Award lands the Cox Plate Shamus Award made most of the running to claim the Sportingbet Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. Trained by Danny O'Brien and ridden by Chad Schofield, the three-year-old colt, who had been winless from five previous starts, bravely fended off all-comers to take Australia's weight-for-age championship by a slender margin. Connections of Happy Trails might, however, feel a shade aggrieved at the outcome. Dwayne Dunn's companion flew at the death and would arguably have won within a handful of more strides. The Gai Waterhouse-trained Fiorente, formerly in Newmarket with Sir Michael Stoute, was always prominent and clung on for third spot, with Foreteller a big eyecatcher in fourth. Side Glance, trained by Andrew Balding, ran a decent race in sixth, but compatriot Mull Of Killough did not pick up as might have been expected and was never really a factor. Schofield said: "It's a dream come true. "He travelled sweetly for me in front - he was tough to the line."
