Two Newham horses were the proud bearers of the Australian flag at the Ladbrokes Cox Plate last month.
Riders Damian Everard and Stephen Cox partnered Frisian Zulu and Andalusian Ruby for the big moment that formed part of the presentation.
Moonee Valley Racing Club head of racing Charlotte Mills said the concept came from the giant flag brought down the straight at Ascot for the $5M Quokka in Western Australia last April.
“I contacted Perth Racing and asked if they minded if we did the same but with an Australian flag (theirs was the WA state flag). They were more than supportive,” she said.
“Steve and Damian did an amazing job with Ruby and Zulu, and the feedback was exceptional.”
Zulu is a seasoned stunt horse, starring in many commercials and even performing at the Sydney Opera House. For Ruby, it was her first big job. Both have been trained by Australian Stunt and Film Horses based in Newham.
“It was a flash day so we wanted to use flash horses,” trainer Mr Cox said.
“We feel that the Australian flag isn’t being used as much as it used to and we were happy to be a part of it. It was a good moment for us.”
