“It shows they are the champion weight-for-age horse of Australia. “Growing up it was a bit like Lloyd Williams or Bart (Cummings) winning all the Melbourne Cups and Dad with this wonderful weight-for-age race. “Dad took it in his stride, he wouldn’t be gloating that isn’t the person Dad was. “I remember as a child he would come home with all the different trophies – it was so exciting – and I thought it was the norm and every trainer did that on a Saturday.” Each Cox Plate winner writes their own story and for T.J. it brings back memories of the mighty Tulloch, crowd favourite Gunsynd and the unlikely champion in Kingston Town. A young Waterhouse recalls being overseas for part of the King’s reign but was at Moonee Valley in 1982 when he deed the odds and Bill Collins to win. If Sir Delius is to claim the 2026 Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Flemington, undoubtedly the heartache of not being allowed to run in 2025 will be a part of the chapter. “It was certainly a punch in the guts there’s no other expression for it,” Waterhouse admits. “You work so hard for the goal you think you can achieve and it wasn’t to be – we had to move on – we had no other choice.” Waterhouse compares the son of Frankel to Fiorente who nished third in the 2013 W.S. Cox Plate - but thrived on the wide expanses of Flemington. Purchased a week after the 2024 Ladbrokes Cox Plate for $2.8 million, Sir Delius carries the silks of Sir Owen Glenn who had Criterion nish second to Winx in the 2015 Cox Plate. “Nobody loves it more than Sir Owen… he travels the world to watch football, cricket, volleyball, you name it, he has a real passion for sport, and he loves horse racing and gets such a kick out of it,” Waterhouse explained. “He was cheap at the end of the day because his potential was so enormous. “Rob (Waterhouse) liked him so much – so if Rob liked him, I like him… it’s a very good formula and we’ve had great success. “I feel we’ve got the real deal … he is a big strong individual, an alpha male and a tall horse with a will to win - they are the attributes you need “He has that killer instinct – he knows where the post is – I love that in horses.” And when the curtains rise for the Ladbrokes Cox Plate, Waterhouse knows better than most that the greatest performances are the ones you spend a lifetime preparing for.
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