Racing: More Oz spoils on Shark agenda

Te Akau Shark (orange cap, rails, 7) pokes up along the inner to snatch a gallant third in Gr.1 Cox Plate behind Japanese raider Lys Gracieux (red cap) and Castelvecchio. Photo / Bruno Cannatelli

For the first time in a long time New Zealand may have the best true weight-for-age horse in Australasia.

Which gives Team Te Akau an enormous array of options with their Shark come the autumn.

Te Akau Shark raced up to his raw ability and jockey Opie Bosson gave us a little reminder of his when he clawed his way into third taking the short way home in the A$5 million Cox Plate won so emphatically by Japanese mare Lys Gracieux.

Make no mistake, the good Japanese horses are better than ours, their best ones in a different class.

But the Cox Plate result confirmed what the early spring had suggested: the post-Winx weight-for-age ranks in Australia have never been weaker at a time when the money has never been bigger.

The first five horses home in the Cox Plate were from Japan, a 3-year-old from Sydney, a New Zealand gelding, an Irish mare and Mystic Journey from Tasmania.

None of them raced against Winx but if Lys Gracieux had been around for either of the last two Cox Plates she would have made them interesting.

But the older gallopers in Australia will hold few fears for Te Akau Shark if his big frame can hold together. Sure, he isn't just going to turn up and savage them, but he would rate as good as any of them.

He will now spell and head back to Australia knowing his biggest dangers will be the overseas raiders and the 3-year-olds, the latter crop having won the Everest, Manikato and run second in the Cox Plate in the space of eight days.

So there are certain to be 3-year-olds against The Shark should his connections choose to go to the All Stars Mile at Flemington in March, although trainer Jamie Richards suggests the Queen Elizabeth at Randwick in April, a race he is far more likely to meet European or Japanese rivals in, will be the main aim.

Richards and his school of Shark supporters left The Valley beaming with pride, realising after placings in the Epsom and Cox Plate they are swimming in the deep end.

"We knew it was going to be hard, nearly impossible from the outside barrier but Opie gave him a great ride and he ran out of his skin," says Richards. "Because he does what good horses do, and puts everything into every run, he will be tired after that so we will get him home and assess our options. He has plenty."

Richards has tasted some success in Australia in his short career but is waiting for that big solo breakthrough. He may not have to wait long.

Te Akau have Melody Belle in the A$1m Empire Rose at Flemington this Saturday and he thinks she will be at her peak whereas plenty of Australia's best mares have already had a hard spring while she was jogging to wins around Hastings.

"I'd love to get a big one over here but of course we will keep coming back. I loved being part of Saturday and while there is pressure I tried to actually enjoy the experience.

"I'll enjoy it a lot more though when we win."