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Saturday Post Mortem with Chris Scholtz

by Chris Scholtz ,
7 years ago

3 minute read

Chris Scholtz reviews racing around Australia on October 28.

THE SUPERSTAR

WINX: Team Winx deserves accolades for everything they have achieved with the great mare, but in the end it’s all about the horse. Savour her for what she is – the rarest of champions.

THE STARS

BLAKE SHINN: On a day when it was all about Winx he almost stole the spotlight from the mare with four super winning rides. The night before he was stood down from riding at Canterbury with a hand injury and had to pass a fitness test before he was allowed to ride!

CHRIS WALLER: There’s only one Winx but he kept it all in perspective as he went about winning races in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. As he keeps saying, the stable comes first.

ALOISIA: Loved the way she blew away the colts in the Vase. I’m not saying she’s the next WInx – but wow! Has the Oaks on a platter.

WINONA COSTIN: This tough little lady rode four winners at Kembla Grange, a huge achievement considering what Sydney’s former champion apprentice has been through with injuries in the last 18 months.

ROBERT THOMPSON: A rare city winning ride for this evergreen champion and he lost nothing in a driving finish against a much younger rival. It’s easy to forget he’s 58.

Fickle Folly (left) wins at Randwick Picture: Racing and Sports

TONY GOLLAN/JIM BYRNE: Went about their business in fine style at Doomben combining for three successive wins.

TEEBOX: A 56-start maiden wins its first race as an 8YO the Alexandra picnics in Victoria. OK, it’s not the Cox Plate but tell that to the owners. Honourable mention to the 9YO Who Shot Thebarman for winning his first race in two years in the Moonee Valley Cup.

CRAIG SMITH: Plaudits to this Queensland bush trainer from Roma for taking his mare Rooi Roe from a win on the sand at Birdsville last month to a metro win at Doomben.

TALKING POINTS

WINX 1: Whatever lies head for the great one, Saturday’s Cox Plate win must go down as the defining win of her amazing career. The fact that she had to fight for the win only adds to the aura and what the win means in terms of history – she equalled Black Caviar for most Australian G1 wins (15); swept past Makybe Diva as the highest earner in Australian racing history ($15,627,925), joined Kingston Town as the only two triple Cox Plate winners the and in the process broke her own Moonee Valley track record for 2040m (2:02.94).

WINX 2 As for her future, a fourth Cox Plate attempt must be 50/50 at best. The obvious path takes her to the UK next year, a scenario that allows her to end her career with overseas glory and puts her in the right place to be served by a champion sire – Galileo? Frankel? Dubawi? - to southern hemisphere time before returning home to a deserved retirement.

MOONEE VALLEY: Bias or no bias? Opinions were left divided after Moonee Valley officials made the decision not to shift the rail from the true after the Friday night meeting, something that will now be debated for 12 months.

THEY SAID IT

CHRIS WALLER: “A whole host of things went through my mind towards the end. Will she, won’t she? Where’s the finishing line? How’s the other horse going? Who is the other horse? But she got there, and that’s all that matters.”

“She’s Winx and she finds a way to win like all champions do. You don't expect any horse to win 22 races in a row. She’s unbeaten for almost three years now, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go to bed at night thinking of her getting beaten.”

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever been involved in, and may not get that opportunity again. I’ve got to take it in, but I’ve got to enjoy it and appreciate it as well.”

“It’s a sporting population that really embraces her. This is what sport is about. It’s very humbling to be on the other side looking at everybody and I just thank them for embracing Winx like she’s their own.”

HUGH BOWMAN: “I was born the year Kingston Town won his first Cox Plate and to think she’s emulated the great. Trying to compare one horse to another, they’re all different animals at the end of the day, but we are in the presence of greatness.

“She’ll be recognised as one of the greatest horses to grace the Australian turf. She’s the type of horse you dream of, everybody dreams of.

“As a racing lover, as an animal lover, I get great satisfaction watching any good horse, or exceptional horse and this thoroughbred has brought so much joy to my life, my family’s life, and I know everybody is very proud of what we’ve achieved together.”

“I am not saying she could have won by any further. Full credit to Humidor and as surprising as it was to see him there, I wasn’t concerned that we were going to be beaten.”

PETER TIGHE (WInx owner): “Everything fell into place. The planning of Chris Waller was exceptional and she has proved how great she is

“It is all surreal. We are just going through the motions at the moment. We will appreciate it later but at the moment we will just celebrate it.”

BLAKE SHINN (Humidor): “I thought when I made a run we were a real chance but Winx is a champion, she just keeps responding under pressure. To run a champion so close is a huge achievement.”

"I wasn't thinking too much about beating her. I was concentrating on getting my horse to the line first.”

"Full credit to Darren and his team for the way they have got him. He has beaten the rest of the field by four-and-a-quarter lengths.”

“It’s been an amazing day. This is where the best of the best are – trainers, jockeys and horses – so I’m pretty proud to ride four winners. It’s very special.”

DARREN WEIR (Humidor): “Halfway down the straight I thought ... well, I didn’t know what to think, actually. He ran great. She’s just too good isn’t she. It’s good that someone’s made a race of it isn’t it?”

“He's not Winx, he can't win everything and we've got a goal to win the Melbourne Cup and that's what I'm aiming him towards."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

All of the Cox Plate comments by the key players are gold but the quote of the day belongs to jockey Ryan Maloney after he rode Eptimum to victory in the Telstra Phoneworld Stakes at Moonee Valley:-

“Cheerio to the missus. I’ll be getting a Uber home and I’ll be staying out until stumps, so I’ll probably be in the doghouse.”

RIDE OF THE DAY

Any number of contenders - Jason Collett weaving his way to a perfectly timed win on Dia De Reyes at Randwick; Jeff Lloyd’s never say die ride on The Rumour Files at Doomben; Blaike McDougall picking up Firsthand from certain defeat in the final 200m at Randwick; Blake Shinn’s four wins at Moonee Valley were superb, but.….Mr Cool Hugh Bowman takes the prize for his perfect execution on Winx. Didn’t flinch under the pressure and was at his best lifting the mare over the last 200m under a trademark strong hand ride. Resisting to resorting to the whip in such a moment was perfect horsemanship.

BLACKBOOK

THELBURG: Never tested. Simply had a barrier trial.

TOUCH OF MINK: Huge effort against the bias. Talented.

JORDA: No luck. Going better than her form reads.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND: Can be a big player at the Perth carnival.

TACTICAL ADVANTAGE: Big improver off this first-up effort.

MISS DUBOIS: Needs ground. Hard to beat in Brisbane class.

tags

THELBURG TOUCH OF MINK JORDA SUPPLY AND DEMAND TACTICAL ADVANTAGE MISS DUBOIS