The Moonee Valley Racing Club were saddened today to hear about the passing of 2008 W.S. Cox Plate champion Maldivian.
Maldivian was a winner of nine races from 30 career starts, winning three Group 1 races and amassing $2,821,800 in prizemoney, and his victory in the W.S. Cox Plate remains one of trainer Mark Kavanagh’s greatest achievements.
Maldivian was a terrific gelding who was unbeaten from three starts over 2040m at The Valley, and his all-the-way victory in the 2008 W.S. Cox Plate is a performance we will never forget.
With the application of blinkers for the first time, a masterstroke by Kavanagh, Maldivian was sent forward by jockey Michael Rodd and the pair travelled sweetly throughout in the lead.
Despite being challenged and headed 500 metres from the post, Maldivian kept finding under Rodd and repelled the challengers, kicking clear to defeat the fast-finishing Zipping by a length with race favourite Samantha Miss a further 0.2 lengths away in third.
A son of leading Australian and New Zealand champion sire Zabeel, that victory also stood Maldivian in elite company by becoming Zabeel’s fourth Cox Plate winner, following Octagonal 1995, Might and Power 1998 and Savabeel 2004.
“Maldivian’s name is forever etched on the Legends Wall here at The Valley and he will be remembered fondly for his achievements on the track,” said Alastair Dwyer, MVRC’s GM – Racing, Media & Communications.
