True champions of the turf have won the Cox Plate, including DGR purchases So You Think and Saintly who filled the #5 and #14 spots on The Herald Sun’s ’20 Best Cox Plate winners in 100 years’ list.

#5 So You Think

2009, 2010

Trainer: Bart Cummings

Maybe it was the clinical way he won this race or maybe he was secondary to the story of trainer Bart Cummings, but somehow the merit of his wins has been overlooked. The handsome galloper won his first as a three-year-old. Partnered by Glen Boss, he led throughout and bolted in by 2½ lengths. Five starts later, So You Think returned, with Steve Arnold in the saddle. He sat second behind More Joyous but took over with 600m to go and won by 1¼ lengths. There would not be a third try. He was sold to Coolmore Stud in Ireland under trainer Aidan O’Brien and won four Group 1 races overseas.

#14 Saintly

1996

Trainer: Bart Cummings

“The Horse from Heaven”, Saintly snared the Cox Plate in a three-way finish. He got the nod by a head over Filante with All Our Mob a half neck away third. Octagonal, which won in 1995, finished fifth.