The 101 Guide to Saturday's Cox Plate
Trackside.co.nz • October 24th, 2024 11:03 AM
The Cox Plate is being run this Saturday at Moonee Valley and it is considered one of the most important races on the Australian calendar. It is one of the jewels of the spring racing festival.
It is a Weight-For-Age race, run over 2040 metres. The fastest (2040m) time is 2:01.5 by Better Loosen Up in 1990. The nine runners will race for over $5million of prize money.
The race is due to start at 7:10pm (NZ time) and you can see the full field here:
https://trackside.co.nz/race/2024-10-26/horse/aus/moonee_valley/9
https://trackside.co.nz/race/2024-10-26/horse/aus/moonee_valley/9
The history of the race and the origin of the name
The race is held at Moonee Valley in Melbourne, and is named after the track’s founder W.S. Cox (William Samuel Cox). He founded the course in 1883, died in 1895 and the race was named in his honour, when it was first run in 1922.
In that first running, it was English import Violoncello who greeted the judge.
It was originally run over 9 & ½ furlongs and then 10 furlongs until 1972. When Australia moved to the metric system, the race switched to 2000 metres, then to 2050 metres in 1974, and it has been 2040 metres since 1986.
New Zealand superstars over the years in the Cox Plate
Alongside, the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup, the Cox Plate is part of the triple crown.
Only one horse has ever won this treble, and it was one of New Zealand’s greatest ever horses Rising Fast that completed the feat - seventy years ago in 1954.
New Zealand horses that have won the Cox Plate twice include Phar Lap (1930-31) Beau Vite (1940-41) Sunline (1999-2000) and So You Think (2009-2010)
The Cox Plate has been won by some of New Zealand’s greatest horses – including Nightmarch (1929), Redcraze (1957), Daryl’s Joy (1969), Bonecrusher (1986), Our Poetic Prince (1988) Surfers Paradise (1991) The Phantom Chance (1993) Octagonal (1995) and Might and Power (1998)
“It’s New Zealand, New Zealand, New Zealand” – The great 1986 race
For many New Zealand racing fans, the 1986 Cox Plate is a great sporting memory. Celebrated New Zealand star Bonecrusher beat Our Waverley Star in a photo finish.
The Filbert from New Zealand was third, and the commentator joked after the race: “They might as well run some of these races over there. Save them taking the Cup back.”
Winx
You can’t talk about the Cox Plate, without considering superstar Australian horse Winx. The champion Australian horse won the Cox Plate a record four consecutive times between 2015 and 2018.
Strange but true
In 1946, the Cox Plate was run in two divisions. There were 25 acceptors for the Plate, so rather than ballot out any of the runners, it was decided to make two divisions.
Flight won the stronger division while Leonard won the second division race. This was the only time this happened.
The Cox Plate leading into the Melbourne Cup
Only five horses have won the Cox Plate and then gone on to lift the Melbourne Cup that same year.
Year | Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup Double |
|---|---|
1929 | Nightmarch |
1930 | Phar Lap |
1954 | Rising Fast |
1996 | Saintly |
2005 | Makybe Diva |
Jockey records
The record holder with five wins is Darby Munro (1933, 1937, 1939, 1941 and 1952)
4 x time winning jockeys include: Brent Thomson, Glen Boss, Hugh Bowman and Jack Purtell.
This year, New Zealand ex-pat jockey James MacDonald is going for 3 wins in a row, having won the last two editions with Anamoe in 2022 and Romantic Warrior in 2023.
In the 2024 Cox Plate, the only other jockeys who have previously won the Cox Plate are Craig Williams (who rides Mr Brightside this year) and Damian Lane (who is aboard Prognosis)
Williams rode Fields of Omagh in 2006 and Pinker Pinker in 2011 to victory while Lane won with Lys Gracieux in 2019.
Colour of the winning horse
Only one black horse has ever won the Cox Plate. This was Kingston Town, which won 3 times between 1980 and 1982.
Three greys have won in the 103 runnings, but none since Surround in 1976
Over the years, 42 bays have been successful.
Age of the winning horse
As the Cox Plate is a Weight-For-Age race, the horse’s age is important as older horses carry more weight.
The oldest (and only 9-year-old) winner was Fields of Omagh in 2006. Super Impose won as an 8-year-old in 1992.
There have been 20 x 3-year-old winners, the most recent being Shamus Award in 2013.
The most common age of the winner over the years has been 4-year-olds. (32 winners)
This year, there are: 2 x 3-year-olds, 2 x 5-year-olds, 2 x 6-year-olds and 3 x 7-year-olds
Most wins by a Trainer
Number of Wins | Trainer | Most Recent Success |
|---|---|---|
7 | Tommy Smith | Red Anchor (1984) |
6 | Jack Holt | Chanak (1947) |
5 | Bart Cummings | So You Think (2010) |
4 | Chris Waller | Winx (2018) |
This year Chris Waller, looking for his fifth Cox Plate, trains Kovalica and Via Sistina
James Cummings (who trains Broadsiding in 2024) won with Anamoe in 2022, while Ciaron Maher (who trains Pride of Jenni this year) won with Sir Dragonet in 2020, when training in combination with David Eustace.
The favourite
The favourite has won the Cox Plate in 44 out of the 103 runnings.
It is slightly more common in recent years, where the favourite has won seven of the last nine.
The favourite has placed 69 out of 103 times.
The field this year
The field have a combined 18 Group One Victories and combined total stake money of over $35 million.
The barrier draw
Photograph at the top of the Page: Mr Brightside runs down Pride of Jenni to win the VRC Makybe Diva Stakes. The two will clash in the Cox Plate this Saturday at Moonee Valley. Credit: Bruno Cannatelli
