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Valiant Elegant Fashion's hopes dashed

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Elegant Fashion's daring journey to Cox Plate glory and international fame ended most inelegantly at Moonee Valley yesterday, with Hong Kong's star mare almost being put over the fence through interference in the home straight.

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Trainer David Hayes and jockey Gerald Mosse were downcast as they spoke after the race, with the 2003 Hong Kong Derby heroine having finished ninth of 13 runners though beaten only by four lengths.

The A$3 million, Group One Cox Plate was won by the Graeme Rogerson-trained three-year-old Savabeel (14-1), who raced three wide for the final 800 metres and maintained a length advantage to the line in defeating last year's winner Fields Of Omagh (16-1).

Australian Derby winner Starcraft, who started second favourite at 3.4-1, finished three-quarters of a length away third with Grand Armee (4-1) doing his best work at the finish to claim fourth place.

Mosse put Elegant Fashion (8-1) into a perfect position, settling in fifth place and following Chris Munce on Savabeel. But the critical decision came at the bottom turn, 800 metres from home, when Munce moved out to the three-wide position on Savabeel and Mosse chose to push up and follow Regal Roller and Miss Potential - the two non-stayers in the field.

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'Gerald said he decided to stay there and ride for luck, hoping to get a split between the two leaders, because he felt she'd need that luck to win the race,' Hayes said.

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