1990 Cox Plate - Better Loosen Up

[@owen7185]

One of the best cox plate victories in the history of the race. To sprint on top of what was already a sprint, takes an enormous amount of courage and strength. Blu dis not falter in his task and when Clarke gave him a reminder he accelerated like a fuckin Ferrari. I love this horse and I'll never forget him.

[@ansarinasir4993]

xxxxc as you 1 555inch7y56 q5/ x9 99ooos sw2w wfw eeee3 .3.

[@bgardiner3354]

Fastest time in the history of the race

[@oot007]

Same here. I've watched the races since the mid 70's and he's my favourite horse. He raced in the strongest era of Australian racing and the only one to win against the best in the world and win the world's toughest and richest race at that time in Japan.

[@angebonanno85]

I was still young when bl won the cox plate. But the history and the talk of BL. IT MADE ME LOVE Mr Brightside cause if better loosen up he was a freak

[@marknorris1381]

Thanks for posting. A great race - one of the most exciting.

[@margaretcampbell2681]

Yes it was a great race

[@stevemckellar3513]

Has always been one of my favourite horses. They have always done things better in Berrigan.

[@owen7185]

Winx would not even walk with BLU an absolute freak. He knows where he is in a race and accelerates accordingly

[@oot007]

The legendary BLU - the only australian horse to win the world's richest race and beat the best in the world.

[@owen7185]

Well said, it's the truth

[@bgardiner3354]

@@owen7185 the depth in our middle distance + horses has taken a significant dive since the 90's... and no doubt that Winx never faced anything near as good as BLU was in her career. But your comment significantly under-rates what she achieved in her own career; setting new benchmarks against just about every important record in Australian racing. BLU's win in the Japan Cup was a watershed moment in Australian racing... one that we are unlikely to ever reproduce. And he had the advantage of being able to get a solid 12F... a distance she was not really tested at. But from 7-10F she was simply on another level... as good as he was.

[@oot007]

​@@bgardiner3354 The difference between BLU and Winx is that he raced in the greatest era of Australian racing and Winx raced in one of the weakest. The first time BLU ever ran 12F was at the Japan Cup and he beat the world's best. Compare that to Winx who didn't run in the Japan Cup because her owners turned down their invitation to protect her race record as she had next to no chance of beating the world's best at 12F which is the classic distance where the world's most prestigious and richest races are run at.

[@bgardiner3354]

@@oot007 no doubt BLU raced against far superior opposition than Winx. Imagine what horses like Let's Elope, Super Impose and Vo Rogue would have done against Hartnell, Happy Clapper, Le Romain and Benbatl as good as they were. That is not in question. Better Loosen Up was beaten by Sydeston on a heavy in a Mercedes Classic prior to his win in Japan so he was tried at 12F beforehand. While he had no wet track form Winx had no equal on any going. I doubt very much that the Japan Cup would ever have seriously been on the agenda for Winx... and it had nothing to do with protecting her record. Primarily she was not a 12F horse, although I have no doubt she would have got a strong 12F on any going, anywhere. But trainers are not about trying to get their horses beat. I was disappointed Winx didn't travel, but if she did it would have been to Royal Ascot for a Queen Anne and maybe the Juddmonte where, in both editions of those races she would have met only average opposition. So it wouldn't have really proven anything. The premier distance in world racing is at 10F, not 12F. The Arc invariably turns in the highest rating of any G1 in the world... 7 of the top 12 races last year were over circa 10F... besides the Derby the premier races in the UK are at 10F (POW, Irish Champion Stakes, Juddmonte, which is 10.5F, BCC and the Eclipse). The Dubai World Cup (10F), Breeders Cup (10F)... the list goes on. I honestly believe that Winx just would have run better numbers against better opposition. BLU ran a career Timeform peak of 129 vs Winx's peak of 136. And while I dont put any credence to Timeform I agree that there was at least 4lbs between them. Factor in the distaff allowance and that's 7lbs... the exact difference. I very much doubt though that Winx could have maintained her winning record against the 90's opposition... but realistically, Kingston Town is the only one that bares comparison.

[@owen7185]

Thanks for the upload brilliant as john russel is a great caller

[@benjaminglover1570]

Was on track for 10 of his wins. Big call but at 2K he was unbeatable. Great call by John Russell RIP.

[@elgransenor1472]

That's a much faster time than Winx ran.

[@bgardiner3354]

It's a different track that BLU raced on. Winx holds the record since this track was installed.

[@owen7185]

Hi Andrew, can you please upload the 1995 Cox Plate?

[@owen7185]

On racing.com there's another caller that day, but I can't think of his name. Also a hair raising call that captured the high pressure situations perfectly

[@oot007]

Bryan Martin probably

[@StFidjnr]

​​@@oot007The man who did the 1990/91 australasian racing year alone with Bill Collins

[@oot007]

@@StFidjnr It was Bryan Martin, the same caller who called BLU's win in Japan Cup and later the Super Better Best video.

[@benjaminglover1570]

Moonee Valley had a course caller whose name escapes me. BM called for 3UZ and pretty sure John Russell RIP was calling for SKY Racing.

[@Nick-tg5wf]

didnt even ge the whip out