BART DOES IT AGAIN
“We did it again,” was Bart Cummings’ understated summation of the outstanding So You Think’s magnificent win in the 2009 Cox Plate. The three-year-old was having just his fifth race start when he toyed with his rivals in Australasia’s weight-for-age championship, leading all the way to give Cummings his third successive Group One victory in as many Saturdays.
“You can’t buy experience and I’ve got a bit of that,” said the master trainer who had won the Caulfield Cup with Viewed a week earlier, just seven days after Allez Wonder scored in the Toorak Handicap.
So You Think’s jockey Glen Boss had experience of winning the race as well on Makybe Diva in 2005, and was rapt in the colt’s performance.
“He is a bit raw and immature and I thought if I could ride him a good race he could run third,” he said.
“But after 20 metres the decision was made. He relaxed and no-one bothered him. “It just can’t happen in a Cox Plate. It’s a race where you have to always expect the unexpected. “To win this with Bart is amazing.”
So You Think’s win was Cummings’ fourth in the famous race after Taj Rossi (1973), Saintly (1996) and Dane Ripper (1997).
A year later, So You Think did it again to cement Cummings’ belief he was right up with the best he had ever trained.
IN THE PINK
Just a week after winning the 2011 Caulfield Cup on Southern Speed, Craig Williams took the seat on another well-performed mare Pinker Pinker in the Cox Plate.
Pinker Pinker was not among the favourites but with Williams in white-hot form the mare strode through a gap in the straight and collared New Zealander Jimmy Choux near the line.
For trainer Greg Eurell, Pinker Pinker’s Cox Plate win was a memory to savour, but perhaps not the pinnacle.
A former Olympic equestrian, Eurell said he had already achieved his ultimate goal.
“My greatest ambition had always been to compete for Australia at an Olympic Games,” Eurell said.
“I always wondered if anything would surpass that.”
Eurell competed for Australia in the individual and team show jumping at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
“That was it for me, the top, number one,” he said.
Lion Tamer, the Victoria Derby winner of the previous year, broke down in the race and had to be euthanased and sadly, just a few months later, Pinker Pinker died after suffering an allergic reaction to a routine treatment.
THE RACE OF THE CENTURY
Even television replays of the 1986 Cox Plate still send shivers down the spine. Two great New Zealanders, Bonecrusher and (Our) Waverley Star, treated the thousands on course and countless more watching on TV to one of the most breathtaking spectacles in the history of the Australian turf.
Just a fortnight after romping home by five lengths in the Group One Caulfield Stakes (2000m), Bonecrusher was sent out the odds-on favourite for the Cox Plate and regular rider Gary Stewart had him back with the tailenders until making a move forward at the 900 metres.
Champion Kiwi jockey Lance O’Sullivan on (Our) Waverley Star was awake to the tactic and responded immediately with the pair clearing out from the rest of the field at the 600m.
From there on it was anybody’s guess.
First Waverley Star looked to have the ascendancy then Bonecrusher rallied before his opponent kicked back and the pair went to the line locked together with Bonecrusher prevailing by a neck in what has subsequently been dubbed the Race Of The Century.
THE DIVA
The scene at the home turn in the 2005 Cox Plate resembled something out of the movie The Charge Of The Light Brigade. As the field thundered into the straight it appeared the entire 14 runners were fanned out across the track but all eyes were on the red, white and blue colours of the mighty Makybe Diva.
The then dual Melbourne Cup winner was the even-money favourite and big-race specialist Glen Boss rode her in his usual confident manner, letting the mare drop out to have only three runners behind her early.
When the race tempo quickened at the 900m he gave the champion more rein and she strolled up behind her rivals.
Boss still had a good hold of Makybe Diva as she joined the charge around the turn seven or eight wide and exploded away down the straight.
She put paid to her opposition in a couple of bounds and had more than a length to spare over Lotteria and 2003 winner Fields Of Omagh on the line.
The crowd went crazy in what was to be a dress rehearsal for her emotional farewell 10 days later when she raced herself into history with her famous third Melbourne Cup success.
THE KING
“Kingston Town can’t win.”
The four most famous words in Cox Plate history came from commentator Bill Collins as the 1982 field thundered towards the home turn. Not many disagreed with his opinion at the time as the black flash’s bid for equine immortality looked very shaky indeed when he was that far back victory seemed an impossibility.
But as only true champions can, Kingston Town rallied under Peter Cook in the straight to run down Grosvenor, who was in receipt of 10.5kg from the Tommy Smith-trained legend, and almost unbelievably score his third successive win in Australasia’s weight-for-age championship.
It was a feat he achieved with three different jockeys – Malcolm Johnston in 1980, Ron Quinton in 1981 and Cook.
Champion Sunline did her best to emulate the King when she won the famous race back-to-back in 1999 and 2000 with jockey Greg Childs protesting unsuccessfully against Northerly when the mare was a gallant second in 2001. It will take another out-and-out champion to get as close again.
