There’s talk that they might sell Moonee Valley and build a super course well out of the city.
It would be a travesty if this were allowed to happen. Moonee Valley is a colosseum right in the centre of the city of Melbourne.
When you walk into the course you are immediately among horses. On your right there are stables full of magnificent animals. On Saturday the first group of stables contained a young colt called So You Say. He was listed in the race book as a three year-old but in reality he was only a two year-old being a late foal born in November.
He had only four starts, winning a couple of minor races. By coincidence, stabled right beside him were some previous Cox Plate winners. Old champions Might and Power had run the fastest Cox Plate in history. Had also won the Caulfield Melbourne Cup double and a string of WFA races.
Saintly, after winning his Cox Plate went on to win the Melbourne Cup.
Better Loose Up, another Cox Plate winner, went to Japan and won their greatest race, the Japan Cup.
Now old warriors, they stood like statues, heads held high, nostrils flaring like former boxers reliving those glory days when they were the champions. Still confident they could hold their own with the current challenger. Of course this is a pipe dream, like humans, time dulls your speed and timing.
On your left is an exercise ring in the middle of which is this enormous old tree whose cascading branches provide shade for both horse and punters hanging over the fence watching these magnificent animals obediently saunter around with their strappers A few paces further along you come to the pre race parade ring. Quite small, it’s completely dwarfed by the grandstands. Once in the grandstand you can look through floor to ceiling plate glass down on this parade ring, with its beautiful thoroughbreds and colourful jockeys talking to trainers and connections who are dressed in ridiculously expensive outfits. Out front and you see this small emerald green track just a little over 1600 metres in circumference with a straight of just over 200 metres.
This is the setting for the Cox Plate, the race where legends are born.
On Cox Plate day, as the field mills behind the barriers, Moonee Valley truly brings to your mind’s eye what the atmosphere in a colosseum must have been like just before the lions were released to tear the Christians to pieces. Massed people, deafening noise.
The colt was wearing blinkers, he couldn’t see anything, only straight up the track. The starting stalls were metal clanging monsters as horses, including him, were pushed into a claustrophobic space. By now the young colt just wanted to get out of there. It was the basic instinct of both human and animal, “fight or flight.”
The starter pushed the button. As the front of the gate flew open the crowd noise was like thunder, the young colt was out in a flash alongside 14 others straining to gain a position. He took charge of his jockey, flew down the short straight on the outside of two others fighting for the lead and hit the front as they turned into the back straight. Racing away from the babble of noise.
Now it was like track work mornings. Before the sun came up, they took you out of your box and let you loose to gallop in the fresh morning air but the jockey always seemed to be tugging on the bit in your mouth slowing you down but today he was letting you run.
He was floating in front, three lengths ahead of the others. He felt so free he relaxed as he glided down past the school. Approaching the home turn, the field had caught up and were right on his heels. They turned into the straight and again screaming noise surrounded him. Again it was “fight or flight”. The jockey started hitting him with a whip. The young colt lifted and sprinted like he had never sprinted before. He left the mob behind up the straight and sailed past the post almost three lengths in front.
He had run the second fastest time in the history of the great race.
Rather Rotund Resident of Baker Street said to Drinking Partner, “I keep seeing spots in front of my eyes.” Partner asked, “Have you seen a doctor?”
Resident said, “Nope only spots.”
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