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.

Mud & Mugatoo – All Star Mile Review

Mugatoo and Russian Camelot fight out the finish in the All Star Mile

It was wet, it was bucketing down, it was an unremitting deluge on Saturday at Moonee Valley, though when I set out at around 12.00pm it was warm and humid and I wondered if putting on shoes and socks would make me too hot.

When I reached Moonee Valley the rain had not yet started so I was able to get a good photo of the new Winx statue, in pride of place in the new Tote Park which leads to the main entrance to the track on McPherson Street.

Winx statue in Tote Park on McPherson Street

It’s a wonderful statue, miles better than the Black Caviar statue at Caulfield, and I was pleased that I came across it as I headed for the entrance gate.

Once inside Moonee Valley, my Zone 2 ticket permitted me to hang out on the Burston Lawn, so there I headed and found my photographer friend George already ensconced in the prime fence position closest to the finishing post.

There we stayed for the rest of the soggy afternoon, perhaps foolishly, considering how wet it got.

Getting a race book involved standing in a bar queue for at least 15 minutes, but I got two (one for George) at a discount price as the barman was confused.

Other freebies were paper flags for every runner in the All Star Mile, a red Ladbrokes Cap, and if you were lucky, a rain poncho.

Unfortunately, even though I grabbed two sets of the flags, they got damp, being impossible to protect in the circumstances. I should have forethought to take a plastic bag, but how was one to know such freebies were up for grabs.

So Bec, if you’re reading this, you are welcome to a set of water damaged flags if you want them. At least you can prove they are the genuine article.

My arrival at the Valley was in time for Race 3, the Xtreme Freight Handicap. run over the Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres.

As the rain hadn’t arrived at that time, my photos of the race are OK , but photographic conditions for the rest of the day were challenging in the extreme.

Race 3 was won by Persan, one of the few on the day to zoom from back of the field, and seized the lead close to the line to beat Irish Flame by a narrow margin.

Persan about to overtake Irish Flame as they charge to the finish line

The next race was sprint over 1200 metres, and Ancestry was the warm favourite. He led from the start and won by over two lengths in the end, from Riddle Me That and Dollar For Dollar.

 
Ancestry flashes up the straight in the Ranvet Abell Stakes

Of more interest than the previous races, Race 5 the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes was up next. Also run over 2040 metres. it was pleasing to see Jameka’s little brother Grandslam blitz the field and win by over six lengths, leading from the start. Jameka was a grand race mare in her time, winning the Victorian Oaks in 2015, and the Caulfield Cup and BMW in 2016.  Grandslam obviously has some of her talent and seems to appreciate soft tracks as she did.

Grandslam burns up the straight in the Alister Clark Stakes

Jamie Kah brings Grandslam back to scale

The rain had settled in by this time, and it was in vain that we hoped for a break. George had not come prepared for the weather, wearing only a T-shirt, so got considerably more drenched than myself, who had a raincoat and an umbrella. A kind person took pity on him and gave him a poncho in the end.

There were two more races to run before the All Star Mile, the first of these being the Australia Country Mile, won by Fontein Diamond, and Race 7 was the Gold Reef and won by Air Defence.

Air Defence on his way to the barriers

Before the All Star Mile was run there was a bit of razzamatazz in the form of flag bearers, drummers and dancers up in the grandstand. Obviously this part of the pre- race entertainment was meant to happen on the track, but the rain stymied that option. The track stage technicians looked disgruntled as the rain continued unabated, so their equipment remained unpacked and they drove their vehicles off the track.

By this time the track had been downgraded to a soft 6, which favoured the All Star contenders who appreciated a soft track, such as Russian Camelot, Sir Dragonet and Mugatoo among others, but not my particular favourite Probabeel.

Here are some of the field (or those whose photos turned out OK) on their way to the starting gates.

Mugatoo

Probabeel

Regalo di Gaetano

The Harrovian

Lunar Fox

Russian Camelot

Shout the Bar

Still A Star

Sir Dragonet

Streets of Avalon

Mr Quickie

Fifty Stars

The All Star Mile, as a race, lived up to the hype. It was an exciting competition, fiercely fought by the contenders. Hugh Bowman, no stranger to the peculiarities of the Moonee Valley track skilfully guided Mugatoo to a memorable victory, outfoxing Damian Oliver on Russian Camelot to win on the line. Behemoth finished third.

Hugh, as was his wont when Winx won her Cox Plates, paraded Mugatoo  up the straight and back along the fence for the benefit of the crowd . An explosion of blue and white streamers billowed from the Grandstand.

Hugh Bowman parades Mugatoo along the fence

Mud bespattered Hugh Bowman & Mugatoo closeup

Mugatoo in the winners rug

It was a pity that the weather was so awful. A sunny day would certainly have been preferable, but George and I soldiered on at the fence when everyone else had fled to drier places. By the time the All Star Mile had been run and won, we had been standing (or sitting in my case, after I liberated a stool) for over two hours and I was wet through despite my raincoat and umbrella.

I squelched up to Moonee Ponds Junction and caught a tram back up Pascoe Vale Road to the 510 (Essendon to Ivanhoe) Bus Stop.

When I got home a full change of clothing was in order.  My camera was wet, as well as my bag and step. Luckily, so far I don’t seem to have come down with an ague.

I’m not sure if I’d undergo another extremely wet afternoon at the races again.