MISS INVINCIBLE

Horse races are ranked according to an international system, with Group 1 races being the most prestigious. Several classic races link the careers of the Immortals, with the Melbourne Cup (3,200m) being probably the most well-known race although not every Cup winner is a champion and plenty of great horses could not win the Cup. The WS Cox Plate (2,040m) is run on the turning Mooney Valley track under the weight for age (WFA) scale in which horses of the same age and gender carry an equal weight.

This one race has been the making and breaking of many champions over the years. There are sprinters (1,000m to 1,400m), middle distance horses (1,600m to 2,000m) and dyed-in-the wool stayers (2,400m to 3,200m) in the list of Immortals covered in my latest book. The best of the best mixed these distances (Kingston Town won at Group level from 1,200m to 3,200m), while others were specialists at shorter trips (Black Caviar won all of her 25 starts at distances between 1,000m and 1,400m).

The welfare of the thoroughbred is paramount in today’s billion-dollar racing and breeding history, and those horses that