Jarrod McLean is hoping months of meticulous planning will pay dividends for Humidor when he runs against super mare Winx in the $5 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Winx, who is attempting to win a record-breaking fourth consecutive Cox Plate and her 29th straight race, defeated Humidor by millimetres in last year’s race and the two will clash again for Australia’s  major weight-for-age title. 

McLean, who is the Warrnambool foreman for Darren Weir’s satellite stable, is looking forward to the 2040-metre race.

“This is Humidor’s grand final, the Cox Plate,” McLean said. 

“We’ve set him for this. He’s had a great preparation and we’ll put the blinkers on for the first time in this campaign on Saturday. 

“Humidor was gallant last year but was just defeated. We ran him in the Caulfield Cup last year before the Cox Plate but this year we’ve just aimed Humidor at the Cox Plate. 

“Racing sometimes throws up some funny results, if Winx is to be beaten I’m hoping it’s Humidor that can do it.”

Kings Will Dream, a Warrnambool stablemate of Humidor, is one of the other eight runners in the time-honoured race.

Weir accepted with four Warrnambool-trained horses – Big Duke, Red Cardinal, Megablast and Tosen Basil for the $500,000 Moonee Valley Gold Cup while McLean, who has his own training license, saddles up Trap For Fools in the 2500-metre event.

Ciaron Maher and Aaron Purcell also have runners on the big 10-race program.

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