Analyst Cox Plate Review
Published: 24 Oct 2015
1st WINX
Jumped ok (5th rails), snuck up inside turn (leader drifted out), broke clear hard against the rails – impressive!
ANALYST COMMENT
“Had huge scope going into the race, an untapped talent that won the Group One Epsom with ease last start. Bowman used the inside barrier perfectly and she was suited by the bias and tempo, but you can't take anything away from such a massive win.”
She’s a huge talent and we still don't know how good she is!"
KEY FIGURE
35.2 seconds, clearly the best final 600 metre sectional
"I was very confident but from the 600 when The Cleaner rolled off and I went through I didn't want to be going that early, but sometimes you don’t have choices"
Hugh Bowman, jockey
2nd CRITERION
Urged to hold spot (8th rails), touch keen early, ridden turn and snuck up inside (bad check), kept coming
ANALYST COMMENT
"A touch keen as he can be mid-race, he seemed to grab the inside run from WINX on the turn, but Bowman rolled back in and checked him. He wouldn't have won, but he would have finished closer.
These two are simply Australia's best!"
KEY FIGURE
450m - the point when WINX checked him
"Good run. I probably should have finished a lot closer but the winner nearly put me through the fence."
Michael Walker, jockey
3rd HIGHLAND REEL
Jumped nicely (3rd 2W), stayed off rails, came 3W turn under pressure, stayed on well last 200m
ANALYST COMMENT
“Ryan Moore would pay to have this race over again and slot in behind The Cleaner on the rails. He chose to settle behind AROD, who didn’t take him anywhere, and had to call on all his stamina to fight on late.
A great run and a deserved top three finish.”
KEY FIGURE
0.84 seconds, how much faster WINX was from the 600 metres to the 200 metres
"He ran a very good race. I thought the winner was very impressive.”
Ryan Moore, jockey
4th PORNICHET
Held together (11th rails), settled ok, snuck up inside and quickened well, run peaked late
ANALYST COMMENT
“Found the right run up the inside and showed his acceleration to make ground from the 600 metres, but his run did peak late, as it often does.
He was lucky to get 4th with so many horses going wider and struggling to make ground because of the track bias.”
KEY FIGURE
11.38 seconds, his sectional from the 600 metres to 400 metres, almost as fast as WINX.
“We rode him a bit differently today. He got into a nicer rhythm.”
Kerrin McEvoy, jockey
5th HARTNELL
Urged into spot (6th 2W), stoked up turn coming wider turn, ran on steadily
ANALYST COMMENT
“Not bad, but didn’t have any excuses and FAWKNER was better to the line than him.
He’s not he superstar we thought he was in the Autumn.”
KEY FIGURE
3rd-up – He’s only had three runs this campaign so could improve
“I think he’ll be spot on for this Cup over two miles.”
James McDonald, jockey
6th FAWKNER
Held together from wide barrier (13th rails), tracked up into pack turn (held up briefly), ran on solidly late
ANALYST COMMENT
“A smart ride from Oliver to ride him patiently, he produced a really solid effort.
Hit the line better than HARTNELL if they do head to the Cup.”
KEY FIGURE
12.61, the 4th fastest final 200m in the race
“The winner was in another hemisphere!”
Damien Oliver, jockey
7th THE CLEANER
Jumped to the lead, rolled along nicely, drifted off rails turn and tired late
ANALYST COMMENT
“Did just about as much as he could do. A couple of cheap sectionals early would have helped, but that was never going to happen in this race.
No love lost for the Tassie warrior.”
KEY FIGURE
13.21, only the 10th fastest final 200 metres as he tired
“He was brave. The thing he did today that he doesn’t normally do is when the pressure went right on at the 600 he just wanted to lay out.”
Noel Callow, jockey
..and the ‘also rans’
8th GAILO CHOP
“I got into a bumping duel with Criterion and Mourinho.. and basically didn’t breathe properly after that.”
Brad Rawiller, jockey
9th PREFERMENT
“We were at our top from the 700 and he was a little bit undone getting around the corner.”
Nash Rawiller, jockey
10th HAPPY TRAILS
“We had to come around them and it was too hard.”.
Mark Zahra, jockey
11th AROD
“He was a little bit free in the early part of the race.”
Craig Williams, jockey
12th MOURINHO
“Found them a bit too good on the day.”
Vlad Duric, jockey
13th KERMADEC
“He was gone a long way from home.”
Glen Boss, jockey
14th COMPLACENT
“He felt like something was amiss.”
James Doyle, jockey
Analysts note
"Don’t dismiss PREFERMENT for the Melbourne Cup based on this, Flemington is a much better track for him. CRITERION also showed he is in peak form, although it's not guaranteed he'll stay the two miles."
Check out the Cup market here.