Sunline jockey Greg Childs warns Pride Of Jenni rider Declan Bates to expect the unexpected in the Cox Plate

It’s been 25 years since the legendary Sunline won her first Cox Plate and her jockey has some words of wisdom for Declan Bates ahead of his Cox Plate mission on another frontrunner, Pride Of Jenni.

A quarter of a century since Sunline’s famous first Cox Plate win, legendary jockey Greg Childs has some fascinating words of wisdom for jockey Declan Bates as he prepares to set sail on frontrunning Pride Of Jenni.

Few know the unique pressures of riding a freakish leading horse better than Childs, who won back-to-back Cox Plates on the mighty Sunline in 1999 and 2000.

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Childs believes Bates must expect the unexpected and study rival Cox Plate jockeys as much as he studies rival horses.

“You have got to have done your homework and you have got to know everything in the race and, in particular, all the riders,” Childs told Racenet.

“Certain riders have certain tendencies and you need to know all the little details about how they like to ride.

“You’ve got to know everything about everybody and also be ready for the unexpected.

“There is a unique pressure with riding a frontrunner in a big Group 1 race, there is nowhere to hide.

“You need to think about what other jockeys might do to try to undo you.

“You’ve got to get it right – or you have to get it close to right – and if you don’t you are in trouble.

“I do have a special affinity with frontrunners like Pride Of Jenni and I watch her closely.”

Declan Bates and Pride Of Jenni. Picture: Getty Images.

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Pride Of Jenni’s owner Tony Ottobre has flagged a potential change of tactics where his star mare may not lead by the extraordinary margins she has often been known for.

Sunline, one of the most remarkable horses of all-time with 13 Group 1 wins, was known as a leader but there were times when Childs had to do things differently.

One such tweak was when Childs rode Sunline to an extraordinary seven-length win in the 2000 Cox Plate – after sitting off leader The Message, a 125-1 roughie.

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Childs also pointed to more recent times when star jockeys Damien Oliver and Blake Shinn didn’t lead on Alligator Blood in a couple of his biggest Group 1 triumphs.

His point is that Bates may need to look outside the square on Pride Of Jenni in Saturday’s $5m Cox Plate.

The mighty Sunline in full flight, under jockey Greg Childs.

“Top jockeys have to be versatile and think on their feet,” Childs said.

“Blake and Damien didn’t lead on Alligator Blood and you just knew Gai Waterhouse would have been ripping her hair out – but the horse still won.

“You’ve got to have Plan B, you have got to have a good jockey who doesn’t panic.

“A good rider can ride to Plan B and be confident, whereas some jockeys who are on a good horse will ride to Plan A no matter what.

“I know exactly how the riders feel and the pressure they are under and what other jockeys might do to try to undo them.

“Pride Of Jenni probably likes to lead almost at all costs.

“But maybe she can be a bit like Sunline, who could sit second or third if she had to.

“When I rode Sunline, everyone knew she liked to lead, but she also came from second or third position on a few occasions and won.

“The excitement from a punters’ point of view is that we all like to see a horse out in front and a good one, and can it hold on?”

Recalling the magic moment 25 years ago when Sunline won her first Cox Plate, Childs feels it was the race that was the making of him as a jockey.

Childs had ridden Group 1 winners before but this was the icing on the cake.

Sunline, ridden by Greg Childs, defeats runner-up Tie The Knot (Shane Dye) in the 1999 Cox Plate.

Years on, Childs watched Hugh Bowman win four Cox Plates on Winx and knew precisely the pressure the jockey was under riding such a headline horse.

“When Winx was going around and Hughie Bowman was riding her, I could sit back and I knew exactly what Hughie was going through in the build-up and media attention,” Childs said.

“There was such a huge groundswell of support for the horse and, like with Sunline, everyone wants a piece of the jockey.

“I used to turn my phone off on a Friday and I wouldn’t talk to anybody, just so I could get a bit of peace and quiet and have my own routine.

“With the 1999 Cox Plate, it was a great ride for me to show people what I could do.

“I had won big races before, but not a Cox Plate.

“I will say that the win was probably the icing on the cake for me.

“I had the cake, I had won Group 1 races and done well.

“But this was the icing that I needed to go on top of the cake and cement me more firmly in Australian racing.

“Thank Christ, Sunline won!”

Sunline and Greg Childs return to scale after the 1999 Cox Plate. Picture: Bruce Magilton

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So does Childs think frontrunner Pride Of Jenni can walk in Sunline’s hoofprints 25 years later and win the Cox Plate?

The champion jockey has no doubt that Ciaron Maher’s marvellous mare has the class to win.

His question is whether she can back-up from last Saturday’s runner-up finish behind Ceolwulf.

Pride Of Jenni has backed up with distinction before, but Childs feels this is an entirely new challenge.

“The big question is can she back-up, because I think she had a gut-buster last Saturday,” Childs said.

“You could see the second horse (My Oberon) was coming up to her and then she fought that horse off and then Ceolwulf came down the outside and got her.

“It’s not easy to keep putting up those tough runs.

“I hope she can, I’m praying she can.”

Originally published as Sunline jockey Greg Childs warns Pride Of Jenni rider Declan Bates to expect the unexpected in the Cox Plate