RIP Boban & The Championships Week 2

Boban parades after winning the Memsie Stakes – 29 August 2015

Five time Group 1 winner Boban died in a freak paddock accident on Sunday night, and thus passed a sterling middle distance runner. He was recently retired from racing after bleeding in the 2016 Futurity Stakes, so unfortunately he didn’t get much time to enjoy it.

His last win was at the end of August last year, when he took out the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Previous to that he won the 2015 Group 1 Doomben 10,000,  2014 Chipping Norton Stakes and the 2013 Emirates Stakes and Epsom Stakes.

My condolences to his connections.

The so called Championships continue this Saturday at Randwick with four Group 1 races on the card.

Winx originally was set to target the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but commendably her connections have decided to give her a spell after her gruelling run in the Doncaster Mile. We can therefore look forward to seeing her again in the Spring as she’ll be aimed at winning the Cox Plate for a second time. It would be nice if she came to Melbourne early and contested one or two races before the Cox Plate.

With Winx out, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes is fairly wide open with a number of horses capable of winning the 2000 metre race.

For Criterion, it his last race before retiring to stud, so no doubt his owners will be hoping he goes out on a high note. He’s got the credentials having won the race on a bog track last year.

Preferment has won his last two starts, the Group 1 Australian Cup and The BMW by narrow margins, so is sure to be in the finish here and could well win. He has the Chris Waller/ Hugh Bowman factor in his favour as well.

The imported Irish stayer The United States has finally settled and won his first Group 1 when taking out the Ranvet Stakes at his last start. He is the current favourite, so if he handles soft tracks (of which he has little experience) he is a top chance.

Of the others, Happy Clapper who ran second to Winx in the Doncaster Mile and would have won if she had not competed, has to be a goer if he can manage the short back up. And then there’s Hauraki who has run second to The United States and Winx at his last two starts.

If the track is heavy Lucia Valentina has to be a good chance at good odds.

The first of the Group 1 races scheduled is the Australasian Oaks  run over 2400 metres, in which Jameka is backing up after running second in the ATC Derby last week. Back against her own sex she is the top pick if she has recovered.  Her main rivals are Vinery Stud Stakes winner Single Gaze, runnerup Valley Girl and third placed Happy Hannah.

The Sydney Cup is run over the same distance as the Melbourne Cup (3200 metres) but has not the same status, despite the prize money being quite generous. It looks as if it could result in another Chris Waller Group 1 trifecta, with top chances Who Shot Thebarman, Grand Marshall and Libran belonging to his stable. 

Formerly called The Queen of Turf Stakes, the Coolmore Legacy Stakes is a Group 1 race for mares and fillies over 1600 metres. Suavito, who has drawn the carpark is the class mare in the race.  Fellow Melbourne mares Badawiya and Azkadellia and Sydney mares Zanbagh, Heavens Above, Vergara and Lady Le Fay are her main rivals.

Also of interest due to the presence of Petits Filous is the Group 2 Arrowfield 3yo Sprint. She has certainly been thrown in the deep end as her rivals are quite classy, with runners like Japonisme, Kinglike, Stellar Collision, Hellbent and Ghisoni in the field. 

As I write, the track condition at Randwick is reported to be a soft 6, which is defined as: moist but not a badly affected track, though after a few races that may change for the better or worse. 

Update Saturday Night – The Italian Girls Star

It was another great day of racing at Randwick this afternoon, with some sensational results, with very few favourites saluting.

The only favourite to win a Group 1 was Azkadellia in the Queen of the Turf Stakes, beating long odds Heavens Above by a couple of lengths with Noble Protector running third.

The Oaks was won by the fiesty New Zealand filly Sofia Rosa with outsiders Ambience and Believe running second and third. Jameka who was too far back early in the race, was left flat footed in the straight and finished fourth.

The Lloyd Williams owned import Gallante won the Sydney Cup from Libran and Grand Marshall.

I was delighted to see Lucia Valentina take out the feature event, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes; not that I took my own advice and had any money on her.  The United States finished second and Happy Clapper ran third. Lucia Valentina raced at the tail end of the field and when making her move in the straight, almost fell, then was blocked for a run. When she had a clear run, she whooshed down the outside to score by over two lengths. A remarkable performance.

The two Italian girls are of course Sofia Rosa and Lucia Valentina who are both owned by the business man Lib Petagna, who certainly had a good day at Randwick.

Golden Slipper Day at Rosehill & Vale BLU

Extreme Choice parades in the mounting yard after the Blue Diamond Stakes

There are no race meetings in Melbourne this coming Saturday, but the keen Victorian racing fan will be more than compensated watching the action from Rosehill on TV or computer.

The feature  is of course the world’s  richest two year old race, the Group 1 Golden Slipper.

It is run over 1200 metres and has a full field of 16 acceptors, comprised of nine colts and seven fillies. The top two contenders as far as I’m concerned are the Blue Diamond winner and runner up, Extreme Choice and Flying Artie.

It’s probably a better quality field than the Blue Diamond Stakes and others with the credentials to win are colts Kiss and Make Up, Defcon, Astern, Capitalist and fillies Scarlet Rain and Calliope.

As well as the Golden Slipper, there are four other Group 1 races, the George Ryder Stakes, Ranvet Stakes, Rosehill Guineas and Galaxy, all with quaility fields.

Winx will be gunning for her fifth Group 1 win in the George Ryder Stakes (1500 metres).  She faces old rival First Seal, New Zealand wonder horse Turn Me Loose, and her stablemates Press Statement and Kermadec.

The Ranvet Stakes is run over 2000 metres and has attracted a good field of nine runners. Criterion is the class horse. He has an excellent record over the distance and at the track, so is the one to beat. Mongolian Khan may give him a run for the money, as could Hauraki, Dibayani and The United States, backing up after running second last Saturday at Flemington.

The Rosehill Guineas, for three year olds, is also run over 2000 metres. Victoria Derby winner Tarzino and Randwick Guineas winner Le Romain are the main chances, though sole filly Jameka, who beat Tarzino on Cox Plate day last spring, with her light weight could spring a surprise. She proved with her Crown Oaks win that she handles soft going, which is the likely track rating for Rosehill on Saturday.

No quality raceday would be complete without a Group 1 sprint, and the Galaxy fits the bill.  A full field of fourteen runners have accepted.

I’ll be barracking for Fell Swoop who narrowly missed out on winning his first Group 1, beaten by Flamberge, in the Oakleigh Plate.  He has won over the distance (1100 metres) and at Rosehill on soft going previously, albeit against lesser opposition.

Flamberge shares top weight with Terravista, who is the one to beat, though his record on soft tracks is iffy. Gai Waterhouse trained filly, English, who ran second in the Golden Slipper last year, and won her only start so far this autumn, is also worth consideration.

Rest In Peace Better Loosen Up

Better Loosen Up at Flemington – Australian Cup Day 2015

Living Legends announced this morning that Better Loosen Up had passed away the previous night after suffering a sudden heart problem. He was eased away in his paddock surrounded by his friends.

He was 30 years old, a good age for a horse, and had spent his retirement lovingly attended at Living Legends, being a particular favourite of CEO and Chief Vet, Dr Andrew Clarke.  Better Loosen Up was affectionately known as Blu and was a legend of the turf in the early 1990s winning the 1990 Cox Plate, Mackinnon Stakes and Japan Cup, and the 1991 Australian Cup.

I’m pleased I had the chance to see him couple of times; at Flemington on Australian Cup day in 2015 and at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day, where he led the field out.

Update Sunday – The Results

I watched the racing action at Rosehill on TV this week, though it felt unfamiliar after spending the last few months of Saturdays at the track.

At least, watching the races on television you get to see them in more detail.

Anyway, there were a few surprises and the cream rose to the top in other cases.

The United States, backing up from running in the Blamey Stakes the week before won his first Group 1 race in the Ranvet Stakes. Hauraki ran second and Criterion finished third.

Winx proved that she is a star and the best horse in Australia by comfortably winning the George Ryder Stakes from her stablemates Kermadec and Press Statement. Turn Me Loose took off like a rocket and led for most of the race, but was a spent force at the finish, overracing proving his downfall.

The Rosehill Guineas was Tarzino’s for the taking, which he did with style. Montaigne ran second and the brave Jameka hung on for third.

Magic Millions Two Year Old Classic winner, Capitalist proved he wasn’t a one hit wonder, winning the Golden Slipper from Yankee Rose and Flying Artie. Extreme Choice missed the start and had a torrid time trying to catch up, and was unlucky all round.

And the Galaxy was taken out by the long shot Griante with outsiders Shiraz and Dothraki filling the minor places. The trifecta must have paid a fortune.

Farewell Catkins & Australian Guineas Day

Catkins on Caulfield Cup Day 2015

It was announced earlier this week that Catkins has been retired. She was a much loved mare with a huge following during her sterling race career and I admit one of my favourites.

Known as the punters pal, she always ran an honest race and it’s a pity she never won a Group 1, though she finished second or third in quite a few of them. Her record stands at 16 wins from 38 starts, most of her wins being at Group 2 and Group 3 level.  I’ve followed her for several years and always looked forward to seeing her race. Enjoy your retirement sweet Catkins. I hope your babies are as pretty as you.

Meanwhile, the excitement of Group 1 racing continues this weekend at Flemington and Randwick and includes the ridiculous scheduling of two Guineas in two States – the Randwick Guineas in Sydney and the Australian Guineas in Melbourne.

Surprisingly both Guineas have attracted reasonable fields, the Melbourne Guineas being overall more classy in content.

The Randwick Guineas looks as if it will be a walkover by top colt Press Statement, who won the Caulfield Guineas in spring last year, and kicked off his autumn campaign in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes on 20 February with an easy win.

On that occasion he out ran Le Romain and Montaigne and most of the rest of the field contesting the Randwick Guineas, so you really can’t see him being beaten, unless Melbourne invader Tulsa or sole filly Stay With Me can mount a challenge.

Sixteen three year olds will contest the Australian Guineas at Flemington, and most of them are good enough to win the race.

You’ve got star New Zealand colt Xtravagant having his first start in Australia and recent results indicate that it is unwise to ignore the kiwi runners, Turn Me Loose and Risque for instance. Xtravagant makes a habit of winning his races by 8 lengths on good tracks. He’ll get a good track on Saturday as it hasn’t rained in Melbourne for ages, and none is forecast in the near future.

Risque is in the field along with talented former Western Australian filly Perfect Reflection, and Crown Oaks winner Jameka, challenging the boys. Several fillies have won the Australian Guineas, the most recent being Mosheen (2012) and Shamrocker (2011).

They have to beat some really talented boys; Mahuta, Tarzino, Vanbrugh, Palentino and Tivaci along with Xtravagant.

All in all it looks a fascinating race.

The Flemington support card is moderately interesting, but the Randwick card is much more classy with another Group 1 race on the program along with several choice Group 2 events.

The Group 1 Canterbury Stakes run over 1300 metres has a small but select field that includes top runners Criterion, Kermadec, First Seal, Our Boy Malachi and Holler.  Last year the Canterbury Stakes was won by Cosmic Endeavour from Catkins and Criterion, so that bodes well for First Seal, who returned from a long break with a stylish win in the Millie Fox Stakes .

Worthy of interest is Race 2 on the Randwick card,  the Todman Stakes, a Group 2 race for two year old colts and geldings over 1200 metres. It has a super lineup of six in form colts headed by Magic Millions Two Year Old Classic winner Capitalist, who is yet to lose a race from three starts. Trying hard to lower his colours will be Silver Slipper winner Astern and Talindert Stakes winner Weatherly, not to mention Tessera who has won two from two starts and Defcon who has run second to both Astern and Tessera and could well be in the finish again.

I’m looking forward to going back to Flemington on Saturday for the second last Saturday of the Melbourne autumn racing carnival. A bonus will be seeing the Living Legends representative, 2000 Melbourne Cup winner Brew.  He won me heaps of money that day when he romped in at big odds. He is regally bred, being one of super sire Sir Tristram’s sons, from champion New Zealand mare Horlicks who won the 1989 Japan Cup in world record time. I hope to give Brew a pat, and try to get a good photo.

Derby Day Review

Derby finish – Craig Newitt jubilant aboard Tarzino just past the post

While killing time waiting for the running of the 2015 Melbourne Cup, here’s a review of my day at the races last Saturday.

The weather on Derby Day started out grim and dismal with heavy clouds and occasional showers of rain, so I didn’t bother with sun screen, thinking the afternoon would be as forecast – humid and overcast with rain and a thunderstorm.

How wrong I was. I ended up sunburnt as the afternoon progressed into bright sunshine, typical of Melbourne weather – two or three seasons in one day.

I arrived at Flemington just before 12.00 pm to be greeted by hordes of partying patrons, the girls in their backless frocks and ridiculous fascinators and the guys in a variety of costumes. A group dressed as Minions clustered in a group near the Clock Tower.

Actually it wasn’t all that crowded, you could at least move around freely without stumbling over picnic blankets, though getting a drink was a lengthy affair.

Not many of the horsey stars had arrived when I headed to the stalls area, but I found Exosphere in his stall, looking handsome and relaxed.

Exosphere

Next to him was his stable mate Mogador, also a handsome devil.

Mogador

The fillies who were to compete in Race 2, the Wakeful Stakes eventually emerged to parade in the walking ring.

Ambience

Dawnie Perfect

My Poppette

Returning to the front lawn to watch the race, it was easy to get my favourite position by the walkway from the mounting yard to the track.

Mounting yard gate

The Wakeful Stakes was won easily by Ambience from Beluga Blue and Muzyka.

Ambience returns to scale after winning the Wakeful Stakes

Beluga Blue

Muzyka

Both Ambience and Muzyka will meet again with 10 other fillies on Thursday to contest the Group 1 Crown Oaks.

Race 3 was the Group 3 Guvera Stakes and Disposition was the warm favourite. He won narrowly from San Diego with Hosting three lengths back running third.

Disposition returns to scale after winning the Guvera Stakes

San Diego

Hosting

The Coolmore Stud Stakes was the first of the Group 1 races on the program as Race 4. Exosphere was short odds favourite to win, but he disappointed and ended up finishing fourth.

I got some lovely photos of him in the parade ring when he paused just in front of me to await his turn in the parade line (they parade in numerical order)

Exosphere in the parade ring

The Chris Waller trained Japonisme won at long odds, being totally overlooked in the betting.

Japonisme in the parade ring

For this race I found a really good spot tucked in front of an enclosure with a good view of the straight and winning post, where I hoped to get photos of horses returning to scale without the rail impeding the shot.

Coolmore Stud Stakes – just past the winning post

Japonisme won by 1½ lengths from Keen Array and Counter Attack.

Exosphere (inside) and Keen Array return to scale

Counter Attack returns to scale

Japonisme returns to scale

Newsflash! Just watched the Melbourne Cup and what an amazing result! Prince of Penzance did the locals proud and Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to ride a Melbourne Cup winner. Max Dynamite ran second and Criterion ran third. Prince of Penzance paid $74 (UTB) for the win. A pity I didn’t have any money on him.

Anyway back to Saturday…

We, that is my fellow photographer Rebecca and I, stayed in the same spot for the next few races in between returning to the stalls area, until we were turfed out by a security guy, who said we weren’t allowed to stand there.  God knows why, as we weren’t impeding anyone’s view, but I suppose they regarded the spot as private property – on a public lawn?

Back in the stalls several more of the main contenders had arrived, so I got some nice photos of a few of them

Contributer

West Australian Derby contender Kia Ora Koutou

Ready For Victory

A rose for Rising Romance

The Group 2 Lexus Stakes was up next so we returned trackside to observe the runners leaving the mounting yard, then went to the prime spot on the far eastern side of the course.

The handsome Excess Knowledge on his way to the barriers stalls

Excess Knowledge earned himself a spot in the Melbourne Cup with his win in the Lexus Stakes with Zanteca running second and Havana Cooler third.

Excess Knowledge returns to scale after winning the Lexus Stakes

Zanteca

Havana Cooler

The second of the four Group 1 races was up next, the Mackinnon Stakes and the French horse, Gailo Chop paid his fare to Australia by winning narrowly from Rising Romance and Contributer.

Mackinnon Stakes – just past the post

Gailo Chop returning to scale after winning the Mackinnon Stakes

Rising Romance on her way to the starting gates

Contributer on his way to the starting gates

Just after the finish of the Mackinnon Stakes we were forced to move from our prime position. Not to worry, we waited for the nearby racecourse crossing access gate to be closed, and amusedly observed various preening racegoers posing for photographs in the middle of the racecourse.

Tarzino  defied the favourites hoodoo in the Derby winning easily by two lengths from Etymology with Kia Ora Koutou six lengths behind running third.

Tarzino returns to scale after winning the Victoria Derby

Etymology

Kia Ora Katou

As I intended to go home after the running of the Myer Classic, the final Group 1 race on the program, we moved back to the stalls area to view the mares parading before the race and leaving the mounting yard for the track.

Politeness, the Myer Classic winner in the parade ring

Fenway leaving the mounting yard for the track

Azkadellia – third place runner on her way to the barriers

Royal Descent in the parade ring

Stay With Me returns to scale

Royal Descent started as favourite, and the race was expected to be a match between the classy older mare and upstart filly Stay With Me.

Neither featured in the finish.

Politeness won her first Group 1 race, and Fenway was runner up
¾ length behind her. Azkadellia grabbed third place ahead of May’s Dream.

The light by this time was getting bad for photos and I’d been at the racecourse for almost five hours, so I called it quits and headed for the station. Thankfully it only took 40 minutes to get home this time.

I’ve been writing this post all afternoon and evening, with various distractions like the Melbourne Cup making it seem like a marathon.

I’m looking forward to the Oaks meeting on Thursday as the final field has been decided and it looks a really interesting race with classy fillies like Jameka, Sacred Eye and Ambience going head to head.

An Annual Poser – The Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup – 1930-1980 – believed to be Pharlap’s Cup

As usual I haven’t a clue as to who will win the Melbourne Cup, and I haven’t had much time to study the form, but here are my thoughts on the so called race that stops a nation.

First, a bit of pictorial history.

I recently attended the National Gallery of Victoria’s Winter exhibition “Masterpieces from The Hermitage:The Legacy of Catherine the Great” and whilst there took time out to view the concurrent exhibition “The Horse”, which naturally appealed to me.

As you were permitted to take photos, I took a few that were related to Australian horse racing, the Melbourne Cup in particular.

The Betting Ring at Flemington 1887 by Carl Khaler

Winners of the first 12 Melbourne Cups 1889 by Frederick Woodhouse Snr

Handwritten note attached to the above painting

I was vastly amused by the following photograph by E G Adamson of a race crowd from the 1920s to 1930s, in sharp contrast to the current spring attendees with their outrageous costumes and champagne habits.

Race crowd 1920s to 1930s

So, this year’s Cup…

Now that Bart Cummings has passed away, I have been trying to devise a new strategy to find the winner of the Melbourne Cup, not that Bart had any viable runners in the last year or so.

I’m sticking with the Zabeel factor and the only one of his sons in the race is the Chris Waller trained Preferment. He has won two races this spring, the Group 2 Hill Stakes and the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes. He also won the 2014 Victoria Derby and if he wins the Melbourne Cup, will become one of the few who have won the Derby/Cup double. Efficient was the last horse to do so in 2007, and was also sired by Zabeel.

As usual the bulk of the field is made of International challengers, from the UK, Japan, France and Ireland.

You can’t overlook the Japanese and current favourite is the Japanese bred Fame Game who finished 6th in the Caulfield Cup.

This spring, as far as the big three races is concerned, locally bred horses won both the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate, whereas last year the winners came respectively from Japan and Ireland. That leads me to hope that an Australasian bred horse can win the 2015 Melbourne Cup and make it 3/3.

As well as Preferment, there are four other local contestants - the classy Criterion if he can run the distance, Who Shot Thebarman who ran third in the 2014 Melbourne Cup and long shots Prince of Penzance and Gust of Wind, the sole mare in the race.

I’m really disappointed that Mongolian Khan is not part of the field. He was scratched early last week after a colic attack. I trust he will make a full recovery and that we’ll see him again next year.

The best of the Internationals, barring the Japanese, is Trip To Paris who ran second in the Caulfield Cup.

And finally, because I like his name, I’m going to have a small bet on Max Dynamite, who certainly can run 3200 metres.

Even though my Flemington Season ticket admits me to the Melbourne Cup, I am not planning on attending the event. I had enough of crowds on Derby Day, and it will be much worse on Cup Day as I experienced first hand last year.

I’m going to a Fleetwood Mac concert on Wednesday night, and will probably attend Crown Oaks Day and Emirate Stakes Day. So it’s big week for events, then it will all die down to not much at all.

Good Luck with picking the winner of the Melbourne Cup. Take my vague tips with a grain of salt.

The Wow Factor–Winx & Chautauqua

Winx parades along the rail after winning the Cox Plate

Up until last weekend, the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival seemed to be  somewhat underwhelming, lacking what I call the WOW factor.  There have been few dominant performances and the Group 1 races were won by various horses in blanket finishes most of the time.

It is remarkable that the Moonee Valley mini carnival held over a night and day delivered what we racing fans crave, the emergence of two equine super stars, one a sprinter, the other a stayer.

I did not attend the Manikato Stakes night meeting on the eve of the Cox Plate, but I watched the feature race on my computer and was suitably wowed by Chautaqua’s  last to first win.  He raced at the tail of the field and at the turn into the straight muscled himself into the race and quickly overtook Srikandi, sailing on to win by two lengths. Srikandi hung on for second, a nose in front of Rebel Dane. It was a stunning performance by the grey speedster, admittedly not all that surprising after witnessing his first two runs this Spring.

Winx became only the eighth filly/mare to win the Cox Plate in its 93 year history and her win was just as spectacular as that of Chautauqua. She comprehensively blitzed the field to win by over four lengths, breaking the course record set by Might and Power in 1998.

On to my day at the Cox Plate.

Because the bus I catch to Moonee Valley was overdue by an hour – ironically delayed by the traffic at the racecourse - I reached Moonee Valley much later than I originally anticipated, shortly after 3.00 pm, so it was a relatively short afternoon at the races, though it took me two hours to get home.

I’d just missed Race 5, so I spent some time checking out the stalls area before finding a spot on the public lawn to watch the next race.

The first Cox Plate runner I came across was Fawkner…

Fawkner in his stall

…then found the three International entrants side by side in Stalls 104 to 106.

Arod – Ireland

Highland Reel – chewing on his lead – from Ireland

Gailo Chop – France

And more of the locally bred contenders…

Criterion

The Cleaner

…and old Precedence being kitted out for the next race.

Precedence

Race 6 was the Moonee Valley Gold Cup for stayers over 2500 metres, so I finally ventured out onto the public lawn up the top end of the straight where it was reasonably uncrowded and you could easily get a possie on the fence.

Last year it was won by Prince of Penzance and the year before by old Precedence. Both were in the field, hoping to gain a start in the Melbourne Cup. The United States, a good looking flashy chestnut with a big white blaze on his face, overtook race leader Prince of Penzance in the straight to win. Bohemian Lily finished third.

Top of the straight – Prince of Penzance leads with The United States just coming into the picture

Returning to the stalls area I found the Chris Waller horses in their adjacent stalls …

Kermadec

Preferment

Winx

Race 7 was the Group 2 Dilmah Exceptional Teas Vase, which is for three year olds and is run over the same distance as the Cox Plate (2040 metres)

It is very rare for fillies to be entered in this race, let alone win it, but Jameka started as favourite and justified her favouritism by winning the race by a length from race leader Shards with current Victorian Derby favourite Tarzino running third.

Top of the straight in the Vase – Shards leads with Jameka on the fence behind him

There was only one more race to run before the feature and this was the Crystal Mile. Lucky Hussler was the hot favourite, but he only managed to run third. Turn Me Loose, trained by Murray Baker and ridden by Caulfield Cup winning jockey Opie Bosson,  led from the start to the finish and was never headed, winning by half a length in the end from Bow Creek.

Turn Me Loose on his way to the barriers

Lucky Hussler on his way to barriers

My sole bet of the day was on Lucky Hussler to win, so no collect.

With 40 minutes remaining to the running of the Cox Plate, I decided to try and find a spot closer to the action on the fence and managed to squeeze into a good position close to the finish line behind the band stand.

The 2015 actual Cox Plate was carried out onto the track, preceded by 1990 Cox Plate winner Better Loosen Up.

Better Loosen Up

The Plate was driven up the straight in a jeep, carried by Better Loosen Up’s old trainer David Hayes.

The Cox Plate

After that bit of pomp and ceremony, vintage Aussie rocker, Daryl Braithwaite, with band, sang a rendition of his famous song The Horses, an appropriate choice considering the setting and occasion.

Daryl Braithwaite

The crowd, considerably under the weather by this time, were enraptured, singing and dancing along to the song and of course taking photos on their iPhones.

Crowd scene near the band stand  watching Daryl Braithwaite

And finally the horses were released onto the track to head up to the starting gates at the top of the straight. I managed to get a few photos of them as they flashed past.

Fawkner

Gailo Chop

Happy Trails

Highland Reel

Kermadec

Pornichet

The Cleaner

The Cleaner was allowed to take his usual leading position in the field and Winx raced much closer to the pace than she usually does, trailing The Cleaner along the rail.  Hugh Bowman’s ride was a classic and his timing spot on. As soon as The Cleaner moved out from the rail, Bowman shot Winx through the gap and the rest is history.  She drew further and further away from the rest of the field as they raced down the straight and won by over four lengths from Criterion with Highland Reel a further one and half lengths back in third spot.

My burst mode sequence of photos in the final stages of the race have Winx, then daylight, then Criterion and Highland Reel.

Winx – centre stage burning up the straight to the winning post

Criterion and Highland Reel in hot pursuit

Many people were reminded of the great New Zealand mare, Sunline, in Winx Cox Plate win, myself included. Winx has now won five races in succession since May this year, three of them at Group 1 level. How can we now deny that she is not a super star?

Winx rugged and posing for the press

I’m thrilled that I got to see her win the Cox Plate, and it made the tiresomeness of getting home worth it.

Regarding the trip home; the Moonee Valley Bus Line service I generally catch failed to show up on the bus stop. Myself and several other patient persons waited an hour, thinking it would eventually turn up, but finally we all gave up and tromped up to Moonee Ponds Junction to catch another form of transport.

I opted for the Moonee Ponds to Clifton Hill bus, which was on the point of departure. I’d never travelled on this bus before, but always wondered where it went to in Clifton Hill, so the trip was enlightening and will offer a viable alternative to the usual bus should I wish to travel home from Moonee Valley, as it’s only a short walk home from the Queen’s Parade bus stop in Clifton Hill.

Cat in Antique Shop window in Queen’s Parade -  snapped on my walk home from the bus stop

Next Saturday is the first day of Flemington’s blockbuster carnival, Derby Day no less, with four Group 1 races on the program.