The Romance of Racing – Cox Plate Day Review

James MacDonald celebrates Romantic Warrior’s Cox Plate victory

It was a long afternoon at Moonee Valley Racecourse last Saturday as I arrived at the track much earlier than I normally would in order to grab a position on the fence.

The weather on the day was overcast with strong winds, which is hell for contact lens wearers of which I am one. However I did remember to wear sunglasses which provide protection from motes of dust that have a tendency to get under the lens and disrupt one’s view, not to mention being somewhat painful to suffer until they are wept out.

Catching my usual mode of transport, the 510 (Ivanhoe to Essendon) bus I arrived at Moonee Valley around 12.30pm and was able, after finding my friend Rebecca, to get some photo practice in Race 2, the Inglis Banner, a Listed race over 1000 metres for two year olds.

It was won by Bold Bastille who led from the start, beating Hayasugi by three lengths with Chosen Legend a further length behind running third.

Bold Bastille bounds up the straight to win the Inglis Banner

Race 3 was the Group 3 Tesio Stakes, run over 1600 metres. Hot favourite Wishlor Lass also led from go to woah and won easily by over a length from Thalassophile and Osmose.

Wishlor Lass on her way to the barriers

The rather more interesting Crockett Stakes was next up and Sheva started as favourite and finished third behind the winner Gumdrops and second placed Saltaire.

Gumdrops tackles Sheva as they gallop  to the finishing post

A Group 2 race over 1600 metres, the Crystal Mile was next to run and resulted in a win for Prowess, who just beat Antino with race leader Tuvalu holding on for a close third.

Crystal Mile finish – Prowess (yellow silks) prevails over Antino and Tuvalu

Prowess on her way to the barriers

Antino – a handsome beast - on his way to the barriers

Tuvalu on his way to the barriers

Race 6, the Group 2 Fillies Classic, also run over 1600 metres, resulted in another close finish with Skybird sustaining a long run from the back of the field to pip Grizinger Belle at the post.

Skybird about to overtake Grizinger Belle as they thunder up the straight

Skybird on her way to the barriers

As the first of the Group 1 races was the Manikato Stakes, scheduled as Race 8, there was only one more race before it was run.

This was the Group 2 Drummond Golf Vase, won by Apulia by two lengths from Verdad, with Air Assault running third.

Apulia holds off  Verdad to win the Drummond Golf Vase

In the dim distant past the Manikato Stakes used to be the first Group 1 race of the Spring Racing Season run in mid September, and the only race meeting I attended back in the early 2000s. I saw Miss Andretti win it in 2006 and Gold Edition win it in 2007 and do recall Spark of Life victorious on two occasions in 2004 and 2005.

The 2023 edition of the race is newly added to the Cox Plate daytime meeting, it previously being run on Friday night since 2012.

Star New Zealand mare Imperatriz was the major attraction on Cox Plate day, set to run in the Manikato Stakes, and she didn’t disappoint, winning easily by over three lengths from fellow mare I Am Me with Uncommon James running third.

Imperatriz wins the Manikato Stakes with ease

By winning the 2023 Manikato Stakes, she accomplished a rare feat, being  the first horse to win the three Group 1 Moonee Valley sprints – William Reid Stakes, Moir Stakes and Manikato Stakes – in a calendar year.

Imperatriz parades up the straight after winning the Manikato Stakes

I Am Me

Uncommon James

After the gratifying result of the Manikato Stakes, the Cox Plate could have been underwhelming, but of course it never is being, as the sign said, it is Australia’s Best Race.

And my favourite race.

The twelve runners represented a classy field that included the tried and true such as Mr Brightside, Zaaki , Alligator Blood, Gold Trip and Duais against Internationals Romantic Warrior and Victoria Road, and three year old light weighted contenders Militarise and King Colorado – in a word an intriguing mix of runners.

There was a bit of pomp and ceremony as usual with a bandstand being set up and the National Anthem was sung before singer James Johnson launched into Horses, the large crowd singing along to words that they knew.

Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior was the hot  favourite, though there was plenty of support for Alligator Blood.

As the race panned out, King Colorado and Zaaki were the front runners with Mr Brightside, Alligator Blood and Romantic Warrior all handy in third or fourth position. It was a frantic finish with Mr Brightside stealing the lead close to the post, but Romantic Warrior, running wide won the race by the narrowest of margins (a photo finish)  to claim the prize for Hong Kong. Mr Brightside hung on for second and Alligator Blood ran third.

Cox Plate finish – Romantic Warrior (no 1) overtaking the leaders

Romantic Warrior in the winners rug with elated connections

The afternoon remained fine throughout, the stiff wind a tad chill at times, but warm when the sun broke free of the clouds.

And so ended another Cox Plate, after which I headed home- catching a tram at Moonee Valley Junction to the 510 Bus Stop, where there was a bit of a wait for it to arrive.

Next Saturday is Derby Day at Flemington, which I’ll probably attend.

Without A Fight- Caulfield Cup Review

Caulfield Cup  – Without A Fight & West Wind Blows battle to the finish

Despite the support card for Caulfield Cup meeting not being that interesting, the feature event offered an intriguing conundrum with the large field composed of  several International runners and seasoned familiar stayers.

So forth I went last Saturday to take in some racing action at the track, arriving around 2.00 pm.

The Caulfield Cup was scheduled for 5.15pm so it wasn’t a terribly long sojourn.

A big crowd was in  attendance, so it was hard to get a position on the fence to practice photography, but after finally tracking down my friend Rebecca we settled in a spot not too far from the finishing post.

We even managed to get to the stalls area, though didn’t come across the runners we were interested in other than Gold Trip who was the Caulfield Cup favourite.

 
Gold Trip in his stall

Returning trackside, we were back on the fence for the running of Race 5, the  Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude, a race for three year old fillies over 1400 metres.

Coeur Volante was the winner, beating Vivi Air by a bit over a length, with Zourion snagging third place from Moesha.

Coeur Volante on her way to winning the Thousand Guineas Prelude

Vivi Air on her way to barriers

Race 6 was the Group 2 McCafe Sprint, a 1000 metre dash down the straight that resulted in a win for Doull, who defeated Spacewalk and Generation.

Doull (red silks) outguns Spacewalk to win the McCafe Sprint

Skew Whiff started as favourite for Race 7, the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes, but Wrote to Arataki who led from the start, held on to win from Shuffle Dancer and Call Di.

 
Wrote to Arataki wins the Tristarc Stakes

After the running of the Tristarc Stakes, there was only one more race to run before the Caulfield Cup.

This was the Group 3 Moonga Stakes and Buffalo River, race favourite, led field from the start and won easily from Climbing Star.

Buffalo River on his way to winning the Moonga Stakes

A big field of eighteen runners faced the starter in the Caulfield Cup, so I suppose it was really no surprise that International runners West Wind Blows (the favourite) and Without A Fight ended up running the quinella with top weight Gold Trip finishing third.

Without A Fight (no 2) about to overtake West Wind Blows in the Caulfield Cup

With the Caulfield Cup run and won, I headed for the station and home.

Next Saturday is Cox Plate Day, so hopefully it will be a more interesting afternoon at the races than Caulfield Cup Day.

God(olphin)’s Gift to Racing–Cox Plate Review

Anamoe parades along the straight after winning the Cox Plate

Last Saturday Melbourne woke to  a steady downpour of rain that looked as if had set in and would continue for the rest of the day. Oh dear, I thought, when I looked outside, that doesn’t look promising for an afternoon at the races.

It was Cox Plate Day, my favourite race of the Spring Racing Carnival, and the first I was able to attend after two years of Covid restrictions forbidding attendance at the Spring races.

However, I didn’t despair at the dire weather, just changed my strategy of arrival to a later time in the hope that the rain would ease off eventually.

Thankfully it did around midday and by the time I set out the rain had ceased to fall and things were looking up.

Equipped with raincoat and umbrella, along with my usual race going paraphernalia, I took the 510 (Ivanhoe to Essendon) Bus and arrived at Moonee Valley in time for the fourth race.

As Cox Plate attendance numbers go, it wasn’t all that crowded, and I managed to insert myself into a spot on the fence near the finish line, where I remained for the rest of the afternoon, luckily having brought my fold out step to sit on between races.

Race 4 was the Listed Crockett Stakes, run over 1200 metres for three year year old fillies, which resulted in a win for Wee Nessy, who beat Bay Thirteen by a length with Birdies Galore running third.

  
Wee Nessy (number 7) fights out the finish with Bay Thirteen

The track was heavy after all the rain that had fallen overnight and in the morning, and the lawn near the public bar was a virtual quagmire, but in rather better shape where I was standing.

As the earlier races were being run at thirty five minute intervals, the afternoon seemed to go quite quickly.

Another race for fillies, the Group 2, Fillies Classic (1600 metres) was next up. I remember that during the Winx years, Mystic Journey won the Fillies Classic in 2018 and subsequently won the inaugural All Star Mile in the following autumns.

This year’s edition was won by Zoe’s Promise who fought out the finish with Climbing Star, and race favourite Do It La finished third.

Zoe’s Promise about to overtake Climbing Star  as they gallop to the finish line

Zoe’s Promise in the winners rug

Climbing Star on her way to barriers

As the Cox Plate was scheduled as Race 9, there were still three more races to run before that happened.  Happily the sun had emerged from the clouds by this time and it was quite warm

Race 6 was the mildly interesting Crystal Mile, a Group 2 race over 1600 metres.

My Oberon, who I must admit I’ve never heard of, won the race convincingly from Banker’s Choice and race leader Buffalo River, coming wide to win by over a length.

My Oberon gallops up the straight unopposed to win the Crystal Mile

Banker’s Choice (No 8) & Buffalo River vie for second place

In past Cox Plate meetings I have attended, there was a count down to main event on the big screen. Not so this year, so I figured we still had two hours to hang out till the main event.

Berkeley Square started as favourite for Race 7, the Drummond Golf Vase a race over the Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres and usually contested by Derby bound three year old's. Old fave Super Cool won it 2012, and 2016 Caulfield Cup winner Jameka won it in 2015.

This year Berkeley Square justified his starting price of $2.70 by winning narrowly from Virtuous Circle and Pericles.

Berkeley Square (lime silks) tackles Pericles as they gallop up the straight

Berkeley Square returns to scale

Virtuous Circle on his way to the barriers

The Moonee Valley Cup is generally an interesting race, run as it is over 2500 metres, and contested by aspiring Melbourne Cup runners.

Looking at the form, my choice if I was going to have a bet would have been on Francesco Guardi. Ridden by James MacDonald, Francesco Guardi started as the favourite and didn’t disappoint, winning easily by almost four lengths from Lunar Flare with Persan running third another three lengths behind. A very impressive win on the part of Francesco Guardi, marking him as a horse to follow in the future. He certainly looked to be a classy beast in the flesh.

Francesco Guardi bolts up the straight to win the Moonee Valley Cup

Francesco Guardi in the winners rug

Lunar Flare

Persan

Up  next, finally, was the Cox Plate, but before that was run, the usual pomp and ceremony occurred.

This involved a large sign being placed next to the finishing post, with a row of plinths holding previous Cox Plate trophies, whilst a bandstand was set up.

Large sign advertising the Cox Plate centenary anniversary

Winx 2015 Cox Plate Trophy

Winx 2016 Cox Plate Trophy

Instead of Daryl Braithwaite, MVRC had engaged jockey and The Voice contestant, Robbie Dolan to perform “Horses”. Unfortunately my photos of Robbie Dolan turned out blurred for some reason, but he did a competent job singing the National Anthem and Horses, though was not as engaging as the original. The crowd sang along to the words they knew.

Soon enough the Cox Plate runners were emerging onto the track…

Anamoe

Alligator Blood

Mo’unga

Gold Trip

El Bodegon

Zaaki

It had grown rather dark and overcast by this time, but the rain held off and the Cox Plate jumped at its allotted time of 5.10 pm.

Zaaki who had drawn the inside gate immediately assumed the lead and Alligator Blood who had drawn the outside barrier quickly assumed second position as they passed the finishing post for the first time.

First lap – Zaaki leads with Alligator Blood & Profondo in hot pursuit

Anamoe at this time had slotted into fourth spot, well situated to make a move later in the race.

Anamoe first lap in fourth place ahead of Laws of Indices

As the they turned the corner into the straight Anamoe, masterfully steered by James MacDonald, overtook the leaders and raced to the front to win by a narrow margin. I’m Thunderstruck, it seems the eternal bridesmaid, came from the back of the field to run second ahead of El Bodegon.

Anamoe overtakes Zaaki to go on and win the 2022 Cox Plate

Anamoe returns to scale

Anamoe in the winners rug

Anamoe – head shot

And so ended the 100th Cox Plate, which I must admit lived up to its promise and was a memorable occasion. Godolphin are to be commended for continuing to race Anamoe into his fourth year, rather than retiring him to stud as they normally would do. He has now won seven Group 1 races, his last four consecutively this Spring.

The Manikato Stakes, abandoned the previous night due to lightning,  was tacked onto the Cox Plate meeting as Race 11, but I did not stay for it, opting to head home after the feature event. Bella Nipotina registered her first Group 1 win, beating Rothfire by almost five lengths, with Best of Bordeaux running third.

Next Saturday I’m looking forward to heading to Flemington for the Victorian Derby -  a change of scene from Moonee Valley.