29 MOONEE VALLEY RACING CLUB 28 Corona? Like the beer Corona? Ha! That will never affect us. We weren’t the only ones who thought like this in early 2020, but just how wrong we were. Early on that year in March saw the second edition of the All-Star Mile held at Caulfield. Owner Bob Peters’ pair Regal Power and Superstorm ran the quinella, and that’s the earliest memory I have of crowds not being let into a sporting event. It was a late decision too, which only added to the drama. Lockdowns became the new norm, and watching the races at home was the only thing that kept us sane. So, what would the 100th running of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate be like without any crowds… any atmosphere? Russian Camelot was the new star on the scene for Danny O’Brien, but he had his colours lowered by Western Australian mare Arcadia Queen in the Caulfield Stakes – a great year for the cerise and white. Adding to that was New Zealand star Probabeel, Group 1 milers Fierce Impact and Kolding, the old boy Humidor, and rising star Mugatoo. Coupled with two impressive imports, Armory and Sir Dragonet, we looked set for the most evenly matched Cox Plate field since Adelaide’s win in 2014. I was still at The Junction Club, but getting into work had reached a complete standstill. It was going to be the first Cox Plate I couldn’t attend since Winx 3, but I couldn’t do much about it. No one could. Soon my fortunes were about to change. For their 21 August meeting, the Moonee Valley Racing Club put a call out for extra track staff. An opportunity arose to fix divots between races. Mask on, boots on, and put the loose dirt back into the ground. Sounds good. Not good. The rain came in sideways, and the divots were irreparable. The surface water was up to our ankles, and the horses came in at Melbourne Cup-like intervals. Some handled the heavy-going, but most didn’t. Roland Garros, now a jumper, was one who did. “Finally,” one of the permanent staff muttered after the meeting was abandoned post the fifth race. 2020 – Sir Dragonet Some experience as a first day out on the track. It deterred a lot of casuals, but I went again. I didn’t actually think we’d be required on Cox Plate Day; it didn’t even come into my thought process – but sure enough, October came around, and the email for volunteers was still sent our way. You mean I get to come to the Cox Plate, and I don’t have to stay home and isolate? Sign me up now! So, there you have it. I was there on Cox Plate Day along with a few co-workers who also pulled beer and punched in bets for a living, and we were just happy to be there. Well, I know I was. Hey Doc won his second Manikato the night prior in track record time. The track staff had opted not to water on the Friday with heavy rain scheduled throughout the evening. It was bordering a Firm 2, but it proved to be the right decision. The rain finally came overnight and in the morning – 25mm of it to be precise. It pushed the track into the Soft 7 range but had they watered the day before, it would’ve been a Heavy 9 or worse. The punters got it right again. Russian Camelot started clear favourite, but the late money came in spades for Sir Dragonet. $11 into $7.50 officially on the day, and he beat home Coolmore-owned Armory, the favourite in third and Mugatoo in fourth to round out an all-Irish bred first four. “Sir Dragonet takes the lead, coming clear, and joins a century of legends,” nailed by Matt Hill as usual. We couldn’t see the winning post because we were doing the back straight at the Pattison Street end. We had to settle with the delayed coverage on our phones to catch the final 200 metres. We saw Bossy salute high in the irons on racing. com, and suddenly he appeared in our vision. Overcome with emotion, a pickup ride from a suspended Hugh Bowman turned into a fourth Cox Plate. Bossy looked to the sky and shook his head in disbelief. He then gave Sir Dragonet a pat. “Yeahhh Bossy!” We all yelled as we gave our fist of support. He did it back. What a man – what a moment. Millions of eyes watching on TV, and there we were – exchanging smiles with a Cox Plate legend.
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