19 MOONEE VALLEY RACING CLUB 18 By Ben Caluzzi - Media & Content Executive – Racing MY W.S. Cox Plate STORY 2015. Chautauqua’s Manikato into Winx 1 It’s no wonder that racing has stuck to me like Velcro, given the first introduction I received over one unforgettable weekend. I had no connection to racing previously but going to the races was beginning to become trendy, so I did what any other eager young man would do and obliged. It’s Friday 23 October 2015. Manikato Stakes Night. A group of us hopped on the tram down Mount Alexander Road – blissfully unaware of the incredible night ahead of us. “If you’re going to have one bet tonight, back the grey in the Manikato,” dad said. Funny how my memory was hardwired to remember every racingrelated detail since day one. So, there I was like a deer in the headlights of a very busy Moonee Valley bookies ring – it felt like home right away. “Can I have $20 on Chautauqua, please?” “What number, son?” “Oh, number 2.” He knew the number of the horse, obviously. It was favourite for the Group 1, and most of the hold was on him. He was trying to teach me how to place a bet properly. Noted. $20 on at $2.50. It was quite a substantial bet given it was double my hourly wage, but away we went. What then followed was one of the biggest thrills of my life. Watching the grey flash come from an impossible position, circle the field, and win with Tommy Berry saluting high in the irons was something I’ll never forget. I would later learn the hard way that not all horses were Chautauqua, and backmarkers had a lower winning strike rate than those at the front (especially at The Valley), but that took a few years. The next day was Cox Plate Day. We didn’t attend. Tickets were three times the regular price, not to mention I didn’t even have a suit that fitted me at the time. I ducked off to the TAB after lunch, had a small wager, and went to the gym. I backed Criterion because he was the only horse in the field whose name I recognised. I then stood in disbelief in front of the cardio room TVs as Winx put five lengths on him in track record time. We may not get $4.60 about that horse ever again – I thought to myself. And the love affair began. A BIOGRAPHICAL TALE OF PASSION AND CHANCE – HOW THE REMARKABLE FEATS OF WINX MANIFESTED MY LOVE FOR RACING.
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