Cox Plate favourite and defending champion Via Sistina has drawn ideally in barrier five for Saturday’s weight-for-age championship at The Valley.

Chris Waller’s outstanding mare will start alongside her main rival Antino, who’ll jump from barrier six, while ATC Derby heroine Aeliana was allocated barrier eight in the nine-horse field.

Australian Cup winner Light Infantry Man was handed the outside barrier of nine and Treasurethe Moment will begin from the inside draw of one, while likely pacemaker Globe received barrier seven.

Champion jockey James McDonald is satisfied with barrier five for Via Sistina, as he seeks his fourth-straight win in the great race and his second in succession on the mare.

“It seems alright for her, so hopefully we get a bit of luck and she can show her wares,” McDonald said. “She feels excellent. She just needs a bit of luck go her way. She loves The Valley, so that’s a really good sign.”

Via Sistina is one of two Cox Plate runners for Yulong, whose green and white silks will also be worn by Damian Lane aboard Treasurethe Moment.

Yulong’s chief operating officer Sam Fairgray was pleased with the outcome of the draw for both Via Sistina and Treasurethe Moment.

“I think both are ideally where we wanted them,” Fairgray said. “I think Troy (Stephens) our racing manager spoke to both James and Damian and they were the barriers they wanted. We’re out of the right gates, so bring on Saturday.”

While Via Sistina galloped at The Valley on Tuesday morning, Treasurethe Moment’s trainer Matt Laurie elected to keep his star mare back at her home track at Mornington instead.

“Matt’s such a conservative trainer that he would not have her running in the Cox Plate if he didn’t think that she was 100 per cent,” Fairgray said.

“Her work’s been very, very good, she stayed at home today because Matt didn’t want her to have to be standing in the float in the traffic to and from the track, so she had a nice clean of the lungs this morning and she’s all set for Saturday.”

Antino looms as one of the key threats to Via Sistina’s bid for back-to-back Cox Plates. Blake Shinn will maintain his association with the Queensland-trained galloper, as he tries to add the Cox Plate to his glowing CV as a jockey.

“It’s all going to come down to tempo and there will be a little bit of cat and mouse playing through the field,” Shinn said. “Position in running will be key and pace and then it’s just a matter of riding Antino to suit and his best attributes.

“He’s got good stamina, he’s got speed and it’s just playing the cards that are in front of him on the day and I won’t know that until the barriers open.”

Ladbrokes has Via Sistina as the $2 favourite for the Cox Plate, ahead of Antino at $3.50, while Treasurethe Moment is at $8.

Cox Plate barrier draw (in the order they were drawn in)

NEPOTISM – 3

BUCKAROO – 4

VIA SISTINA – 5

ATTRITION – 2

ANTINO – 6

GLOBE – 7

AELIANA – 8

TREASURETHE MOMENT – 1

LIGHT INFANTRY MAN – 9