Every year, we hear and read the same stories: too many drunken teenagers at Caulfield, too many internationals in the Cup and too many C-grade soap actors on the Channel Seven coverage.
And last but not least, that Moonee Valley is unfit to host Group 1 racing so let’s move the Cox Plate to Flemington.
Moonee Valley is a unique circuit with tight turns and a short straight. The grandstand sits high in the air and provides a cauldron-like atmosphere for horses and jockeys.
My first visit was as a 15-year-old when I witnessed Makybe Diva’s glorious Cox Plate victory. The beauty of the eight horses across the track was matched by the roar of the crowd, and as the noise lifted so did the champion mare as she cemented her place in the history books.
The Cox Plate is a real experience for the audience and is what makes it the best two minutes of sport.
Even the distance of 2040 metres is unique. There have been plenty of strong 2000-metre runners who have failed to see out that final 40 metres. Jockeys toe a very fine line.
Overall, the current MVRC carnival works well, with the Manikato on the Friday night and the Cox Plate on Saturday. While there are some questionable fields on both days, these simply increase the build-up to the Group 1s.
For a club which only hosts four major races, they do a fantastic job promoting them and it highlights the importance of attracting quality Group 1 fields.
Both Group 1s on the weekend featured high-class gallopers coupled with blanket finishes. The Manikato was amazing, you just didn’t know where to look all the way up the straight. The Cox Plate had it all too – a tough Tasmanian front runner, Leviathan Lloyd with the favourite and the world’s best trainer adding another crown to his CV.
It was another great carnival at Moonee Valley and if you’re still not convinced it’s fit for racing, book a ticket next year and you’ll change your mind in (just over) two minutes.
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