ANOTHER COUP FOR THE COX PLATE Ted Ryan

Fund. The remainder will from the CTC Victoria’s Racing Minister, Anthony Carbines, said it was a significant help and is going to make a big difference to trainers and the technology that is going to be available.

The facilities will cater for their horses and their animals at the Cranbourne Complex.

That technology includes X-Ray and ultrasound machinery, a bone scanner, and standing CT equine imaging to be housed at the everexpanding training centre.

It’s going to the largest training centre available in Victoria.

The Club in recent times has seen an influx of a number of trainers, certainly the majority of those probably occurred when Caulfield was closed down.

The Hospital will form part of a new major entrance to the Cranbourne Training Centre near the current-tie-up stalls and hopes that the construction of it, can begin as soon as possible.

Vale Rom Hughes

State of Rest later returned to Europe and won the Group One Ganay in France, and the Group One Prince of Wales at Royal Ascot.

He achieved the incredible feat of winning four Group One races in four different countries.

State of Rest is now a resident stallion at Newgate. The great Irish trainer, Aidan O’Brien, followed a similar pathway in 2014, when training the first ever international winner of the Cox Plate, Adelaide.

Adelaide finished second in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby, and won the Grade1 Secretariat Stakes in the US, before famously winning the Cox Plate, with champion jockey Ryan Moore on Adelaide.

The final field for the 2023 Group One Saratoga Derby will be drawn on August 2.

Cup hits NZ

■ The iconic Melbourne Cup Trophy has ventured across the Tasman Sea to visit Auckland and Cambridge in New Zealand, as part of the 21st Annual Lexis Melbourne Cup Tour.

New Zealand has a proud history with the Lexis Melbourne Cup with 44 New Zealand bred horses having won the iconic race.

Horses of the calibre of the mighty Rising Fast, who won the coveted event back in 1954.

Silver Knight won it for Bruce Marsh in 1971, and who will ever forget tone of the wettest Cups on record, with Van Der Hum, ridden by Bobby Skelton ploughing up the straight, on a very heavy track.

Then we had the good stayer Kiwi scoring with a young rider named Jimmy Cassidy, booting him home.

The big mare Rose won it for the “enzedders” back in 1988.

Leading New Zealand trainer, Graeme Rogerson, when in Victoria, prepared Efficient for leading owner, Lloyd Williams to in 2007.

Over the years the New Zealanders haven’t been able to produce like they did in the earlier years.

The Cup was taken by the time-honored Stud Trelawney, the home to seven Melbourne Cup winners, and Rich Hill Stud,where the Cup got up close and personal with 2009 Cup winner, Shocking.

There were several New Zealand trainers on the list with Cup week on the agenda. They included Roger James with his top filly, Prowess, as well as Ken and Bev Kelso, with the winner of the 2023 Australian Guineas at Flemington in Legarto.

Graeme Rogerson has his eyes firmly on the Melbourne Cup with his smart galloper, Sharp’N’Sharp, who is a talented horse.

Boost for racing

■ Great news for the racing industry with news that the Victorian State Government will back a new $44.6 million Equine Veterinary Clinic and Hospital to be built at the Cranbourne Racing Centre.

The Victorian Government will put up $2 million to the cost from the Victorian Racing

■ I was saddened to learn of the death of one of the best trainers to grace the turf.

Not only one of the best rrainers, he was a great man, who helped many a trainer, and plenty of others in his racing life.

He was always offering words of wisdom, whether you were a trainer, or anything to do with the Sport of Kings.

When I joined Channel 9 as a young man, Tom was always on hand to answer our questions about the equine side of things. His record as a trainer stood out at a time when there many a great trainer around, and he was up right there with the best of them.

Over the years I got to know his son Tom Junior, who raced some smart horses too, so the polish rubbed off.

Our sympathy to Tom Hughes and his family, he will be missed.

- Ted Ryan