3. Racing farewells the GOAT Damien Oliver in his final Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival 2023 marked the final year of race riding for the greatest jockey Australia has ever seen – Damien Oliver. A dual W.S. Cox Plate winner on Dane Ripper in 1997 and famously on Northerly in 2001, it was a final occasion for everything for the GOAT this year, including his last Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival. Ollie didn’t take long to put his name up in lights again. He rode the first winner on Ladbrokes Cox Plate Eve with Celui and made it a double in Heat 3 the Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge – saluting on Frilled. The next day he received a guard of honour formed by all the jocks and rode the bolter Duais ($31) in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate, finished a slashing 4th and unlucky not to have gone closer! 2. Imperatriz becomes the first horse to complete The Valley Sprint Triple Crown Only one horse has won the three major sprints at The Valley in the same year – Manikato himself. But this year was the first time a horse had completed the feat since all three races had held Group 1 status, and it was the Kiwi terror from Te Akau, Imperatriz who achieved the remarkable feat. She won the 3 Point Motors William Reid Stakes in the Autumn, gave them windburn in the Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes, then showed her versatility when leading all the way to win the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes on Cox Plate Day! She even gave Giga Kick a start and a beating in the Mittys McEwen Stakes early in the Spring, giving her the perfect 4/4 record at The Valley! She just loves it here…
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