Cox Plate unlikely for Racing To Win

Sydney star Racing To Win was unlikely to have a tilt at this year's Cox Plate, trainer John O'Shea said on Friday.

O'Shea will play by ear whether Racing To Win runs in the Cox Plate, for which he was among the 172 entries earlier this month, but at this stage he was a doubtful starter.

The six-year-old grey, who will resume in the G2 Warwick Stakes at Warwick Farm on Saturday, will likely race exclusively in Sydney this campaign.

"You never know. We'll see, but I doubt it," O'Shea said of a Cox Plate start.

"(It's) not ruled but I'm not committing to anything."

Bookies have Racing To Win around the $35 mark to win the Cox Plate, the race in which he broke down in 2006.

O'Shea has mapped out a 'cameo' campaign for his stable star which will include the G2 Theo Marks Quality (1300m) at Rosehill on September 13 and the G1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick a fortnight later.

"He's going to be pretty forward in all of them. If he wins a couple it's a bit of money for everyone," O'Shea said.

A run in the G1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) on October 4 was a possibility 'if they don't weight him out of it'.

Racing To Win was lumped with 60.5kg for this year's Doncaster, which he subsequently missed.

O'Shea said Racing To Win would be 'hard to beat' in the Warwick Stakes.

The son of Encosta de Lago warmed up for the race with a 900m trial earlier this month.