TRAINER John Wallace is far from downcast about Shoot Out's Cox Plate prospects despite an on-face-value failure at the weekend.

Shoot Out struggled to match the acceleration of Whobegotyou and Typhoon Tracy when placed behind the pair, beaten a total of three lengths, in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

But Wallace can find plenty of positives from the performance and is looking forward to a re-match with the pair in the Cox Plate on October 23.

"The inside section was lengths slower. Look at the results all day. The outside runners had a huge advantage," Wallace said.

"I thought Shoot Out ran a tremendous race under the circumstances. And he's going to be better suited by going up to the longer distances for the rest of his spring.

"The good news is he has come through the race in great order."

Shoot Out will not start again for three weeks when he will tackle the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.

Wallace confirmed Stathi Katsidis who has come under criticism for his past two rides on Shoot Out would be staying on the four-year-old in the Turnbull.

The Gold Coast trainer wasn't the only one who rated the inside section at The Valley as a "no-go zone".

Typhoon Tracy's trainer Peter Moody agreed Shoot Out was i the slowest section of the track.

Moody also is adamant the Cox Plate is not a two horse war between So You Think and Whobegotyou although both love The Valley track.

"I think if the positions in running had been reversed on Saturday Typhoon Tracy would have beaten Whobegotyou," Moody said.

"It was always my intention to ride her back this time. I don't want her doing all the donkey work up front in every race.

"I would have preferred to keep our tactics a secret but under the rules of racing I had to inform the stewards and they made it public.

"I was delighted with Typhoon Tracy's effort. She will get better and is definitely one of the top chances in the Cox Plate."

Typhoon Tracy is going on the same Turnbull-Cox Plate path as Shoot Out.

In a similar vein Moody is not running scared of boom sprinter Hay List despite another towering win in the McEwen Stakes on Saturday.

The Moody-trained Reward For Effort was well beaten into third behind Hay List.

"We had one barrier and spent the race trying to get away from the fence. If we had a dry track next time I wouldn't say it was impossible to turn the tables on Hay List," Moody said.

"If he can't beat Hay List I have Black Caviar ready to come in fresh to take him on."

Gold Coast filly Military Rose has pleased trainer Gillian Heinrich since her first up sixth in the Danehill Stakes nine days ago and is on target to run in the Champagne Stakes at the Moonee Valley night meeting on Friday week.