Cosmic Crusader may have clinched the Cox Plate, but Birdman has now earned championship honours following his triumph over his consistent spring rival at Flemington on Saturday.
The placings from the Cox Plate were reversed in the $3 million Champions Stakes, with the Chris Waller-trained Birdman securing second place for Cosmic Crusader in the 2000-metre Group 1 contest.
It was their third Group 1 quinella of the spring campaign, having also finished one-two in the Underwood Stakes, which Birdman claimed. Waller admitted to having fleeting thoughts of a Cox Plate repeat but was ultimately thrilled with his horse’s performance.
“He hit the 200-metre mark with purpose and he was running down some good horses,” Waller remarked. “I could see Cosmic Crusader on Aeliana’s back and I thought, ‘oh no, here we go again’, but he just really launched and he said ‘I’m here’. It was good to see.”
The son of Free Eagle notched his third Group 1 win of the year, adding to his earlier victory in Brisbane’s Doomben Cup (2000m) in May. This win represented the eighth victory of his 27-start career.
The $1.8 million prize money awarded to the six-year-old gelding, who is co-owned by a group of Carlton footballers including current and former captains Patrick Cripps and Marc Murphy, elevated his career earnings past the $5 million mark.
“You like the buzz, that’s why you get into these games for, whether it’s footy or racing,” Cripps commented on his emotions immediately after the race. “It’s a nice feeling. He’s won three Group Ones now, so it’s pretty special.”
Ben Melham, Birdman’s regular jockey, brought the $5 chance with a strong late surge in a well-run race, with Land Legend again setting the tempo, to win by three-quarters of a length.
Cosmic Crusader, the $3.30 favourite, achieved yet another top-four finish – the eighth of his debut campaign for Andrea Leek, which also included Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) success – finishing half-a-length ahead of the third-placed Sir Delius ($5).
Melham considered the Cox Plate a race Birdman could have won and expressed pride in his horse’s strong resurgence.
“In the Cox Plate, he burst through and thought he was the winner, but he couldn’t see the horses out wide with his winkers on. I just reckon that didn’t help us all,” Melham stated. “I was happy to concede a little more start with the tail wind down the back and coming into the turn I was happy to get into the three-wide line which was getting some protection from the wind which was coming at us.
“He’s always the last horse off the bridle and he’s got a good turn of foot and a great will to win and he’s very well deserving of another Group 1 win.”
The Champions Stakes win was Melham’s first Group 1 success in a week where he also finished runner-up in the Melbourne Cup aboard Zahrann. It was the fourth Group 1 for Waller for the week, who also claimed the preceding race, the Champions Mile, with Autumn Glow.
Waller also trained a Group 1 double on Day 1, with Stormy Marco winning the Victoria Derby and Lady Shenandoah taking out the Empire Rose Stakes, contributing to his leading trainer title for the week.
Consider exploring the latest racing odds at your preferred online bookmakers.
