There has always been an aura about Harness Racing Victoria’s second biggest open class feature for the season, the $250,000 Victoria Cup, referred to by many as the ‘Cox Plate’ of harness racing.
Field selection and barrier draws have made the race an intriguing event over the years, with champions from all over the country hoping to make the cut and compete.
This year’s race is to be held on Saturday, October 18, at Melton Entertainment Park over the middle-distance trip of 2240 metres, which, as usual, will attract an array of stars doing battle against Victoria’s best.
Let’s go back and reflect on one of the great Victoria Cups, the 2008 edition, which attracted a stellar field. The winner was the highly fancied local Bacchus Marsh hero, Melpark Major.
The victory gave Meltonian Don Smith, who bred and raced the six-year-old son of 1997 New Zealand Cup winner Iraklis from Golden Forrest, his greatest moment in the sport. The horse was trained by the late Alan Tubbs and driven by his daughter Amy, giving Don and his wife Bev a triumph to cherish after a lifetime in harness racing.
The field in barrier order lined up as follows:
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Melpark Major – Amy Tubbs
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Divisive (NSW) – Peter Rixon
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Iron Hudge (NSW) – Mark Rolfe
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I Am Sam (Queensland) – Grant Dixon
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Robin Hood – Gavin Lang
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Decorated Jasper – Jodi Quinlan
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Gotta Go Cullen (NZ) – Anthony Butt
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Mister Swinger – Geoff Webster
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Changeover (NZ) – David Butcher
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Manwarra Goforgold – Brian Gath
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Blacks A Fake (Queensland) – Natalie Rasmussen
It was a well-bunched field racing for the bell, with Melpark Major, which had been at the head of affairs from the outset after safely retaining the lead as the starter released the field, leaving I Am Sam exposed, Gotta Go Cullen following the leader, and both Mister Swinger and Decorated Jasper occupying three and four spots along the markers. Changeover had been taken back to the rear, while Robin Hood had been trapped three wide for the first half of the race until Iron Hudge moved to that position racing for the bell.
The field was tightly packed heading into the back straight, with Robin Hood moving four wide, being trailed up by Blacks A Fake and Changeover, while the rest of the field were too far back to figure in the finish.
Kicking clear on the final bend, with the race looking well in his grasp, Melpark Major, in quarters of 28.7, 30.9, 28.1 and 28.3, was untroubled to defeat Gotta Go Cullen by two metres, with Mister Swinger 2.5 metres away in third. Decorated Jasper was fourth, 12.1 metres back, three metres in advance of Changeover, which ran home late after making the home turn right off the track.
The mile rate was a record-breaking 1:55.8 (last half mile in 56.4, quarter 28.3 seconds). The gross time for the journey was 3:05.4.
As mentioned above, all this will happen again on October 18 when Victoria’s home of trotting will come alive in ’25.
