Racing expert Lizzie Jelfs saddles up for the Cox Plate

The Valley holds a special place in the heart of racing expert and presenter Lizzie Jelfs.

The boutique Moonee Valley course is where her love affair with Australian racing began, with Fields of Omagh first winning the Cox Plate in 2003. This year, more than two decades later, Jelfs returns to The Valley as race ambassador.

The 46-year-old, who was born in Oxford, England, and followed her life-long love for horses to the other side of the world, says it will be emotional to have racegoers back in the stands on October 22 after COVID affected the past two spring carnivals.

“It’s really special to be involved with The Valley and the Cox Plate,” she says. “It’s the race that really got me hooked on Australian racing.

“When I first came over here I worked for Lindsay Park, working with Tony McEvoy. I’d come out from England, I didn’t know a lot about racing, I just loved horses.

“I got the opportunity to ride a horse called Fields of Omagh, he had an injury so I was the lightest one and they wanted to keep the lightest person on him all the time to keep the weight off his legs.

“I’d ride this lovely horse and you grow an affection and connection when you work with a horse one-on-one for a long time. 

“He was working into this big race called the Cox Plate and that’s when I noticed everyone was talking about racing.

“I couldn’t believe how big it was in Melbourne because it’s not like that in England. It’s not on the front pages of the paper or on the news; big events are talked about but it’s not mainstream.”

With its amphitheatre style and intimate design, The Valley has been home to some of racing’s biggest moments.

“It’s unique, and everyone who visits The Valley for that particular weekend of racing, it’s one they never forget,” Jelfs explains.

“You look at the champions that have won the Cox Plate – Winx, Makybe Diva and go back years to absolute champions like Kingston Town.

“I think it’s the uniqueness of the track; Field of Omagh was a better horse at that track. It takes different types of athletes to be able to perform there.

“I feel like it’s the enthusiasts’ race, the purists’ race. It’s the race we all watch because of the great horses that have won it in years gone by and the horses that will continue to win it in the future.”

The respected analyst joined Seven’s racing coverage earlier this year and is aware of her impact on the next generation. 

“Recently at Randwick, there was a little girl with her parents and she was just looking at Emma Freedman and I doing the races,” Jelfs says.

“And I bet you she was thinking, ‘That’s so cool. How did they get there? How can I do that?’

“You can’t be what you can’t see, so I hope we show what’s possible. I’m from a non-racing family, I have followed my passion for loving horses, worked hard and that’s how I’ve ended up in this position.”

This Cox Plate could be even more memorable for Jelfs, who is connected with English trainer Annabel Neasham.

“When we talk about female trainers, Gai Waterhouse has never won a Cox Plate. Annabelle’s got potentially three runners in the race and she’s got [champion jockey] Jamie Kah on one of those horses,” she says.

“They would be the first female trainer-jockey combination and Jamie could be the first female jockey to win the Cox Plate.

“It’s a really good year to be involved.”