Japan’s dominance of Victoria’s Spring Racing Carnival continued after Lys Gracieux delivered victory in the A$5 million Gr1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate run over 2040m at Moonee Valley Racecourse for the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’.
The five-year-old mare, a Japanese-bred daughter of Heart’s Cry trained by Yoshito Yahagi, started the 6/4 favourite for Australia’s weight-for-age championship, and duly justified the cramped odds by surging past long-time leader Magic Wand (8/1) and Australian three-year-old Castelvecchio (15/2) in the home straight.
Magic Wand held on for fourth place for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore, with New Zealand galloper Te Akau Shark (16/1) motoring home to take third behind Castelvecchio.
Lys Gracieux’s win proved a lucrative one for her owners, U Carrot Farm, who collected a £1.06 million bonus by adding the Cox Plate to her victory in the Gr1 Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) in her homeland in June.
The bonus swelled the winner’s cheque to £2.65 million and continued a magnificent month for jockey Damian Lane, who just last Saturday piloted another Japanese raider – Mer De Glace – to victory in the $2.65 million Stella Artois Caulfield Cup .
Lane’s recent riding stint in Japan is bearing spectacular fruit, and he is now in contention to become the first jockey in history to claim all four of Australian racing’s major prizes in the same calendar year.
With Mer De Glace one of the leading chances in the £4.25 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m), to be run on Tuesday, 5 November, Lane is well placed to add the Flemington showpiece to the Golden Slipper, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate he has now claimed in 2019.
“This is unbelievable,” said Lane.
“To grow up as a racing fan watching this race and watching my idols win this race, to join them on the honour roll is such a privilege.
“These Japanese horses are beasts, it’s just great to be associated with them. I’ll be back on Melbourne Cup Day with Mer De Glace, so let’s hope we can do some more damage there.”
Mr Yahagi also revealed his admiration for the Cox Plate, which this year celebrated its 99th edition.
“I was here when Kingston Town won back in 1982, it’s been over 30 years but I have finally came back home,” said Yahagi, who becomes only the second international trainer – after O’Brien in 2014 – to win the Cox Plate.
“To win a Cox Plate means a lot to me, it’s probably the biggest win of my career. I want to say thanks very much to the horse, the connections, to the jockey Damian Lane and also to the Australian people. This feels like my hometown now.”
- Pic – Racing Photos
