W.S. Cox Plate Legend - Strawberry Road

A crack field of 13 runners lined up for the running on the 1983 Cox Plate. Billed as the clash of the Sydney siders, expectations were hight; with the impressive 3YO Sir Dapper who was taking all before him early in the spring, coming to Melbourne running second in the Caulfield Guineas and starting a 7/2 equal favourite with the darling of Sydney racing Emancipation.

She had won four in a row including the George Main before coming to Melbourne and running 4th in the Caulfield Stakes and being primed for the Cox Plate. While Strawberry Road certainly wasn’t the forgotten horse of the Cox Plate field starting at 11/2, his 6th place in the lead up run in the Caulfield Stakes behind Emancipation, many thought he would struggle to turn the tables. His form in his 3YO season was nothing short of sensational being crowned Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year 1982-83, winning the Hobartville, Rosehill Guineas, AJC Derby and then a Queensland Derby in the winter. 

From the time the horses jumped, it was a roughhouse affair. Race caller Bill Collins even commented how much interference there was going out of the straight for the first time. As they went down the hill, the speed was unusually slow with Strawberry Road and Sir Dapper who jumped to the front early were overtaken by horses out wide looking for cover. Emancipation who had drawn barrier 1 was like a pinball as the interference continued through the field to the 1600m marker. As they settled down Strawberry Road’s jockey, Mick Dittman found the box seat and Sir Dapper sat off midfield with cover. After all the interference, Emancipation was at the tail and never appeared to travel comfortably. At the 600m mark, the frontrunners were tiring, and Dittman angled Strawberry Road off the fence. Sir Dapper, forced wide, and Emancipation was not in the race. As they cornered, Dittman had clear space and aided by a cushy run, he exploded on the turn to career away and won by four lengths.

When returning in the autumn of 2014 the champ failed to return to his best, purchased by Ray Stehr and John Singleton who exported him to France. Now trained by John Nicholls, Strawberry Road won the Grosser Preis Von Baden in Germany and then fifth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France and fourth and fifth in Washington D.C International Stakes and Breeders Cup Turf. He finally closed the year out with a seventh in the Japan Cup ridden by legendary English jockey Lester Piggot.

Strawberry Road was to become the trailblazer to compete on the international stage for Australian racehorses, to see the best Australian horses compete on the global stage was amazing and a great endorsement for the Moonee Valley Racing Club’s great race, the W.S Cox Plate “The Race Where Legends Are Made”.