The Cox Plate is arguably the most exciting race on the calendar each year, and there have been some enormous performances over the years.
Winx dominated the track at Moonee Valley for many years, while other champion horses including So You Think and Sunline also won the famous race.
One man who knows all about winning Cox Plates is legendary trainer Richard Freedman, who along with his brothers were involved in two victories on the big stage.
Speaking to Sporting News ahead of the 2021 Cox Plate, Freedman recalled the joy of Super Impose winning in 1992, despite his admitted 'first choice' Naturalism suffering a nasty fall during the race.
“Naturalism going into it, at the time he would have pulled the baker’s cart and beaten Super Impose over 2000 metres at level weights," he said.
"He was our first choice and as far as I could tell, all he had to do was stay on his feet and he would have won. Of course, he didn’t stay on his feet and there was a fall in the race at about the 700m mark.
"A horse called Palace Reign, clipped heels in front and went down, Naturalism was right behind him and went straight over the top of him with nowhere to go.
"All was lost until the old superstar (Super Impose) started winding up around the outside of the field and by about half-way down the straight, I thought he was going to get into this.
"Let’s Elope was there and Better Loosen Up was there – it was one of the greatest fields you’ll ever see. Super Impose started to wind up down the outside, and I think he nutted Let’s Elope by that far.
"It was a great day – we won the Moir with Schillaci on the same day - both horses were duffers in the wet and it was the only dry race meeting of the 1992 spring."
Watch the full 1992 Cox Plate below.
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Freedman's victory with Super Impose was nothing like what occurred 13 years later, when superstar mare Makybe Diva added the Cox Plate to her growing list of accolades.
Already a two-time Melbourne Cup winner by the 2005 Cox Plate, Freedman recalled the race and Glen Boss' efforts in the saddle.
“I remember that race pretty well – she was an absolute superstar," he said.
"She was back in the field and I think Glen Boss thought he had to get into the running at the 600m mark.
"As Anthony (Freedman) said to Greg Hall one day – you need to be in the fight at the tennis courts. Greg Hall got round there and said ‘I couldn’t see any tennis courts, there were squash courts’ – but you had to be in the fight at the 600m mark.
"He had to ride her a little bit to get her into the line, and the frightening part was they were all under hard riding and then she got back on the bit.
"She was coasting on the bit in the running line, and you knew he’d just balance her up and away she went."
Watch the full 2005 Cox Plate below.
This year's promises to be a thriller, with Verry Elleegant looking for her 10th Group 1, while the favourite in the race Zaaki will need to bounce back from a disappointing last-start effort.
Freedman was reluctant to tip an outright winner, but did declare that the best horse in the race usually finds a way to win in a Cox Plate.
"The best horse usually wins it," he said.
"At that dinky little track with all those little turns and it runs uphill from the 1000m. It’s a very hard run in, people think it’s not a hard run in because it’s a short straight – but that rise does take it out of them.
"It usually finds the best horse – I don’t remember a year that the Cox Plate wasn’t won by a very good horse.
"There are no flukes in it, I don’t think – you could probably name or two, but not many."
