Winx to take the Cox Plate to another level – Frank Ritchie
On the eve of the 2017 Cox Plate where history could be repeated, we talk to Frank Ritchie, who knows what it takes to win the great race.
Ritchie trained Bonecrusher to Cox Plate success in 1986 in what was dubbed “The Race of the Century” where two New Zealand runners Bonecrusher and Our Waverley Star squared off at Moonee Valley.
The 1986 edition is widely considered as one of the greatest races of all time and Bonecrusher one of the toughest champions of the turf, so who better to talk to than a trainer which has lived through the excitement of winning the Cox Plate?
Ritchie, who trained out of Takanini for most of his career, now resides in Cambridge where he still trains thoroughbreds and still looks forward to watching the Cox Plate every year.
“We all get together and enjoy it,” Ritchie told Horsebetting.com.au. “We haven’t been back since the 25th anniversary if Bonecrusher winning, when Moonee Valley was good enough to fly us over to celebrate and that was marvelous.
“I’m still working so we haven’t gone back since then, but it’s still a great race to watch.”
Unlike the other feature races in Australia, Ritchie believes the Cox Plate stands out as one of the most unique thoroughbred races in the world.
“It’s a unique experience because it’s a special race, as opposed to the Melbourne Cup or the Golden Slipper,” he said. “It’s a weight-for-age race at a track like Moonee Valley over the middle distance and that makes it a special race of its own.
“That makes it more special and particularly satisfying to win.”
The Cambridge horseman knows what it takes to win a Cox Plate and he also knows just how tough a horse you need to win the $3.5 million feature. Bonecrusher was considered one of the toughest thoroughbreds in modern history and it had to call upon those qualities to stave off Our Waverley Star.
“Moonee Valley is a tricky track so you need a great horse and you need a horse to cope with that sort of thing,” Ritchie explained. “Generally something will rip along in front and that makes it a true staying test.
“They’re usually working on them at the 600m to stay in touch with the leaders. It takes a horse with real resilience to get it done.”
We asked Frank Ritchie if the Cox Plate has changed in any way since Bonecrusher’s win in 1986, with many critics saying two-time champion Winx hasn’t faced nearly the level of competition they used to in the past.
“I think it’s the same race. I don’t think it has changed at all,” Ritchie said. “When you get horses like Winx and Sunline, these are special horses and that’s just another level. They take it to another level when they step out and it’s wonderful for racing because they bring the crowds.
“I don’t think the race has changed complexion because it gets the best horses around at the time, but Winx is just on another level.”
Some of the world’s best thoroughbreds have opted to avoid taking on Winx in the 2017 Cox Plate, which hasn’t been the case in previous years. With so much money on offer around the world, Ritchie isn’t surprised the opposition levels might seem low.
“When you’re racing for $3.5 million, the entry fee is steep, so if you know your chances of beating Winx aren’t great, you take that into consideration,” he said.
“There are other options during the Melbourne spring carnival. It’s going to be too hard of a task (to beat Winx) and the options are available in other areas.”
Bonecrusher was one of many New Zealand horses to win the Cox Plate, which included a double by Sunline in 1999-2000, and Ritchie believes the Kiwis will get their chance for success again in the near future.
“We have a New Zealand trainer with Winx (Chris Waller) and she’s out of a New Zealand mare (Vegas Showgirl), even though she’s bred in Australia,” said Ritchie, who made the point that he wasn’t claiming Winx as a Kiwi horse. “Australia is extremely strong and some of the world’s biggest breeders are now in Australia.
“This is due to the prizemoney. That makes their racing extremely strong and it even has the internationals coming for the Cups when they never used to.”
Despite racing in New Zealand struggling for funding, the Australian age-group staying races are dominated by Kiwi horses, but Ritchie believes the best talent is being sold offshore.
“We still punch above our weight over here, especially in the staying races, but it has diminished greatly,” he said. “Sunline was a New Zealand-bred horse, as was Bonecrusher, and we’ll have the odd horse that is good enough to compete, but it’s much harder.
“When our horses run in the New Zealand Derby, even the horses finishing out of the placings are snapped up very quickly by Australian or overseas buyers because we’re not racing for a lot of money over here.
“If New Zealand can ever compete with Australia in regards to prizemoney, that will help our chances of winning races like the Cox Plate.”
2017 Cox Plate betting market
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