Fighter huge Cox Plate fan
If you ask UFC fighter Jack Jenkins to choose between the Melbourne Cup and The Everest, he’s choosing the latter but thinks the Cox Plate trumps both.
A rising star in the featherweight division, Jenkins is an avid Melbourne racing fan and thinks The Valley’s weight-forage championship is the pinnacle of the sport.
“I’d have to say The Everest over the Melbourne Cup,” Jenkins said.
“But if you ask me the Cox Plate versus The Everest, I’ll take the Cox Plate every day.
“It’s the best middle distance horses going against each other at weight-for-age and around The Valley just makes it even more special.
“You’re on top of it and I’ve got great memories there. I hope they keep that spirit with the redevelopment.”
While choosing The Valley as his favourite course and Cox Plate as Australia’s premier race, Jenkins admits the 2021 edition would have been entirely different had Zaaki been there.
Annabel Neasham’s star galloper had to be withdrawn from the race due to an elevated temperature.
State Of Rest and Anamoe would fight it out in a controversial finish but Jenkins thinks Zaaki would have gave them windburn.
“There’s heaps of ‘woulda, coulda shoulda’s’ in racing but the year Anamoe and State Of Rest fought it out in the Cox Plate, he would have absolutely brained them,” Jenkins said.
“Just the way he used to bury horses at the 300 (metres) at his peak, they wouldn’t have caught him. He just can’t bury them like he used to but he’s got to be one of the favourite horses of all time.”
As for when Jenkins is looking for a return to the octagon, he’s aiming to get on the UFC 300 card in April but if not, he hopes to be on a fight night just before or after.
“I’m back hopefully on April 18 on UFC 300 or a card one fight in front or behind that,” Jenkins said.