John Wallace is using the Dato' Tan Chin Nam Stakes to acquaint Shoot Out with the tricky Moonee Valley circuit, but merely being involved in Saturday's race could be important to his Cox Plate chances.

The $400,000 event has been the guide to Australasia's weight-for-age championship in the past decade.

Six of the past 10 Cox Plate winners have come through the 1600-metre Group 2.

Sunline and Northerly completed the double in 2000 and 2001 respectively, a feat matched by El Segundo in 2007. Makybe Diva (2005), Fields Of Omagh (2006) and Maldivian (2008) also took in the Dato en route to Cox Plate glory.

The Dato's recent history should be enough to convince Wallace to target the 2040m Cox Plate with his star four-year-old providing he handles the track this weekend.

The canny Queenslander is yet to decide whether the Cox Plate or the Caulfield Cup, run over 2400m a week earlier, is the main spring aim for the AJC Derby winner.

"He'll have a look at the place (Moonee Valley) and then we can work out where we're going exactly from there," Wallace said.

"That's the way I'm looking at it. We'll let Saturday tell the tale and then we'll make our minds up after that."

Surely Wallace will find the $3 million Cox Plate, on October 23, irresistible if Shoot Out maintains the impeccable modern-day record of Liston Stakes winners in the Dato'.

Remarkably, only two winners of the Liston - which Shoot Out won so impressively at Caulfield on August 14 (pictured, above) - have run in the Dato' in the past 20 years, but both have won.

Classy mare Inaflury did the double in 1999, while Lad Of The Manor repeated the feat six years later.

The Memsie Stakes, in which Shoot Out ran third to So You Think two weeks after winning the Liston, has also proven the best Dato' lead up.

Five of the past seven winners of the event that was known as the Feehan Stakes until 2005 have been beaten in the Memsie at their previous start.

Whobegotyou, Typhoon Tracy and Brightnight are the others who finished behind So You Think at Caulfield that are running this weekend.

Whobegotyou's love affair with Moonee Valley is well known - last year's Cox Plate sixth was his only defeat there - and he did win the Dato' 12 months ago.

But only three horses have won the Dato', which was first run in 1949, more than once. Mark Kavanagh's five-year-old needs to match the deeds of Shorengo (1968/69/70), Lawman (1981/82) and Lad Of The Manor (2005/06).

Recently-crowned Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year, Typhoon Tracy, has a hoodoo of her own to overcome.

While the Dato' was a great race for mares from 1994-2000, with five wins in seven editions, no female has won since Sunline in 2000.

But despite history pointing to a Shoot Out win, Wallace is treating this week's rivals, which include Australian Cup winner and dual Cox Plate placegetter Zipping, with maximum respect.

"It'll be a hard race, they're all hard races these races, it's a bit like playing A Grade every week," he said.

"But I think he proved the other day (in the Memsie) that he's right up there with them."

The son of High Chaparral will start favourite or second favourite, which is also an advantage. Guillotine caused a blowout two years ago, winning at $31, but he is one of only three winners at better than $3.30 in the past 11 years.

Zipping and his Lloyd Williams-owned stablemate Rundle, Hissing Sid and Bart Cummings-trained pair Precedence and Brightnight will fit that category and while they are unlikely to be factor this week, the Dato' could be a springboard to future glory.

Not only is it a Cox Plate preview, it has also been a good guide to the Melbourne Cup.

Rogan Josh (1999), Makybe Diva (2004 and 2005) and Efficient (2007) all contested the race en route Melbourne Cup success since 1999.

The news isn't so good for connections of Caulfield Cup hopefuls, however, with none of the past 20 Caulfield Cup winners coming via the Dato'.

The other highlight of the Moonee Valley card is the Victorian debut of sprint sensation Hay List in the McEwen Stakes.

The son of Statue Of Liberty, a winner of nine of his 11 starts, hasn't been seen since his jaw-dropping five-length romp in the Healy Stakes at Eagle Farm in June.

The John McNair-trained flying machine is out to emulate another former Western Australian, former Horse of the Year, Miss Andretti on the McEwen Stakes honour roll.

(Brad Bishop is an award-winning writer in both equine codes. He has also worked in the media unit at both Racing Victoria Ltd and Harness Racing Victoria.)