On Track - Spring 2020 Edition

7 1. KINGSTON TOWN 1982 The Sydney star won his first two Cox Plates in an almost perfunctory manner. He didn’t look comfortable at The Valley, nor in Melbourne. He couldn’t quite let down with his fantastic finishing burst as he could in Sydney as he couldn’t stretch out on his Melbourne leg. Despite this, he was still able to win the 1980 Cox Plate by five lengths and the 1981 Cox Plate by three-quarters of a length. It was his historic third win that is the most remembered. The magical commentator Bill Collins call of the 1982 Cox Plate has almost become as famous as the victory when he declared ‘Kingston Town can’t win.’ From that moment he picked up rival after rival to win, and the crowd responded with an unmatched fervour to make it a record three Cox Plate wins. There were cries in the outer grandstand of “Long Live the King” as the crowd went over the top celebrating the win. 2. MAKYBE DIVA 2005 As she’s known as the only three-time Melbourne Cup winner, it tends to over-shadow that she also won a Cox Plate as a seven-year-old mare, which was at her second last start. And what an extraordinary win it was, in a race which was a truly unique one. Jockeys were shaking their heads after the race saying they had never ridden in a race like it. It was as if the winning post had been placed before the turn as the race was on from the 800 metre mark. In an amazing race with 200 metres to go, there were eight horses across the track all making their runs with Makybe Diva six out and eight wide and travelling comfortably. Turning it into a staying test was only going to suit one horse, and in the finish, she won easily. 99 RUNNINGS, ONLY ONE W.S. COX PLATE “Kingston Town can’t win” – a three-time W.S. Cox Plate winner Maykbe Diva and Glen Boss in 2005