Winx stamped herself as a genuine champion with a mighty win in the Cox Plate on Saturday. In this week’s At The Bar, Michael “Speedy” Stratton and The Area News sports journalist Ben Jaffrey talk all things horse racing.
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Ben: We’ve been talking about horses a fair bit lately and we’re going to have to continue the trend. We can’t not talk about the Cox Plate.
Speedy: I’ve been following race horses for as long as I can remember and I have seen some good horses over the years – Vain, Kingston Town, Sunline, Black Caviar – but I’ve never seen a horse win a race like that.
Ben: It was impressive, I thought she’d win but not by that much.
Speedy: On the turn, the caller said ‘here they come, it'’s on’ and Hartnell went with her for about 40 metres and they turned and she said ‘see ya later, alligator’.
Ben: You could see it coming on that turn, Winx was making ground on the wider run – it was the biggest win in the Cox Plate at eight lengths.
Speedy: She’s something special and they’re going to bring her back for another shot at it next year too.
Ben: Possibly some overseas trips as well.
Speedy: Well, he also called on the internationals to come here as well and I don’t know if I’d want to take a big race horse overseas. There’s a lot of ifs and buts.
Ben: Plenty of things can go wrong but I think it's all about beating the best.
Speedy: That must come into it but let them come here, I totally agree with Chris Waller on that.
Ben: How about the other horses in the race. You liked Yankee Rose heading in, what’d you think of her run?
Speedy: It was a good run, she was coming home better than anything else bar the winner.
Ben: I thought at a point she was going to pip Hartnell but Hartnell did enough. Another question being asked was how did Vadamos hang on for fourth?
Speedy: It led most of the way and looked shot at the turn. I almost backed it for a place as well – they were harping on about it during the week.
Ben: The hype got me, I chucked Vadamos into my trifecta and first four and it paid off with a nice little payday.
Speedy: You must have been laughing all the way to the bank. I got Yankee Rose for a place and I took a trifecta with Winx, Hartnell and Yankee Rose but I stood them out and stuffed up my ticket up.
Ben: You need to focus mate.
Speedy: I know, you need 120 per cent concentration when you’re having a bet. Who wins the Melbourne Cup now?
Ben: I like Almoonqith, I just thought he finished the best in the Caulfield Cup and reckon he can step it up. Are you still on Exospheric?
Speedy: I am. Get on it.
