The Sportingbet Cox Plate is next on the agenda for prominent owner Lloyd Williams with the Caulfield Cup winning owner accepting with three runners in the Group 1 $3m weight for age championship  (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Green Moon will be one of three Cox Plate runners for owner Lloyd Williams. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Williams, who won his first Group 1 $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) with Fawkner last Saturday notified Racing Victoria today that his three Cox Plate runners would be Green Moon, Seville and Masked Marvel.

Last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon has been out of the major prizemoney at two runs this campaign but has the class to be a major threat in any race when he is right.

Green Moon will again be ridden by his Melbourne Cup winning jockey Brett Prebble while Hugh Bowman retains the ride on Seville after the pair combined to win the Group 1 $400,000 McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 5.

Williams’ third runner is Masked Marvel who has failed to reproduce his Group 1 winning form from England which saw him win the 2011 Group 1 £600,000 Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes (1 mile, 6 furlong, 132 yards) at Doncaster.

Masked Marvel has been placed at his latest two starts but in far inferior class than he will be facing on Saturday.

The six year old ran a fair race when third to Moriarty in the Group 2 $200,000 Bacardi Hill Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on September 21 before running second to Honorius in the Group 3 $125,000 APN Outdoor Craven Plate (2000m) at Randwick on October 5 as the short priced favourite.

No jockey has been finalised for Masked Marvel with Williams waiting for the outcome of the appeal of Caulfield Cup winning jockey Nick Hall who was suspended for careless riding on Saturday.

Williams has decided to bypass the Cox Plate with last start winner Sea Moon and Mourayan and will send the Melbourne Cup hopefuls around in the Group 2 $250,000 Drake International Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

All three Williams’ Cox Plate runners are at long odds with Green Moon marked at $21, Seville at $51 and Masked Marvel rated a $61 chance.

Glamour mare Atlantic Jewel is at the top of the market order at $2.30 ahead of Fiorente and It’s A Dundeel at $5 and Puissance De Lune at $7.50.