1/ Darley sires trifecta . For the purists, and I'm one of them, the Cox Plate is the race that generally gives us the best horse in the country, so for the Darley sires to provide the trifecta is quite an accomplishment.
Street Cry is sadly no longer with us, but Teofilo and Exceed and Excel are being kept busy at Darley in the Hunter Valley this spring.
2/ How good is Humidor? If Winx is the best horse in the world and Humidor runs second beaten a neck in track record time, then surely he must be the second best horse in the world.
I want to be backing him next Tuesday!
3/ All class. Behind every champion are the people that made them and in this case it's Chris Waller and his team with Hugh Bowman putting the icing on the cake. The post-race interviews are insightful and genuine.
I enjoy hearing what they have to say after as much as watching her win!
4/ Street Cry. This Dubai World Cup winner has proven one of the few stallions capable of producing more than one champion. His 114 stakes-winners might be headed by Winx, but in a clear second spot is Zenyatta, who won 19 of 20 starts in the US and was the undisputed superstar of her time.
She famously bowed out in defeat, beaten into second at her last start in the Breeders Cup Classic.... didn't make her fans love her any less.
5/ Champions bring the crowd. You can renovate the grandstands, bring in pop stars and have as many punting, social and prizemoney gimmicks as you like, but at the end of the day racing is about the horse.
A really good one will get the people in the gate.
Race Images - Grant Courtney
