By Andrew Atkinson racing correspondent fromthehorsesmouth.tips
LYS Gracieux won the £2.65 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse for the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ to maintain Japan’s dominance of Victoria’s Spring Racing Carnival.
Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, Lys Gracieux, the 6/4 favourite for Australia’s weight-for-age championship, best Magic Wand (8/1) and Australian three-year-old Castelvecchio (15/2).
Magic Wand held on for fourth place for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore.
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 Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) in her homeland in June.
The bonus swelled the winner’s earnings to £2.65 million and continued a magnificent month for jockey Damian Lane, who last Saturday piloted another Japanese raider – Mer De Glace – to victory in the $2.65 million Stella Artois Caulfield Cup.
Lane is 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 on November 5, 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,” added Lane.
Mr Yahagi also revealed his admiration for the Cox Plate, which this year celebrated its 99thedition.
“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,” he said.
Moore was satisfied with the performance of Magic Wand, who was beaten four lengths, stating: “She travelled well in a good position and she kept galloping to the line as best she could. I thought she ran well all things considered.”
Moore tasted victory earlier in the program, piloting the O’Brien-trained Hunting Horn to victory in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup – one of three internationally-trained winners.
O’Brien’s travelling foreman TJ Comerford was delighted with the performance, and connections will now decide whether or not the son of Camelot presses on to the Melbourne Cup, where he is guaranteed a run.
The other foreign raider to taste victory was Chief Ironside, who claimed the Group 2 Crystal Mile under a fine ride from Jamie Spencer.
Trainer David Menuisier was all smiles after the win, but his delight was later tempered after Danceteria came home last of the 14 runners in the Cox Plate.
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