Cox Plate 2020: Recap all the action from the Valley
Danny O'Brien missed out on the Cox Plate prize with Russian Camelot but he strengthened his Melbourne Cup squad when Miami Bound returned to winning form in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup. RECAP ALL THE ACTION
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October 24, 2020 - 3:38PM
Miami Bound’s return to form with a devastating Moonee Valley Gold Cup success has bolstered Danny O’Brien’s already formidable Melbourne Cup arsenal
Armed with last year’s winner Vow And Declare, Adelaide Cup victor King Of Leogrance and leading fancy Russian Camelot, O’Brien will also pay up for Miami Bound to run in the November 3 Cup.
“I would think she’d definitely be an acceptor now,” O’Brien said after the mare outstayed Shared Ambition and Oceanex.
“She won that impressively. When you’re that close it is pretty hard not to run.
“It’s more a difficult essay for those fillies that had won an Oaks and come and win a Melbourne Cup, I don’t think it’s been done for 30 or 40 years.
“I think we’ll be there on the first Tuesday and we’ll give it a crack.”
O’Brien’s faith in the VRC Oaks winner had never wavered.
“We’ve been very happy with her, to be fair, all spring but she’s a much better horse when she gets out in distance - a mile-and-a-half at least,” he said.
“Obviously she grows a leg on the soft so there’s a few things in our favour today, but we’re thrilled to see her win today.
“She gave us a great thrill last spring in the Oaks and it’s still a great effort to come back here and beat all the boys in the Moonee Valley Cup.
“We’ve been really pleased with her but she has been running on firm tracks and probably at unsuitable distances. She was ok in the Herbert Power but that was on a Good 3.
“Soft 7 today and she grew a leg - she was never going to get beaten.”
Miami Bound was one of Jamie Kah's four winners at the Valley. Picture: Racing Photos
Miami Bound’s victory was the third leg in Jamie Kah’s four winners.
“She didn’t like being on the rail last start. Daniel Moor said to me the horse is flying,” she said.
“I was going to call him a bad judge after her last start, but like I said I don’t think she liked being crowded.
“Today she got the beautiful run down the back straight and it was a tough win.”
RECAP ALL THE ACTION FROM COX PLATE DAY IN THE BLOG BELOW
Updates
1. La Mexicana
2. Twain's Express
4. Highly Discreet
Jockey Jamie Kah closed out a huge Cox Plate day with a win after gutsy filly La Mexicana held on to win the Listed Crockett Stakes (1200m).
Kah posted her fourth win of the day when La Mexicana notched her third victory from four starts in the Valley finale.
La Mexicana ($2.40 fav) defied the challenge of the $13 chance Twain’s Express to win by a short half-head while Highly Discreet was another 2 ½ lengths away in third spot.
La Mexican’s success also gave father-and-son training team Anthony and Sam Freedman with a winning double after they won the Schweppes Crystal Mile with Homesman.
RACE 10 RESULTS
Chris Vernuccio
1. La Mexicana
2. Twain's Express
4. Highly Discreet
Jockey Jamie Kah closed out a huge Cox Plate day with a win after gutsy filly La Mexicana held on to win the Listed Crockett Stakes (1200m).
Kah posted her fourth win of the day when La Mexicana notched her third victory from four starts in the Valley finale.
La Mexicana ($2.40 fav) defied the challenge of the $13 chance Twain’s Express to win by a short half-head while Highly Discreet was another 2 ½ lengths away in third spot.
La Mexican’s success also gave father-and-son training team Anthony and Sam Freedman with a winning double after they won the Schweppes Crystal Mile with Homesman.
"Every time I moved my pinky, he was waiting for me to give a real command so all I needed to do was ask him when I got clean air and the run come. He was very strong for the line.
"This is a really proud moment for me. You know, like I said, growing up and watching this race, to think now I've joined (Brent) Thompson and (Hugh) Bowman as the most winning jockeys of this race, it is a place to be cherished to be honest.
To my wife at home watching, oh, my God, sweetheart, we have done it again. This is for my wife and my two kids. They have had to put up with a lunatic in the last couple of years in Glen Boss and I've settled down in Glen Boss and I've settled down in the last 12 months, sweetheart, I swear to God, this is just for you, and Tayte and Carter, this is so special for us, sweetheart. I can't wait to get home and see you all."
WINNING JOCKEY GLEN BOSS
Chris Vernuccio
"Every time I moved my pinky, he was waiting for me to give a real command so all I needed to do was ask him when I got clean air and the run come. He was very strong for the line.
"This is a really proud moment for me. You know, like I said, growing up and watching this race, to think now I've joined (Brent) Thompson and (Hugh) Bowman as the most winning jockeys of this race, it is a place to be cherished to be honest.
To my wife at home watching, oh, my God, sweetheart, we have done it again. This is for my wife and my two kids. They have had to put up with a lunatic in the last couple of years in Glen Boss and I've settled down in Glen Boss and I've settled down in the last 12 months, sweetheart, I swear to God, this is just for you, and Tayte and Carter, this is so special for us, sweetheart. I can't wait to get home and see you all."
1. Sir Dragonet
2. Armory
3. Russian Camelot.
Glen Boss has claimed his fourth Cox Plate as raider Sir Dragonet causes a boilover.
Favourite Russian Camelot loomed at the winner as field rounded into the home straight before he was swamped late.
