Heart-fluttering Finishes

Published: 25 Oct 2014

Deserved to Win - Adelaide showed his class to win despite the tricky Moonee Valley circuit

Melbourne hosted two big Weight For Age events in 24 hours as the sprinters lined up in the Manikato and the middle-distance champs took on the Cox Plate. In what are classic races that determine the best, we had to endure the stress of blanket finishes in which both jockeys and thoroughbreds had to hold their nerve.

It is almost a miracle that Lankan Rupee and Adelaide managed to win, who were arguably the best horses in each race. Lankan Rupee doesn't enjoy the tight turns of Moonee Valley, but an aggressive ride made sure he could use the rails as a guide, while Adelaide tracked a wide course around the field to avoid getting stuck in the ruck.

The performance of Adelaide was the stuff of Cox Plate folklore, showing the fight our Horse Expert eluded to before the race.

"He has really impressed me the way he flattens out so far from home and keeps giving his all. That type of racehorse is a great one to follow. My favourite." Horse Expert pre-race comment for Adelaide

While the 'cart track' Moonee Valley played a big role in heart-fluttering finishes, we can look forward to fairer racing over the next couple of weekends. Expect bigger margins and more reliable form-lines as the Spring Carnival moves on to the wide open expanses of Flemington.

The Derby and the Cup are now just days away..