3 minute read
Wyong trainer Steve Farley knows all about the hype of Cox Plate day at Moonee Valley.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The young trainer has attended Moonee Valley's iconic day five times in the last six years and knows all about the cacophony of noise that overwhelms the course in the build up to the big race.
The difference this year is that instead of socialising as he has done in past years Farley is going to be in the thick of it with his first Cox Plate starter Sincero.
“I've been to five of the last six Cox Plates and to be on the other side of the fence is going to be a lot different to being in the grandstand,” Farley said.
“It's going to be a buzz to have a runner but I think the nerves will be okay.
“This horse, to me, has got nothing to prove. He's won two Group One races for me, so whatever he does now is a bonus and we'll handle things pretty good.”
FarleyFarley may be a Cox Plate rookie but Sincero is a serious racehorse and provides one of the best Cox Plate rags to riches stories of recent times.
The son of the recently deceased sire Umatilla cost a mere $8000 as a yearling and is raced by a syndicate of Farley's mates from the NSW central coast.
The Sincero team partied hard and long after he gave Farley his first major victory in the G1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm in June and there were more colourful celebrations after he claimed the G1 George Main Stakes at Rosehill last month.
Farley, better known as “Crusher” in local racing circles, expects blinkers to be the key to Sincero's Cox Plate chances after his plainly disappointing effort in the Caulfield Stakes at his first Melbourne start.
Sincero worked in blinkers at Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning and satisfied Farley that the gear chance will be a success after discussions with race jockey Chris O'Brien.
“Chris said he was a lot more focussed and hopefully they can do the job on Saturday,” Farley said.
““He has had a very good week. He looks sensational and I do think he has improved a lot in himself.
“He's very fit. We had his blood done last week and it came back sensational.
“We've just got to get through the next days and if we do he'll be very, very competitive.”
