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Hugh Bowman winning a group 1 race at Moonee Valley, beating Oisin Murphy in a driving finish.
Could the conclusion to Friday night’s Manikato Stakes, in which the Bowman-partnered Brave Smash just ran down the Murphy- ridden Spirit Of Valor, be a preview for the $5 million Cox Plate on Saturday afternoon?
Bowman, of course, will partner the wonder mare Winx as he bids to land her fourth Plate while Murphy is on Godolphin’s English challenger Benbatl, the horse bookmakers believe is the only serious threat to Chris Waller’s champion. It would be some sort of story if that did occur, and the crowd that will throng The Valley on Saturday will have their hearts in their mouths if Bowman is forced to swoop for the spoils as late as he did on Brave Smash.
Hugh Bowman salutes the crowd. He will return the following day to pilot Winx.Credit:AAP
But you only have to be in front on the post, and the Japanese import, now part of Darren Weir’s all-conquering Ballarat stable, got the job done where it mattered, seeing off the Aidan O’Brien-trained Spirit Of Valor.
Kementari, the Godolphin challenger, was always going to struggle from barrier 12 in a 14-horse field on a night when the inside fence was the place to be and leaders had the run of the race. So the James Cummings-trained entire did really well to run home fastest of all in the short Valley straight to take fourth place ahead of the David Hayes-trained Spright.
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