It has been a spring of high emotion and heartbreak for Andrea Leek.
On Saturday, it was euphoria.
Leek became just the third woman to train a Cox Plate winner when Cosmic Crusader claimed the famous race at Flemington, adding to his Group 1 Turnbull Stakes triumph earlier in the spring.
But off the track, Leek has had to deal with the devastating situation involving her husband, John Leek Jnr, who has been forced to leave the family home while serving a three-year disqualification over the attempted raceday stomach-tubing of a horse.
“It’s devastating not having him here. But he’s my biggest supporter. He’s devastated. He’s not able to be here, but he’ll still be in the background and he’ll be celebrating with us tonight,” she said.
“That’s that’s been the hardest part. In one way, happy that he’s been pushed into retirement … but not being able to be on the family farm is very hard, and not being able to have him at home – being at home on my own – is very, very difficult.”
Leek said post-race she isn’t a trailblazer – just a hard worker.
History may judge her differently. On top of her Cox Plate heroics, she was the first woman to win the Grand National as a jumps jockey.
“I’m just a hard worker. I’ll be at Sale [races] tomorrow, and just keep going like I have been,” she said.
“I was the first lady to win a Grand National. And the last at this stage. It’s creating history. I enjoy it.”
Cosmic Crusader came from Western Australia to Leek’s Nar Nar Goon North property, with owner Bob Peters attracted to her unconventional training facility.
The call from Peters to send her the six-year-old gelding has now changed her life.
All the hard work comes down to this! 🥹 Andrea Leek and the team ride every moment as Cosmic Crusader wins the Cox Plate! 🏆🙌 https://t.co/ApU0eyxlBT
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 24, 2026
“It was crazy. He gave me a phone call one day. We were at the jumping races at Terang or somewhere, and he said, ‘Now I’m thinking of sending you this horse, so you are prepared,’ and you know he gave me some guidelines that I had to do, and I said ‘absolutely, I’m up for it, and here we are,” she said.
“Four months later, we’ve won a Cox Plate.”
Peters had a few guidelines he wanted Leek to follow to ensure his star could race throughout the spring.
Cosmic Crusader won the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes, finished third in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes, second in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes, won the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes and ran a brave fourth in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup before his Cox Plate heroics.
It has been a remarkable spring, some of which Leek attributes to her training methods.
“It’s really based around fitness. Everyone loves to get the horses fit, but we just do it that little bit differently,” she said.
“And I think having a jumping background, like Ciaron Maher is showing that, and Gavin Bedggood, it really helps.
“[Bob and I spoke] about the work he needed to do, not at the track, but at home.
“That’s why we’ve got them at the hills, and he’s just a big believer in working him around our farm, and he doesn’t want me to fall into the trap of taking him to the track all the time. I’ve followed that to a tee. Look what we’ve done.”
Leek said she even joked with Peters about whether Cosmic Crusader might now target a Melbourne Cup.
“I joked to Bob and said ‘well we won’t be entering for the Melbourne Cup this year, will we?’
“Maybe next year.”
