Humidor, written off towards the end of last season, has found a new lease on life in Chris Waller's stable to be rated one of the better outsiders in the $5 million race at Moonee Valley.

In an intriguing twist to the weight-for-age championship, Humidor has thrived under Waller's training and is close to the form that allowed him to give Winx a run for her money in 2017.

That marked the third of Winx's four Cox Plate wins on her way to confirming a place among the true champions of Australian turf.

Her Cox Plate sequence also sealed Waller's reputation as a master trainer, a rating that will only be further enhanced if he can pull off a win with Humidor, an eight-year-old gelding.

A Craig Williams ride, Humidor is one of two runners for Waller as the trainer tries to win his second Melbourne 'major' in the space of a week.

Waller won last Saturday's Caulfield Cup with Verry Elleegant and he will also send out the well-performed Kolding out against an international field on Saturday.

Kolding is a son of the 2012 Cox Plate winner Ocean Park and he, too, has returned to his best in winning the George Main Stakes and Hill Stakes in Sydney at his past two starts.

But Waller said both Humidor and Kolding would need to go to another level to win a Cox Plate.

"We are delighted to have two well-credentialled and in-form horses in this year's edition but both horses need to show their career-best form," Waller said.

Specialist big-race rider Glen Boss will attempt to add a fourth Cox Plate to his three Melbourne Cups when he rides the import Sir Dragonet, who finished second at his last run in Ireland in July.

"He obviously has to bring his form, but if he can bring anywhere near his rating then he is going to be right in the race," Boss said.

Sir Dragonet is by the dual Derby winner Camelot, the same sire as easing favourite Russian Camelot.

The northern hemisphere-bred Russian Camelot won the Underwood Stakes over 1800m but found Perth mare Arcadia Queen too strong in the Caulfield Stakes over 2000m last start.

Drawing the outside barrier has extend Russian Camelot's odds with trainer Danny O'Brien leaving the early tactics to jockey Damien Oliver.

"You don't worry about how it's going to pan out if you've got an outstanding rider on the horse. We've certainly got that," O'Brien said.

Meanwhile, Jye McNeil has stripped weight to ride Grandslam, the youngest horse in the race, at 49.5kg.

"I'm in a really good frame of mind with my weight and it should be quite easy," McNeil said.

Australian Associated Press