Vin Cox explains decision to skip Melbourne Cup with Via Sistina for Champions Stakes

James McDonald on Via Sistina after winning the Cox Plate. Photo / Getty Images

Vin Cox has been in racing long enough to know that “afterthoughts tend not to end well on a racetrack”.

Yulong’s general manager said it was this simple philosophy that acted as a main catalyst for the decision to miss the Melbourne Cup with rampaging Cox Plate winner Via Sistina, who will instead tackle the Group 1 Champions Stakes on Saturday week.

Cox confirmed the daughter of Fastnet Rock was not subjected to the mandatory standing CT scan required for all final acceptors in the Melbourne Cup and has instead enjoyed some quiet time at Macedon Lodge.

“We would desperately love to win a Melbourne Cup and we’ve probably got the best chance we’re ever going to have,” Cox said.

“But at the end of the day, the ultimate goal wasn’t the Melbourne Cup, it was the Cox Plate.

“She peaked and peaked unbelievably highly.

“The rating tells you that because she’s now rated the number one horse in the world.

“The Melbourne Cup was then a bit of an afterthought, rather than the primary motivator and afterthoughts tend not to end well on a racetrack.

“We all had to get our feet back on the ground, take all the emotion out of it and look at it analytically.”

Cox also confirmed that a potential clash with last year’s Cox Plate hero Romantic Warrior in the G1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) in December has been ruled out.

“She hasn’t completely acclimated to Southern Hemisphere seasons,” he said.

“To take her back into the Northern Hemisphere, albeit only for a month or six weeks, potentially jeopardises the progress she’s made and we’d really like to keep her racing in Australia and racing really well.

“That was a tough call because the boss, Mr Zhang, was very keen to take her to Hong Kong.

“It would be a big face, to use a Hong Kong or Chinese expression, for him to have a very serious horse in one of their premium international races.”

- Racing.com