The Cox Plate has been run and won for another year and The Armchair Punter declares there’s simply no other race like it
Romantic Warrior has won the Cox Plate and his Hong Kong followers now know what the great weight-for-age race is all about, quite simply there’s nothing like it!
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One of the great days racing on Saturday at Moonee Valley and a finish befitting the weight-for-age championship of Australia – the Cox Plate never disappoints and only leaves you wanting more.
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THERE’S NO RACE LIKE THE COX PLATE
From the ‘Breakfast With The Best’ to the uniqueness of the barrier draw on the Tuesday morning, the cauldron they call ‘The Valley’, to the race itself there is no other race like the Cox Plate on the Australian racing calendar. We can talk about the enormity of the Melbourne Cup and The Everest but neither of those can deliver the individuality of the 2040m weight-for-age championship at the velodrome. And Saturday’s climax was electric, with only 1½ lengths separating the first seven horses crossing the line. It just doesn’t get any better.
ROMANTIC WARRIOR!
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 28, 2023
The Hong Kong champion takes out the Cox Plate â@mcacajamez@HKJC_Racingpic.twitter.com/qy0iy83FpE
IT’S ROMANTIC BEING WRONG
I’m the first to put my hand up and admit I was wrong about Romantic Warrior in the Cox Plate – or in retrospect, was I right in the end? After the Turnbull Stakes a few weeks back I opined: “Romantic Warrior was nothing like the horse I’ve watched for a couple of seasons back in his homeland and I’m deeply concerned whether he can lift enough in just three weeks to get the job done on Cox Plate day.” However last Thursday in predicting my Cox Plate finishing order I’d swung full circle “I’ve got to say I’m swallowing my pride and I’ve come around to Romantic Warrior again as a major chance with him flourishing since that run (Turnbull)”. Better late than never I say and he is indeed a worthy Cox Plate Warrior.
"I don't know how to tell you I'm so happy!"
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 28, 2023
A Cox Plate victory that means the world to Danny Shum ð pic.twitter.com/J57GNYrak9
• Romantic more a worrier than a warrior
TOM CERTAINLY NO KITTEN
The James Cummings-trained Spring Champion Stakes winner is destined to become a big cat, even though he’s still just a kitten. Tom Kitten was spectacular in winning the three-year-old Group 1 race at Randwick on Saturday and he looks like the further he goes the better he’ll get. The Cups beckon next year you’d have to think. It’s certainly an interesting one as he’s by former World Champion Sprinter Harry Angel, however he’s out a Street Cry mare so that’s obviously where he gets his stamina from.
Tom Kitten streets his rivals in the $2mill Group 1 Moët & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes ð¥ð¥
— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) October 28, 2023
Congratulations @godolphin Adam Hyeronimus@JamesCummings88#RoyalRandwick#ToastWithMoetpic.twitter.com/a84a48LrYx
MASTERFUL WILLIAMS RIDE COMES UP PAINFULLY SHORT
While beaten on Mr Brightside in the Cox Plate Craig Williams turned in a masterful display on the Lindsay Park iron horse to go down narrowly. After missing the start from barrier two Williams kept his cool and worked through the field, getting around Duais and then into the box seat on the fence before the post the first time. During the course of the race he moved out, then negotiated a perfect passage before charging through on the fence to just fail. Watch the overhead, you’ll never see a better ride under the circumstances. And even in defeat the Mr Brightside fan squad was there to celebrate the bravest of horses.
• Gai Waterhouse lashes Melbourne Cup weight scale
The 2023 Cox Plate from above. ð
— 7HorseRacing ð (@7horseracing) October 28, 2023
Some race.@TheValleypic.twitter.com/fLkp0TgTjS
Mr Brightside returns to his adoring owners after a gallant 2nd in the Cox Plate.
— 7HorseRacing ð (@7horseracing) October 28, 2023
What a champ. ðð» @gramage_ ð¥pic.twitter.com/9JuiH2elhc
SIMON MILLER’S SENSE OF HUMOUR
You’ve got to love trainer Simon Miller and the enthusiasm and humour he brings to the table. His stable star Amelia’s Jewel is headed to Saturday’s Golden Eagle at Rosehill and the mare will have her usual entourage along for the cheer. Simon’s always there for the media and happy to help out promoting and answering even the most left field questions. One he copped last week was: “Hi team, when will Atlantic Jewel head to Sydney?”. His reply was classic Simon: “It depends if Coolmore were able to freeze her eggs? Hard to say really?” Atlantic Jewel was the brilliant Mark Kavangh-trained mare which won 10 of 11 starts but sadly died in 2020. HOOFNOTE:Russian Emperor, a son of Atlantic Jewel, was the last horse to beat Romantic Warrior in Hong Kong winning the Group 1 Chartered-Chater Cup earlier in the year.
You know youâve done a few too many media engagements when you start having to manage @coolmorestudâs enquiries too!
— Simon Miller Racing (@Simon_Miller_) October 25, 2023
Unfortunately, Iâve already brought one star back to their best for my liking! @7horseracing 𤣠pic.twitter.com/PcbGg9H19M
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PILOT ERROR COSTS ANTINO ... AGAIN!
The record of Antino reads nine wins from 13 starts but that should no doubt be at least 11 wins for the rising star ‘banana bender’. On Saturday he should have won the Crystal Mile and that’s twice this preparation rider error has cost him the race. On Saturday Blake Shinn missed the boat when the race began in earnest at the 700m and James McDonald on Bankers Choice swept around putting him in a zip fastener. He then had nowhere to go and instead of being there to challenge, had to instead weave back to the inside with no momentum while Prowess was off and gone. It doesn’t happen very often but for this Shinn ride he gets an ‘F’ and that’s a fail.
Prowess ð¯ strides across the line to win the G2 Crystal Mile for @RobertWellwood@TheValley.
— TTR AusNZ (@TTRAusNZ) October 28, 2023
This 4YO mare has had an incredible year, winning 5 Group races, including the G1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes and the G1 @VineryStud Stakes ð
She is by @RichHillStud's sire Proisir⦠pic.twitter.com/kE5DKjSBPI
• Owner Lloyd Williams locks in Melbourne Cup jockeys as he chases eighth win
THE GREAT SPRINTING DIVIDE
We’ve seen some of the most sensational sprinting performances in recent memory over this past month but the great divide between NSW and Victoria has left me only an entree and no main course. After the devastating performance of Imperatriz in the Manikato on Saturday I was left wondering ... just who is the best sprinter in Australasia? We’ve seen the New Zealand wonder mare win three straight at The Valley, including two at Group 1 level, but she’s been beating up on the second tier speedsters. In Sydney there was of course The Everest and the lead up races and this week there’s the Giga Kick, then we are back to Melbourne and Flemington on Saturday week for the Champions Sprint. Just maybe that will tell where the superior formlines come from as In Secret arguably should have won The Everest and she’ll be the one top shelf galloper connecting the two states when she takes on Imperatriz. Buenos Noches was going to give us some insight in the Manikato but alas, he was scratched at the barriers.
WOWEE, IMPERATRIZ. ð¥
— 7HorseRacing ð (@7horseracing) October 28, 2023
SMOKES THEM IN THE MANIKATO STAKES. ð®âð¨ @TeAkauRacing@opie_bossonpic.twitter.com/7LoQr4WMZl
NO GLAMOUR FOR HOT POT
Arctic Glamour was being billed as a new ‘big thing’ after successive wins in a 3YO maiden and a weak Listed race at Randwick and she went to the post as a $1.70 chance in the Group 2 Callander-Presnell on Saturday. It’s easy in retrospect but has there been a worse bet in recent times I ask? In her two wins prior to Saturday no other horse has won since and the maiden win has seen horses beaten out of the placings at the provincials. Kerrin McEvoy gave her every chance on Saturday but the bottom line to the performance was she was an ice cold dud, arctic cold!
Chrysaor claims the Callander-Presnell! ð
— 7HorseRacing ð (@7horseracing) October 28, 2023
It's the Star Thoroughbred colours again. @G1TySchil@cwallerracing@StarTbredspic.twitter.com/eOHK5EVU2k
Originally published as The Cox Plate has been run and won for another year and The Armchair Punter declares there’s simply no other race like it