A lifetime in racing builds to a Cox Plate moment like this

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

For Andrea Leek, it has been a spring of high emotion and personal hardship, but Saturday brought a moment to savour as Cosmic Crusader (NZ) (Maurice {Jpn}) delivered the biggest victory of her training career.

The gelding’s G1 Cox Plate triumph at Flemington made Leek just the third woman to train a winner of the prestigious race, adding to his G1 Turnbull Stakes success earlier in the spring. For owner-breeder Bob Peters, it was the realisation of an ambition built over more than five decades in racing, shaped by a lifetime of breeding, patience and unwavering belief in his own methods.

The result also reflected the compatibility between Peters’ approach to preparing horses and the training environment Leek has established at Nar Nar Goon North. Although her association with Cosmic Crusader has been relatively short, the relationship has quickly delivered a remarkable return.

For Peters’ grandson and racing manager, Liam Peters, the moment was about far more than a Group 1 winner. It was an opportunity to see the significance of his grandfather’s lifelong commitment written across his face.

A moment years in the making

By Sunday morning, Leek was still trying to comprehend what had happened.

“It still hasn’t sunk in, I’m still a bit speechless and I think it will take a bit of time to fully sink in but it’s very much straight back into it in the training world,” Leek said.

The routine had resumed quickly, as it inevitably does in racing, but the desire to see Cosmic Crusader was impossible to ignore.

“I wanted to sleep in this morning, but at about 5.30am this morning I was awake and I just wanted to go to the stable and see him (Cosmic Crusader), and I was glad to see he ate well and has pulled up enormous, we are very proud.”

While Leek was still absorbing the achievement, Liam was reflecting on what the victory meant to his grandfather, who has spent more than 50 years building his racing and breeding operation.

“He has been at it for 50-plus years, it’s a culmination of determination, perseverance and passion. There have been plenty of ups and downs but he has stuck at it.

“It really is his passion, and he is very much a horse man at heart.”

The emotion of the moment was particularly striking for Liam, who had never seen his grandfather quite so affected by a result.

“In the parade ring after he won, I had never seen him look that way, all those years of putting into the game and sticking to what he believed in. He was emotional.”

Peters, who affectionately refers to his grandfather as ‘the Old Boy’, decided the occasion called for something beyond their usual way of expressing affection.

“I went up to him and said I’ve never hugged you, but I’m going to. He has brought me up with the way of looking a man in the eye and giving a firm handshake, but this time it was worthy of a hug.

“He is chuffed, it’s a triumph and he deserves it, and I think he really took in the moment which was cool to see.”

“We have been privileged to have Arcadia Queen in the Cox Plate and she ran fifth and was the first mare home behind Sir Dragonet, so to win it for the first time was a huge honour for the old boy.”

A partnership built on trust

Peters’ decision to send Cosmic Crusader to Leek followed an earlier association through other horses, with a shared approach to training helping establish the relationship.

One of the first was Luvnwar (NZ) (War Decree {USA}), previously trained by Michael Grantham for Peters, who won the G3 La Trice Stakes in Perth. Leek had only two starts with the mare, finishing fourth and second in Group races in Sydney, before a tendon injury interrupted her campaign.

Despite the short association, the experience helped lay the groundwork for further opportunities.

“Initially Bob sent me over Luvnwar and said that he wanted her campaigned in Sydney and wanted her trained a certain way, and he asked me if I was willing to take her and I said absolutely.”

Another horse followed before Peters contacted Leek about Cosmic Crusader. The call itself was characteristically practical, with Peters outlining what he wanted before revealing the horse’s identity.

“He gave me a phone call one day. We were going to the races somewhere and he said, Have you got a pen and some paper? Now I’m thinking of sending you this horse, so you are prepared, and he gave me some guidelines that I had to do, and I said absolutely, I’m up for it, and here we are,” Leek said.

“He didn’t even tell me the horse’s name, but said these are the kind of races we will be targeting, and now we have a Cox Plate.”

“Bob likes that we can do a lot of work with the horses on the hills at home and he has a certain way he likes them trained. We seem to work well together and we execute together. We discuss everything, we both aren’t big talkers, so that suits. He doesn’t interfere and I just send him video updates and it’s worked out great.”

With only 13 horses in her stable, Leek has the capacity to maintain a hands-on approach. That smaller operation has suited Peters’ preference for a trainer who understands his methods and can work closely with him on individual horses.

“I only have 13 horses in the stable and I am able to train them how I like and with Bob’s we work together.”

For Liam, the fit extends beyond the training program. He is close to Leek’s son Mitchell and sees the stable as a family operation in which everyone contributes.

“It’s a great family outfit, I’m good mates with Mitchell, Andrea’s son, and everyone works together and does a great job.”

“Andrea and Bob work well together, they speak every other day, they like to have long-term plans, and they get it done.”

Fitness, patience and the right environment

Cosmic Crusader’s recent success has highlighted the value of a training approach that places considerable emphasis on aerobic fitness and work away from the racetrack.

Peters’ preference for working horses at home, particularly on the hills, aligned naturally with her approach. Rather than relying on regular track work, Leek followed the program they had discussed.

“Bob and I have spoken about the work he needed to do, not at the track, but at home.

“That’s why we’ve got them at the hills, and he’s just a big believer in working him around our farm, and he doesn’t want me to fall into the trap of taking him to the track all the time. I’ve followed that to a tee. Look what we’ve done.”

Liam Peters describes Cosmic Crusader as an athlete who thrives on the demands of racing, with his natural capacity complemented by the preparation he receives.

“He’s just a pure aerobic athlete, he loves his racing and thrives off it.”

The gelding had always shown plenty of talent, although his career has not been without interruption.

“He has been a long-term project and obviously showed so much ability early but has had some setbacks also when he had a puncture of his tendon sheath which meant he had to have some time off.”

Leek’s role has been to put Peters’ preferred principles into practice during their time together, with the results arriving quickly. The G1 Turnbull Stakes and G1 Cox Plate have provided a remarkable return from a relatively short association.

“Everyone has played their part, I don’t think there would be too many horses that win a 2-year-old maiden at Belmont in the winter that go on to win a Cox Plate,” Peters said.

The Bob Peters philosophy

For Bob Peters, the Cox Plate is the latest reward for a breeding and racing operation developed over decades, guided by a willingness to trust his judgement rather than follow prevailing commercial trends.

In the 2025/26 season, horses bred by Peters’ operation have won 11 stakes races, equal second among Australian breeders alongside Yulong Investments and trailing only Godolphin’s 30. Four of those stakes winners have carried the Peters colours, reflecting the continued success of an owner-breeder model that places the racing outcome at its centre.

His approach to breeding is based on matching mares with stallions he believes will complement them, then continuing to support successful combinations rather than constantly changing direction, as Liam Peters explained.

“He puts the mares to whichever stallion he thinks will suit them best. If the combination works and gets a nice foal or yearling or the 2-year-old starts going well, then he’ll continue to support the stallion. There’s no point changing what works.”

A history maker in her own right

While Cosmic Crusader’s success is a major milestone for Peters, it has also elevated Leek into a select group of trainers whose names are now part of Cox Plate history.

Her record of achievement extends beyond Saturday. She was the first woman to win a Grand National and remains the only woman to have done so at the time of speaking. She has also ridden a winner at Flemington, making her latest achievement another distinctive chapter in a career that has taken several different paths.

“I was the first lady to win a Grand National. And the last at this stage. It’s creating history. I enjoy it.

“I also rode a winner at Flemington, and now I have probably trained the only Cox Plate winner at Flemington.”

The occasion has particular appeal for Leek because of its place in racing history, as well as the scale of the race itself.

“I love the uniqueness of that and to win a Cox Plate anywhere is just fantastic. So it suits the history part, the win at Flemington.”

Her achievement has come during a difficult period away from racing. Her husband, John Leek Jnr, has been forced to leave the family home while serving a three-year disqualification following an attempted raceday stomach-tubing incident involving a horse.

The circumstances have added a deeply personal dimension to an already emotional spring. The Cox Plate victory has provided a significant professional high during a period of uncertainty for the family.

Despite everything, her focus remains on the horse and the work ahead. Any future plans for Cosmic Crusader will be discussed with Peters, with the immediate achievement still fresh in her mind.

“In terms of plans, we will see. I will discuss with Bob and we will make a plan, but for now I’m a Cox Plate-winning trainer and that is pretty cool.

Pride in a Western Australian success

The significance of Cosmic Crusader’s victory extends beyond the Peters family, particularly given the horse’s beginnings in Western Australia.

Liam has been struck by the response from fellow owners and trainers back home, many of whom have followed the gelding’s progress and celebrated his success on one of racing’s biggest stages.

“I have never had so many messages from fellow West Australian owners and trainers who were so happy and proud of the result, and how happy they were for the old boy.”

He believes horses travelling from Western Australia to compete in the eastern states are not always afforded the recognition their ability warrants. Cosmic Crusader’s progression from a 2-year-old maiden winner at Belmont to a Cox Plate champion has provided a powerful counterpoint.

“Sometimes the West Australian horses when they are sent over to the eastern States aren’t respected as highly or rated as high as they sometimes deserve, so it is awesome for the state. It is a proud racing state, and our best can definitely compete.”

“It’s a huge result for the whole state.”