Best Cox Plate of the past 25 years?

[Tim56]

Here are a few nominations:

1982 - Kingston Town creates history to win his third consecutive Cox Plate. In the race he seems so unlikely to come back that Bill Collins utters the famous words "Kingston Town can't win" yet he has the courage to haul the field in to get up in the last furlong.

1986 - Bonecrusher and Our Waverley Star engaged in a two horse war down the length of the Moonee Valley straight, with Bonecrusher ahead when they crossed the line. Neither horse was the same again after this event.

1992 - The even money favourite Naturalism was involved in a fall halfway down the back straight, allowing the other Lee Freedman trained horse, Super Impose, to win his very first Cox Plate at the age of eight, at odds of 16-1. Super Impose had been dreadfully unlucky in past runnings of the race, so although not many backed him, he was the sentimental favourite.

1998 - Might And Power may not have defeated the greatest field of all time, but the dominant manner of his victory is what makes this victory so special. Leading all the way, the faster he went, the better he got. His run was so brilliant that he broke the track record by the best part of two seconds. Sadly, not long after he was to break down, his final run before injury being the 1998 Queen Elizabeth Stakes where carrying 60 Kg, he obliterated the field by a lazy seven lengths.

2002 - Notherly holds off clearly the best field in the last 25 years, beating home no less than Defier (three time Group One winner, and one of the unluckiest horses you will ever see), Grandera (the best foreign horse to come here in modern times, and that includes Vintage Crop and Vinnie Roe), Sunline (two time Cox Plate winner, twelve time Group One winner in Australia and New Zealand, still the Australasian prize money record holder), Fields of Omagh (2003 Cox Plate winner), and Lonhro (superstar winner of 26 of his 35 starts, including no less than 11 at Group One level).

Sunline's 2000 win could have easily made it, as could Saintly's 1996 win, but you can't have 'em all.

 

[Pantsless]

Field wise you could lean towards 2002, but that 1986 Plate was just magic. Bill Collins gave one the best calls ever, and it just gives me a tingle down my spine everytime I see and hear it.

 

[Deej]

For field quality 2002 wins, was quite simply the best field ever assembled in this country since racing was introduced 150yrs ago or whatever. As for theatre you'd say 1986 takes the cake. Difficult to split them but I voted 2002 only for the fact i was there.

 

[VEEBEE]

For field quality 2002 wins, was quite simply the best field ever assembled in this country since racing was introduced 150yrs ago or whatever. As for theatre you'd say 1986 takes the cake. Difficult to split them but I voted 2002 only for the fact i was there.

are you blokes off your rockers? the year lets elope raced , that was the best field ever assembled in any race i have ever seen.it might not count much , but thats my opinion.

 

[Ricketts]

2002 is the only one i can remember properly, being a rookie, and being at the track.

Kingston Town cant win - sounds pretty special, as does the Bonecrusher/Our Waverly Star.

 

[Catman]

The 1992 Cox Plate was outstanding. How's this for the some of our best ever horse flesh...

Super Impose (One of the greats of Australian turf)
Kinjite (Underrated middle distance galloper)
Slight Chance (Outstanding filly who dominated her 3YO year)
Better Loosen Up (Champion)
Let's Elope (Champion)
Prince Salieri (Just below the top rung, but not by much)
Mannerism (Star mare)
Coronation Day (Brilliant 3YO)
Muirfield Village (Classy Kiwi)
Burst (Top class filly)
Rough Habit (another star Kiwi)
Naturalism (Superstar)
Sydeston (Vastly underrated top class galloper)
Palace Reign (Brilliant 3YO)

 

[Deej]

The 1992 Cox Plate was outstanding. How's this for the some of our best ever horse flesh...

Super Impose (One of the greats of Australian turf)
Kinjite (Underrated middle distance galloper)
Slight Chance (Outstanding filly who dominated her 3YO year)
Better Loosen Up (Champion)
Let's Elope (Champion)
Prince Salieri (Just below the top rung, but not by much)
Mannerism (Star mare)
Coronation Day (Brilliant 3YO)
Muirfield Village (Classy Kiwi)
Burst (Top class filly)
Rough Habit (another star Kiwi)
Naturalism (Superstar)
Sydeston (Vastly underrated top class galloper)
Palace Reign (Brilliant 3YO)

I'd say the best ones in that field were:

Super Impose
Better Loosen Up
Let's Elope
Rough Habit
Naturalism
Sydeston

BLU was not even close to his best after coming back from bad tendon injury. Super, yep. RoughHabit i never felt was true top class wfa. Naturalism yep. Sydeston yep, but again was nearing end of tether. Let's Elope great mare.

Compare that top 6 to:

Northerly
Sunline
Lonhro
Grandera
Defier
Fields of Omagh

I think the 2002 top 6 are better than the 1992 lot when everyone is in best form, let alone when they're not at their top as was the case for a couple of them in 92.

The 92 field i agree had more depth, but at that level even horses like Mannerism and Coronation Day are just making up the numbers.

 

[sethlad]

Hey Deej,

Take Northerly out of 2002,would your opinion change?

Coronation Day ran equal 2nd fave @ 6/1,must have been almost in the top 6
on the day?
Kinjite ran 2nd,not too many duds manage Cox plate placings
Bit tough on Rough Habit too IMHO.
Agree BLU wasnt the killer he used to be but ran very well.

Seth.

 

[Deej]

Hey Deej,

Take Northerly out of 2002,would your opinion change?

Coronation Day ran equal 2nd fave @ 6/1,must have been almost in the top 6
on the day?
Kinjite ran 2nd,not too many duds manage Cox plate placings
Bit tough on Rough Habit too IMHO.
Agree BLU wasnt the killer he used to be but ran very well.

Seth.

Yeah definitely if you took out Northerly and slotted in say Kinjite to 2002, my opinion would change.
I remember going to breaky with the stars in 92, that Coronation Day was a brilliant looking horse. Really big and powerful, made the others look silly in the looks dept.
Re RoughHabit i know he was a great old galloper but i dunno i just used to think he was a bit of a wet track spesh, not true wfa dry track performer. He's probably the best wet tracker i've ever seen.

 

[Half Back Flanker]

Northerly’s first in 2001 was special, if i remember it was really close, Northerly on one side, sunline on the other and a baby called Viscount trying to come up between them at the finish and all sorts of protests flying which what way. It was exciting stuff between two top horses and sadly Viscount broke a foot not long after and never raced again.

 

[harry_hawka]

For breath-taking-ness, you can't go past Bonecrusher/ Our Waverly Star.

For sheer amazement, it's gotta be 'Kingston Town can't win'.

And for the highest quality field, you've gotta go for 2002, I think. 1992 is superb, but in the 2002 field alone there's 5 Cox Plate's, 3 Runners-Up, and a couple of 3rd's. Simply outstanding. The X-Factor that makes it better than 1992, IMO, is Grandera. Arguably better than Northerly, Sunline and Lonhro- it just adds that something extra special to the field.

Great thread by the way. Reliving the highlights of those first two racecalls is a good thing to do on a regular occasion!

 

[Ricketts]

Are there any sites to view/download races such as the 82 and 86 Cox Plates?

 

[Tim56]

I have had a look around but I haven't been able to find any to download. There is a DVD made about the Cox Plate which has them.

http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/221188 - same price at your local JB Hi-Fi as well.

 

[Dr AlfAndrews]

I watched the 1986 Cox Plate from the betting ring at Cheltenham (SA) and I have never seen so much excitement generated by a race run in another state before.

The buzz around the betting ring was just amazing ... and that was the greatest two-horse war you could ever possibly see ... right up there with Hondo Grattan and Paleface Adios in the 1974 Miracle Mile.

For sheer quality of field, I'd say 2002.

 

[Rumbo]

I watched the 1986 Cox Plate from the betting ring at Cheltenham (SA) and I have never seen so much excitement generated by a race run in another state before.

The buzz around the betting ring was just amazing ... and that was the greatest two-horse war you could ever possibly see ... right up there with Hondo Grattan and Paleface Adios in the 1974 Miracle Mile.

For sheer quality of field, I'd say 2002.

Now your bringing back the memories.I have always been a Paleface/Hondo throw in Lucky Creed fan.
All Cox Plates have something special about them.Just have a look at the 1987 Cox Plate, Rubiton ridden by HANDBRAKE HARRY looses his footing on the turn but manages to balance himself up & win. That field contained the like's of Vo Rouge,Tidal Light,Marwong,Poetic Prince & Rubiton ran a track record on the day,not to many horse's can lose stride & still go on to win.(Especially a CP)I'd rate that effort only second to Kingston Town's feats at the valley because KT travelled most of the trip on his wrong leg.After 3 goes you'd think he'd get it right ,but when I heard the call 'Kingston Town can't win' a lump formed in my throat , but as he came down the outside everyone was cheering him home.If that race didn't move ya, you must be a corpse.I remember backing Canny Lad to win a fortune , only to see BLU & Sydeston grab him 20 to go, my mate had $2000 the win on BLU & he will still tell me that that's the best Cox Plate ever , so we all have our favourites. The Northerly & Sunline wins where good but no better than any other horse which has won a CP.The Bonecrusher/Our Waverley Star was a two horse war which was such a gutbuster on both horse's that neither horse return to their best.This year might see a new star appear but we'll just have to wait & see.Love the thread.

 

[Deej]

Are there any sites to view/download races such as the 82 and 86 Cox Plates?

I've got the 2002 CP & CaulCup on my harddrive here, CP is 4.52meg and CC is 6.33meg, I actually wouldn't mind emailing them to anyone who wants them. I just love watching Northerly getting scrubbed all the way as they rolled off the back towards the school, then as they pan to the headon shot passing the school you see Childs look sideways and almost immediately he went full bore on Sunline. The Tiger was coming! I've convinced myself (especially when i'm discussing it with my sunline-loving old man) that at that moment the sight of northerly getting pushed for so long but not giving in made Childs sh#t himself.
All part of the legend for me.

 

[blqld]

My worst result - Surfers paradise. How that nag won a Cox is beyond me. I had enough on Super that day to have retired.