Roots: The best five days of the spring

With the spring majors over, Betsy’s Chris Roots rates the best days from a ripping few months.

Cox Plate

For a final time, the stands that towered over Moonee Valley roared and rattled to a champion. The unique atmosphere of the Valley, where the crowd was on top of the track, will be lost with the redevelopment, but Via Sistina’s second Cox Plate will remain a memory in perpetuity. The day had the emergence of three-year-olds Napoleonic and Observer. But there was one race, the race, and really one horse, that the sell-out crowd was there for. Via Sistina had belted her rivals 12 months earlier, but this would be different. It was the best way to see out the Valley. The roar built from the school as Via loomed but didn’t put the race away. She got to Treasurethe Moment in the straight and then had to repel stablemate Buckaroo. As he surged at her the crowd picked her up and she won. It was gritty and had a bit of pantomime to it, which led to pandemonium. It’s a big pity Australian racing will never experience that Grand Final-like roar again because there was nothing like the Valley.

The Everest

For nearly a year, we had heard that the best sprinter in the world was coming to Sydney and would win the Everest. Ka Ying Rising was never going to sneak into town from Hong Kong, but the drama surrounding him in the lead-up made The Everest into a real crescendo. From the plain barrier trial to the rampant rumours that he was injured six days out from the $20 million race. But once the day came, Ka Ying Rising was in total control for the just under 70 seconds, that will defined his career. He never looked in danger, and with a couple of slaps of the whip from Zac Purton, he zoomed away from Jimmysstar. David Hayes had climbed Everest and said he would return next year, so the Aussie sprinters need to improve. Ceolwulf added a second King Charles III Stakes to his resume as he revelled in the added pressure of having Pride of Jenni in the first race over the true mile, 1609m, at Randwick since 1973. The crowd played its part with Sweet Caroline after they booed the Hong Kong visitor onto the track, but the respect he got on his victorious return showed the boos were more for show.

The Melbourne Cup

It remains racing’s window to the Australian public, and once again it delivered a fantastic story and more importantly an all-Australian winner. Half Yours completed the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double with the ultimate staying performance laced with brilliance. It features Jamie Melham, whose bravery was laid bare by the helicopter shot, which showed the narrow runs she took, while never losing momentum, to win running away. Melham competes with men every week and doesn’t get the recognition she deserves outside racing circles. The father-son combination of Tony and Calvin McEvoy bought the stayer for $305,000 and their joy was shared with the public as they watched on. Tony McEvoy’s simple clap as Half Yours charged to victory was old school, while Calvin’s response was joyous.  Half Yours might be the Melbourne Cup winner that goes on to match the best horses in the country next year, the first Cup winner to do so since Makybe Diva.

Champions Day

The VRC pivot to make Champions Day the racing highlight of their carnival once again produced wins from three of the best horses at their trip in the country. A drab Melbourne day couldn’t stop the stars of our game shining, horses, jockeys & trainers. It started with Giga Kick returning to the top of the sprinting ranks.  Clayton Douglas danced in the mounting yard as his superstar lunged late, under the urging of Mark Zahra, to pay off a decision to miss The Everest with a Champions Sprint victory. Joe Pride finally took the Ceolwulf show to Melbourne and he out-toughed Pericles in a drawn-out battle down the Flemington straight in the Champions Mile, which tested every part of what a champion is – stamina, will to win and sheer ability. But the best was saved for last as Via Sistina gave the spring a wonderful curtain call. It wasn’t the best field she has met, but it was the response of the rain drenched crowd that chanted her name as James McDonald returned that showed the engagement that is starting to return to racing.

Golden Eagle Day

The two emerging stars of Australian racing – Autumn Glow and Jimmysstar – gave a glimpse of their talent at Randwick. While the track wasn’t the perfect surface, Autumn Glow’s record remained unblemished in eight starts. It was a show of class and dominance over her generation as she became the latest to complete the Epsom-Golden Eagle. She didn’t love the conditions, but what was too impressive was that she drew away late. The Melbourne form was there through Sepals and Evaporate but Autumn Glow was a class above her rivals. Ethan Brown provided a masterclass on Jimmysstar in the Russell Balding Stakes. He positioned himself in the optimum spot, which allowed him to race away from Lady Shenandoah. Brown is ready to step up to the top echelon of the jockey ranks. This day will be looked back on next year as one of the best form references of the spring, not because of the stars but those who were behind them.