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On the 25th Anniversary of his first Cox Plate winner, trainer David Hayes has globetrotting galloper Criterion primed to deliver him a third win in the weight for age championship of Australia at Moonee Valley this afternoon.

A quarter of a century ago a youthful David Hayes had just taken over the reins of the powerful Lindsay Park training establishment from his late father Colin that included champion galloper Better Loosen Up who stormed to victory in the 1990 renewal to defeat Sydeston and Canny Lad.

Hayes collected a second Cox Plate 16 years later with the Fields Of Omagh who had also won the 2002 Cox Plate when trained by Tony McEvoy – the caretaker trainer at Lindsay Park while David pursued a training career in Hong Kong.

Now in a training partnership with Tom Dabernig, Hayes has multiple group one winner Criterion primed for a return to a peak performance – and if he is to atone for last year’s close up seventh behind Irish galloper Adelaide, Criterion will need to produce his personal best 127 Timeform rating achieved in his dominant victory in the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick earlier this year.

Criterion comes into the Cox Plate as the highest Timeform rated runner ahead of UK-trained Arod and Kermadec both on 125, but beneath them there are several runners rated within a couple of pounds making the race one of the strongest, depth wise, in years.

After winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in April, Criterion journeyed to Hong Kong where he contested the QEII Cup (2000m) finishing a creditable third to Blazing Speed and Japanese runner Staphanos, before embarking on a European tour where in two outings he performed at the highest level against classy middle distance gallopers.

Criterion’s first run in Europe was in the G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes (2000m) at Royal Ascot where he ran a creditable fifth behind Free Eagle and The Grey Gatsby finishing just under four lengths from the winner but rating 119 or eight pounds below his best Australian form.

After a 63 day spell, Criterion then travelled to York to contest the G1 Juddmonte Stakes – a field that included champion three-year-old and subsequent Arc winner Golden Horn.

In a messy race, Criterion suffered interference and was never a winning possibility finishing sixth behind Arabian Queen and Golden Horn. He also raced without blinkers that day which could also have been a contributing factor to his poor performance.

Last start Criterion returned home to tackle the Caulfield Stakes en-route to the Cox Plate.

Coming off a 52 day break, and with blinkers reapplied Criterion was still too sharp for his Australian opposition winning comfortably in what is regarded as the main Cox Plate lead up race – running a Timeform rating just two pounds under his master figure.

In fact Criterion’s Australian 2000m form is impeccable - he can easily lay claim to being the champion 2000m horse in the land - his last two runs at home yielding comprehensive wins in both the G1 Caulfield Stakes and G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the same calendar year – something that has not been achieved since Might And Power in 1998 who then went on to add the Cox Plate – the only horse to do so since the Queen Elizabeth Stakes was first run in 1954.

Criterion will be fitter again today and from his mid field barrier should be able to position just on the back of the speed.

There are plenty of dangers such as the imported trio of Highland Reel, Arod and Gailo Chop plus locals like Epsom winner Winx, Turnbull Stakes winner Preferment and Kermadec.

Arod is a very accomplished UK galloper who lands here with a Timeform rating of 125, the same level Criterion ran to in winning the Caulfield Stakes last start.

Arod has raced five times this year for two wins at group 2 level over 1600m and three placings – the furthest distance he has raced over is 1810m at Newmarket when second to French Navy.

At his most recent run in July, Arod was just caught late by the crack German trained Solow who is carrying all before him this year being unbeaten in six starts – if nothing else that is a very strong form reference.

Arod is a free going type who travels on the pace or in the lead if need be as he did last start in the G1 Sussex Stakes over 1600m at Goodwood when cut down late by Solow.

There could be a query over his ability to handle a tough 2000m at his first run around Moonee Valley but is worth remembering that he has won twice over 2000m in the UK at three and was also fourth in Australia’s Epsom Derby.

Arod is likely to track The Cleaner and should be given every chance of success from there by Craig Williams.

Outstanding Epsom Handicap winner Winx is a query runner. Following an excellent career at three that included wins against the boys in the Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill and then against her own sex in the Queensland Oaks in Brisbane, she has returned to racing bigger and better than ever at four.

After staging an amazing first up win in the Theo Marks Quality (1300m) she stepped up to 1600m of the Epsom Handicap, again storming to victory registering a new personal best Timeform rating of 122.

While the Epsom win was staggering, the competition was weak and the weights were compressed so it needs to be handled with some caution.

The last horse to win the Epsom – Cox Plate double was Noholme in 1959 and many have tried in the meantime – all beaten seemingly failing to handle the jump to weight for age class.

That aside it is clear Winx is a superior horse this preparation. On Timeform ratings at least, she does have a great chance on weight adjusted figures, especially when the four pound sex allowance is factored into her 122 Epsom winning figure, effectively saying she could run as high as 126 – and her electrifying turn of foot in the closing stages could be a deciding factor.

It is also significant that regular rider Hugh Bowman has selected the mare as his mount ahead of Turnbull Stakes winner Preferment.

Doncaster Handicap winners have a better record in the Cox Plate than Epsom winners but having said that only those classier Doncaster winners such as Sunline, Gunsynd, Super Impose and Tobin Bronze have been able to take the double, the last three carrying big weights to win the Doncaster.

I doubt Kermadec is in that league but perhaps he may not have to be. This campaign has seen the Waller-trained galloper win a second 1600m group one at Randwick – the George Main Stakes, however he finished out of the money at his first attempt past 1600m in the G1 Caulfield Stakes beaten just over a length by Criterion.

Opinions are divided on the merit of the performance rating slightly below his George Main Stakes peak of 125.

On the positive side, he was left with too much to do in a slowly run race but still managed to stick with subsequent Caulfield Cup winner Mongolian Khan in the last 200m.

The query is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Highland Reel (Timeform rated 120) who attempts to give the master Irish trainer back to back wins in the Cox Plate having been successful with Adelaide last year.

But Adelaide came here with a superior Timeform rating to Highland Reel (125 v 120) and also had an upward spiralling ratings profile. Highland Reel will need to lift several pounds to emulate his famous ex stable mate who took the Cox Plate with a Timeform rating of 128.

Highland Reel last raced in the Irish Champions Stakes over 2011 at Leopardstown coming in fifth behind Golden Horn beaten almost four lengths and running to 118.

However while Timeform ratings say he will need to find extra, a comparison of his form and that of Criterion through indirect form lines in the UK does point to a closer contest – an advantage of over two lengths in favour of Highland Reel when poundage allowances and appropriate weight for age calculations are factored in.

Against that Criterion was not on home soil and his ratings suggest he ran at best 3.8 lengths below his Australian PB, but all the same that analysis does put Highland Reel closer in the finish than straight weight adjusted ratings might suggest.

Preferment and Hartnell both Timeform rated 124 won’t be far away either.

A rejuvenated Preferment has won his last two starts at weight for age, first the Hill Stakes at Randwick beating subsequent Metropolitan winner Magic Hurricane and last time out the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.

Although it is his first time around Moonee Valley, he could easily surprise with his late strong finishing run.

The same applies to BMW winner Hartnell who is third up this afternoon – a state he remains unbeaten in after three campaigns, his most recent being a strong win in the BMW at Rosehill in the Autumn.

Although seemingly disappointing at his two runs back this far, Hartnell has found the line hard on both occasions and has progressed his Timeform rating to 121 last start – just three pounds below his personal best.

Stable rider James McDonald takes over this afternoon so expect him to improve again.

If successful Hartnell would join Kingston Town (1980), Bonecrusher (1986), Might and Power (1998) and Makybe Diva (2005) as the only horses to have completed the BMW – Cox Plate double in the same calendar year.