MELBOURNE Oct 25 AAP – What the jockeys said after the running of the Group One $3 million WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Ryan Moore (Adelaide) 1st: “He did it the hard way, but he’s a high-quality colt and I believed that if he brought his best form, he was probably the best horse in the race. He’s had to go around the whole field and come from last. But he still won.”
Nicholas Hall (Fawkner) 2nd: “If there was one good enough, he was in the spot to be beaten today. I rode him for the race and I think I got beaten by a better horse.”
Nash Rawiller (Silent Achiever) 3rd: “I gave her a little squeeze just coming up the side and got on to Fawkner’s back and I thought she’s got a chance this mare. But it’s a Cox Plate and it’s bloody hard to reel those weight-for-age horses in. She’s just a gallant mare.”
Jamie Spencer (Side Glance) 4th: “A great run. It was a hot pace and I had to bring him back out of it at the 1200 (metres) just to give him a breather. No excuses.”
Tommy Berry (Foreteller) 5th: “It was an outstanding run. We had a beautiful run in transit. Side Glance just beat me to the run at the top of the straight which held us up just a little bit. I wish I got it first because I might have won.”
Damien Oliver (Happy Trails) 6th: “An excellent run. I had a good run, the pace was really solid, it suited the horses that ran on from behind. He’s run a huge race and it was probably the most exciting finish I’ve ridden in a Cox Plate.”
James McDonald (Criterion) 7th: “He ran a really good race. A thousand from home I was very worried, I thought he was going to run last but he’s done really well to rally.”
Chad Schofield (Sweynesse) 8th: “An extraordinary run. We went back from the gate, that was always the plan. The speed was on, he’s come from last and been beaten just under two lengths. If he draws a barrier, he goes close.”
Steven Arnold (The Cleaner) 9th: “Had to do a bit of work early. We had to keep working around them till we got our spot but the work told late.”
Dean Yendall (Wandjina) 10th: “Excellent run. Four hundred out from home, I thought I was home. I did no work early and travelled really nicely but I just think next preparation, he’ll be a bigger and better horse and maybe he didn’t quite see out the 2000 (metres).”
Zac Purton (Sacred Falls) 11th: “He got a bit stirred up today and didn’t quite get the trip.”
Glen Boss (Royal Descent) 12th: “She never stretched a yard. She felt jarry in the preliminary and that’s how she raced.”
Craig Newitt (Almalad) 13th: “He was beaten at the 1000-metre mark.”
Craig Williams (Guest Of Honour) Failed to finish: “He was under pressure at the 800 (metres). I gave him a smack at the 700 (metres) the I just sat up on him because he wasn’t responding.”
