3 minute read

Sir Dragonet leads home trifecta for European breds in Cox Plate

A bridesmaid in his four of his last starts in Europe, Sir Dragonet (4 c ex Sparrow by Oasis Dream) finally got his head in front when it really mattered, when he landed a European-bred dominated edition of the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday and in so doing became the sixth elite-level winner for the former Coolmore shuttler Camelot (Montjeu). 

Having his first start for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, the colt - under Glen Boss - raced in midfield for most of the contest, with his stablemate Grandslam (Myboycharlie) setting a decent gallop at the front of affairs. 

As the field came round the bend, pre-race favourite Russian Camelot (Camelot) glided to the front, but the Aidan O'Brien-trained Armory (Galileo) and Sir Dragonet had him in their sights and went off in pursuit of the Danny O’Brien-trained colt. 

Armory was the first to hit the front, but Boss was coaxing more and more out of Sir Dragonet to storm to the front and gallop to a length and a quarter victory over the Aidan O’Brien colt. Russian Camelot ran a brave race to finish another three-quarters of a length away in third. 

Formerly trained by O’Brien, Sir Dragonet had not saluted the judge since his ultra impressive victory in the Chester Vase (Gr 3, 1m4.5f) in 2019 and since that victory has failed to live up to the lofty expectations that surrounded him following his eight length romp in the Group 3. 

This season in Europe Sir Dragonet has run well without winning a race, recording second place finishes in the Devoy Stakes (Listed, 1m2f), Wolferton Stakes (Listed, 1m2f), Alleged Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) and he was last seen running second to his star former stablemate Magical (Galileo) in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Gr 1, 1m2f) at the Curragh on July 26. 

The colt was then privately purchased by prolific Australian owner Ozzie Kheir and sent into training with Maher and Eustace, who were winning the Moonee Valley feature for the first time. 

"This is something else," an emotional Maher said. "The Cox Plate is the race you dream to just have a runner in let alone win it. Just having a horse good enough to run in the race. It's unbelievable. I can't thank (owners) Ozzie (Kheir) and Phil (Mehrten) and John O'Neill and all of the rest of the owners, Brae (Sokolski), I've probably missed a few.

"One, giving us the opportunity to train a horse of this calibre. You don't see that sort of form in this part of the world that much and I can't thank them enough.

"Also Dave's brother Harry and his father James. They looked after him at Newmarket.

"There's no bigger big race jockey than Bossy. We made the right call there with the right jockey and he got the job done.

"It's a Cox Plate. It hasn't sunk in. You grow up watching these races and to knock one off is pretty special."

Maher was also effusive in his praise for his training partner: "Dave, he's great. Dave is a very hard worker. He's a young bloke. We gel well together but the whole team. It's a big operation.”

Meanwhile, Boss was winning the race for the fourth time, having previously won on Makybe Diva (Desert King) in 2005, So You Think (High Chaparral) in 2009 and Ocean Park (Thorn Park) in 2012 and gave the horse a good chance in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) in ten days’ time. 

"As a young boy I used to watch a [video] of Kingston Town and Manikato and I wore that out, so the Cox Plate was ingrained into my psyche as a young boy," Boss said.

"It's a special race and I just couldn't have scripted the run any better. He just gave me a lovely ride. I was twitching my fingers throughout the race and he was there for me. I thought 'This is nearly going to be winning this'. He was up for the task.

"I only thought once the rain came that this was the right horse. He's got great form and he just might go a little bit better in a Melbourne Cup, I'm telling you, because he was actually getting warmed up towards the line. He was actually getting quicker towards the post.

"The way he gave me a feel today, he might be running in a Melbourne Cup and running very well in one."

Sir Dragonet is bred in the purple and hails from one of the most influential families in the European stud book, being one of two winners out of winning Group 3-placed Oasis Dream (Green Desert) mare Sparrow. 

Sparrow herself is a daughter of Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed All Too Beautiful (Sadler’s Wells), making her a half-sister to Listed winner Victory Song (Dansili) and Cheshire Oaks (Listed, 1m3f) winner Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo), who also finished second in the Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) and she produced this year’s Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes (Listed, 1m) winner So Wonderful (War Front). 

All Too Beautiful is out of Urban Sea (Miswaki), who won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) in 1993, but is now widely regarded as one of the most influential broodmares of the 21st century, and is best known for being the dam of breed-shaping sire Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) and multiple Group 1 and top-class sire Sea The Stars (Cape Cross). 

She also produced Grade 1 winner My Typhoon (Giant’s Causeway), dual elite scorer Black Sam Bellamy (Sadler’s Wells) and Group 3 winners Urban Ocean (Bering), while her last foal was Listed winner - who was also placed second in the Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) - Born To Sea (Invincible Spirit), who now stands at Haras des Faunes in France. 

Camelot shuttled to Australia for one season in 2014 and he now resides at the Irish base where his fee in 2020 was set at €40,000.