Bart - Bart - Bart - Bart

IT was that man again at Moonee Valley today where Bart Cummings chalked up another Group 1 victory when So You Think led throughout to claim the W S Cox Plate.
If he was in the stables of any other trainer it is doubtful that So You Think would have been given a place in the field but when it is Bart Cummings you don’t think twice.
Having only his fifth race start and with only two previous wins next to his name, So You Think quickly worked to the front and set a smart pace throughout.
With only 49.5kg on his back he never looked like tiring and while the more fancied runners were battling to make ground he kicked clear at the top of the home straight and held on to win clearly.
Fellow three-year-old Manhattan Rain held on gamely for second while Zipping kicked back after looking gone to hold on to third, just ahead of the fast finishing El Segundo.
Race favourite Whobetgotyou settled well back and looked a rough as he made ground from the 100 metre mark but failed to maintain that burst and only struggled to the line.
So You Think is Cummings’ fourth Cox Plate winner after Taj Rossi in 1973 and successive wins with Saintly in 1996 and Dane Ripper in 1997.
Melbourne Cup hopeful Speed Gifted (GB) was outclassed under the WFA conditions and was never in the hunt.
2009 TATTERSALL’S COX PLATE – 2040m (Saturday, October 24)
Group 1. WFA of $3,000,000 plus $50,000 trophies. First: $1,800,000 plus trophies; Second: $440,000; Third: $220,000; Fourth: $130,000; Fifth: $110,000; Sixth: $100,000; Seventh: $100,000; Eighth: $100,000.
$14.00 SO YOU THINK (NZ) (Dato Tan Chin Nam & Tunku Ahmad Yahaya. B/br c 3y, High Chaparral (Ire..) - Triassic (NZ), by Tights (USA). Tr: Bart Cummings. 495.kg. Glen Boss 1
$19.00 MANHATTAN RAIN (Teeley Assets Ltd syn. (Mgr: Ms I O”Farrell). B c 3y, Encosta De Lago - Shantha’’s Choice, by Canny Lad). Tr: Ms Gai Waterhouse. 49.5kg.
Craig Williams 2
$12.00 ZIPPING (Mr & Mrs L J Williams. B g 8y, Danehill (USA) - Social Scene (Ire.), by Grand Lodge (USA). Tr: John Sadler. 57kg. Steven Arnold 3
Then followed:
16.00 El Segundo (NZ) (b g 8y, Pins - Palos Verdes (NZ) 59 L Nolen 4
20.00 Scenic Shot (b g 7y, Scenic (Ire.) – Sweepshot) 59 S Scriven 5
2.80 f Whobegotyou (Street Cry (Ire.) - Temple Of Peace (Japan) 57.5 D Oliver 6
7.50 Heart Of Dreams (b g 4y, Show A Heart - Academy Of Dreams) 57.5 C Newitt 7
16.00 Rock Kingdom (ch g 4y, Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire.) - Happy Empress) 57.5 N Rawiller 8
21.00 Black Piranha (br g 6y, Clang – Jazztrack) 59 T Angland 9
21.00 Road To Rock (b h 5y, Encosta De Lago - Trewornan (GB) 59 G Schofield 10
21.00 Vision And Power (NZ) (b g 7y, Carnegie (Ire.) - Escada (NZ) 59 H Bowman 11
11.00 Speed Gifted (GB) (b g 6y, Montjeu (Ire.) - Good Standing (USA) 59 D Dunn 12
71.00 Nom Du Jeu (NZ) (b h 5y, Montjeu (Ire.) - Prized Gem (NZ) 59 M Rodd 13
Scratched: Sir Slick. Won by: 2-1/2 lengths, long neck. Time: 2:03.98. (Last 600m: 35.31). Track: good (3).
Barriers: 7-13-2-12. Judge’s numbers: 14-13-2-1.
SuperTAB Divs: Win: $9.50. Place: $3.00, $4.10, $2.90. Quinella: $54.20. Exacta: $132.80. Trifecta: $1569.30. First Four: $10,928.30.

Slick veteran faces early Vet check

Cox Plate rank outsider Sir Slick will have to pass a Veterinary check before he is allowed to take his place in Australia’s weight-for-age title race.
Reports from Mornington suggested that the $126 roughie appeared sore in his off fore hoof.
Racing Victoria’s chief veterinary surgeon Paul O’Callaghan today travelled to the Mornington stables of trainer Graeme Nicholson to inspect Sir Slick.
No decision was made on the spot but O’Callaghan will inspect the horse again before 7.30am on raceday at which time a decision will be made on whether the veteran Sir Slick takes his place in the $3,000,000 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.

Cox Plate - the facts and figures

TWISTED and turned to suit, the facts and figures from past Cox Plate results suggest that Whobegotyou is far from a certainty this year.
For a start no horse whose name starts with a W has won a Cox Plate.
Whittier ran second twice - 1923 and 1924 and Winfreux was runner-up in 1965 and 1966, while Wonderful World ran second in 2007.
The most successful initial has been S with 13 winners and will be represented this year by Scenic Shot, Sir Slick, Speed Gifted and So You Think.
Allowing for no scratchings, Whobetgotyou will start from barrier 10, which has supplied only four winners with the last being Bonecrusher in the 1986 “race of the century.”
The most successful barrier has been 6, Scenic Shot’s draw this year.
Whobegotyou will also carry saddlecloth 10 which has supplied just five winners over the years, the latest being Makybe Diva in 2005, with number 1 the standout with 19 winners.
Recent changes in the weight-for-age scale mean Whobetgotyou will carry 57.5kg, which is yet to supply a winner with 59kg (9st4lb) the most success weight with 32 winners.
The reigning favourite is one of only two chestnuts contesting the race this year (along with Rock Kingdom) and that colour horse has saluted 28 times, but none since Saintly in 1996.
The most prolific colour has been bay with 30 wins, including the last three years with Fields Of Omagh, El Segundo and Maldivian.
And the bays have the numbers on their side again as there are nine of them going around this time.
Presently Whobetgotyou is quoted $2.90, approximately 2-1, a price that has supplied five winners, the last 2-1 winner was Better Loosen Up in 1990.
The most prolific winning price is 4-1 with six winners.
Of course there a couple of details that tip the scales towards the pre-post favourite.
Whobegotyou is a gelding and horses that have faced the chop are the most prolific winners in the history of the race with 32 successess, including the last three years, which has eased them ahead of entires who have won 31 Cox Plates.
He is a four-year-old and they lead the way with 25 wins ahead of five-year-olds with 22.
Of course the numbers, colours and letters will count for  nothing once the starter says go.
Given his love of Moonee Valley, four starts for four wins, and with Damien Oliver doing the piloting, Whobegotyou is likely to claim his own place in Cox Plate history.