Adelaide | Ryan Moore | 13 | 56 |
| 12 | Almalad | Craig Newitt | 8 | 49.5 |
| 13 | Sweynesse | Chad Schofield | 12 | 49.5 |
| 14 | Wandjina | Dean Yendall | 5 | 49.5 |
* subject to outcome of suspension appeal
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