3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes after the Group 1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Saturday taken out by State Of Rest.
Race Result:
1st: State Of Rest (John Allen/Joseph O'Brien) - $7.50
2nd: Anamoe (Craig Williams/James Cummings) - $3.60EF
3rd: Verry Elleegant (Damian Lane/Chris Waller) - $3.60EF
Winning Time: 2:06.97 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: Short Head x 1L
UNBELIEVABLE RACE!
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 23, 2021
STATE OF REST IS THE 2021 COX PLATE CHAMPION.@JosephOBrien2 #CoxPlate101 pic.twitter.com/vBRukljgby
Winning Trainer: Joseph O'Brien (rep by Mark Power)
On the win: "It's unbelievable. Today is nothing but a true reflection of what it took to get this horse here today. From the lads at home in the yard, there's that many dimensions - from farriers, vets, lads who look after them at home."
"Johnny Allen was super on him , you won't get stronger inside the last 200m than Johnny there.
"And we've a fair man pre-training them for us in Joseph O'Brien as well. It's their standard and it's a credit to the whole team at home, it's amazing.
On the horse: "From the moment he got off the plane and touched down in Werribee his work had been really good. MJ rides him every day at home, he can be a little bit of a handful sometimes so MJ is the right man for him.
"He was always delighted with him, we were reporting to Joseph that we were happy with him and he's proven it here today.
After the protest: "It's not good for the heart. I'm absolutely trembling like a leaf.
"Johnny Allen was super, he's strong as an ox. You couldn't have a better man on your side.
"It's just amazing to win this Cox Plate, it's been on Joseph's agenda for a long time to win this race."
In the protest: "I think I remember some of it. Luckily we had Johnny. It's a relatively new process for me and luckily we came out on the right side of it."
Winning Jockey: John Allen
It looked tough out there: "There was a bit of a bump there and I couldn't celebrate. Thank God we got the win and it's been a great job by Mark and the team."
The hearing: "Craig's always a good talker, we all know that. I think there were too many Paddy's in there for them to understand us. The way it was going, there were a few anxious moments but I think the right decision was made."
Describe the performance: "The race panned out pretty well. When the gap appeared I had to ask him to improve quick before it closed and we might have got there a little too soon, but to his credit when that horse got to me, he really fought was solid to the line."
Win for the grandson of someone you used to work with in Ireland: "Joe Crowley, I worked for him for years. I don't know if he's looking down but I'm sure he'd have a smile on his face. Unbelievable really and to do it on an Irish horse makes it all the more special."
Both three-year-olds, so brave: "How well I quickened I was surprised how quickly one got to me as he did. It was a ding-dong battle and luckily we got our head down on the line."
Additional from Craig Williams:
"It is our greatest Australian weight-for-age race that we have and the performance of this three-year-old was excellent, very game in defeat. Contact was made but the winner that we had grounds to hopefully overturn the positions in the stewards room but we weren't so fortunate. That's racing and we move on.
"He is a serious racehorse and for a three-year-old to go so close, he's a real Australian star in the making. Looking forward to his future starts and unfortunately we ran second today."
Beaten jockeys:
Daniel Moor - Dalasan: "I think the 2000 metres might be drawn out when they run that brutal tempo."
Luke Nolen - Callsign Mav: "Even run."
Hugh Bowman - Mo'unga: "Very game effort. Fantastic race. Just came up a bit short today."
Damian Lane - Verry Elleegant: "Super run. Thought I was the winner down the side but to the first two's credit they gave a kick and it was a margin that I couldn't pull back."
Brett Prebble - Probabeel: "Ran super. It's not her preferred footing but gave me an awesome feel and as soon as I went for another gear she couldn't go in it."
Craig Williams - Anamoe: "Went fantastic. Flowed along nicely. I'm glad I changed my mind and went on the inside instead of the outside. Unfortunately we didn't won on the track and I was hoping we would in the stewards room."
Dean Yendall - Captivant: "Just didn't like the wet. Just never went.
