Cox Plate

In a little over a decade, Henry Field has built Newgate into one of the leading stallion operations in Australia and a force to be reckoned with on the international thoroughbred playing field.    Foxwedge got the stallion arm of the operation up and running in 2012 and, since then, the roster has grown exponentially, with Capitalist and Extreme Choice some of the more recent additions to the farm.    In this week's Q&A, Field explained the key principals that helped him build Newgate into what it is today, discussed...

New Zealand-born, but Australian-based jockey James McDonald easily outdistanced Ryan Moore to be named the Longines World's Best Jockey for 2022. McDonald will be honoured at a ceremony during the gala dinner for the Longines Hong Kong International Races Friday, Dec. 9, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The awarding of the Longines World's Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races...

Connections of the Melbourne Cup favourite Deauville Legend (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) have bolstered their chances of winning the race that stops a nation by securing the services of local jockey Kerrin McEvoy. A three-time Melbourne Cup-winning rider, McEvoy, who has a close relationship with Deauville Legend's owner Bon Ho, will take over from regular rider Daniel Muscutt. Trainer James Ferguson has arrived in Australia early to see his former inmate and breakthrough Group 1 scorer El Bodegan (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) tackle Saturday's Cox Plate on debut for Chris...

Joseph O'Brien has revealed that State Of Rest has been retired to stud after Racing Victoria found an issue in an MRI scan that would prevent him travelling to Australia to defend his Cox Plate crown.  The four-time Group/Grade 1 hero was last seen finishing down the field in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville and the O'Brien team feel that the issue that presented itself in the MRI scan was to blame for that poor performance.  State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}--Repose {Quiet American}) shot to prominence when...

Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is being prepared for a campaign in Australia later in the year after Saeed bin Suroor's 5-year-old featured among the 169 entries for the Cox Plate which takes place on Oct. 22 at Moonee Valley. Real World has chased home Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) twice over a mile this term and was set to compete over a-mile-and-a-quarter in the Eclipse before being ruled out of the Sandown showpiece late in the day. Bin Suroor is taking his time with the six-time winner...

A deal has been struck for globetrotting star State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}--Repose by Quiet American), who added to his truly unique record of Group 1 triumphs when battling to Prix Ganay glory at ParisLongchamp on Sunday, to stand at Rathbarry Stud once his racing days are finished. Trained by Joseph O'Brien, State Of Rest won the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational S. before beating the best of the Australians in the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley last season. His reappearance win at ParisLongchamp hardened his reputation as one...

Last orders are being called for the European Flat turf season. Cheltenham and Aintree have been knocking loudly on the door but there are still some important scores to settle on the level, and in Paris, where this correspondent was fortunate enough to be billeted this weekend, the major Group 1 action was conducted in a blaze of life-affirming autumnal glory that may almost sustain us until the spring. The four Group 1 races around the world on Saturday, in England, France and Australia, went to the offspring of Irish-based...

Between them, they won two Japanese Horse of the Year titles, three additional divisional awards and four major races on foreign soil. Late Sunday evening, Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) was represented by her first foal when she produced a colt by the brilliant Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}). Trained by Yoshito Yahagi and carrying the green-and-white colours of Carrot Farm, Lys Gracieux retired to stud in 2019 after winning seven of her 22 trips to the post, four of which came at the highest level. The dark bay,...

G2 York S. winner Aspetar (Fr) (Al Kazeem {GB}) is bound for Australia's G1 Cox Plate, having had to miss the G1 Juddmonte International earlier this month. "If we can get him there, we're going to run in the Cox Plate," Charlton told Sky Sports Racing. "He has to do quarantine himself for two weeks, then they [Charlton's staff] have to go via Sydney for two weeks before the horse arrives. Currently there are no flights to Sydney, so there are a lot of hurdles to jump. He would get...

Mirage Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has been sold to race in Australia, with new connections already eyeing outings in the G1 Caulfield and G1 Melbourne Cups. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute in Britain, Mirage Dancer won four of his 16 starts and was last seen when finishing 2 1/4 lengths second in the G3 Glorious S. at Goodwood last week. The 5-year-old will join the yard of training partners Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young after he jets out of Newmarket next month. Busuttin told www.racing.com, "He's been bought for Caulfield...