MELBOURNE – Cosmic Crusader put an exclamation mark on a campaign that has seen him rise from Western Australian star to a bona fide member of Australia racing’s elite with a historic win in the Cox Plate at Flemington on Oct 24.

The Maurice six-year-old galloper provided trainer Andrea Leek and jockey William Pike with their maiden major wins in the first edition of the A$6 million (S$5.4 million) Group 1 showpiece run away from its traditional venue at Moonee Valley, which is undergoing a major redevelopment.

Cosmic Crusader bounced out of the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2,400m) on Oct 17 – in which he finished fourth behind the Gavin Bedggood-trained Kingswood – to run down the Chris Waller-trained pair of Birdman and Aeliana in the 2,040m event, which was run in front of 34,617 fans.

The tough gelding’s third Group 1 victory in one of Australia’s Grand Slam – the other three being the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Golden Slipper – got the better of a usually reserved Pike.

Known as “The Wizard”, Pike has dominated Western Australian racing for years, but he has now claimed the crowning moment of his decorated career with a first major Victorian spring Group 1 success that had long been missing from his glittering resume.

He could not help but mark the occasion with an uncharacteristic celebration after passing the post.

“I don’t ever dream of winning these races, because it’s always too far to reach,” said the 16-time Perth champion jockey.

“I had in my mind over the line. I’m not much of a saluter, I’m like ‘don’t salute, don’t salute’, and then the moment gets the better of you and you stand up and you salute and you carry on.

“It’s amazing, it’s infectious. (There’s a) big crowd, an iconic day – most likely the only ever Cox Plate to be run here – so it’s nice that we get to etch our name in there.”

Cosmic Crusader ($41) posted the 12th win of his 24-start career when he got home by ¾ length from Birdman (Ben Melham), who finished a head in advance of Aeliana (James McDonald).

Fourth was Sydney visitor Ceolwulf (Chad Schofield), who like Cosmic Crusader, was on the back-up after finishing second in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1,600m) a Randwick on Oct 17.

Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, pre-race favourite Sir Delius (Craig Williams) only laboured into sixth.

Leek took over training of Cosmic Crusader from Perth horseman Michael Grantham – who prepared him to win the 2025 Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1,800m) – ahead of the spring campaign.

The former successful jumps jockey has taken him from Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1,200m) success at his first Victorian start all the way back on July 25 to the Cox Plate victory in a seven-run campaign.

In between was another Flemington Group 1 win in the Turnbull Stakes (2,000m), a Group 2 success in the PB Lawrence Stakes (1,400m) and Group 1 minor placings in the Memsie Stakes (1,400m) and Underwood Stakes (1,800m), along with the Caulfield Cup effort.

Leek said she knew after the Bletchingly Stakes he was a horse who could take her towards a stage she had not dared dream she would perform on.

“He wasn’t over the distance that he needed to be at that stage, what he was doing then was extraordinary,” she said of Cosmic Crusader’s Bletchingly Stakes win.

“He’s just an iron horse and he just got better and better.

“What a champion. What a ride by Willie Pike. Thanks to the (owners) Peters (Investments) for giving him to me and trusting in me.

“I’ve said before, I feel like I’m an imposter. To step in and have a horse like this in the early stages of my career, I’m very lucky. I couldn’t be happier.” SKY RACING WORLD