Cox Plate Race Information

The Cox Plate is regarded as Australia’s premier weight for age horse race that has featured some of the best horses to have ever raced in Australia.

  • Race Type: Group 1
  • Distance: 2040 metres
  • Conditions: Weight For Age, 3YO & upwards
  • Track: Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Prizemoney: $5,000,000
  • Date: Saturday 28 October 2023

Cox Plate Race History

See the 2023 Cox Plate Preview and results

See the 2022 Cox Plate Preview and results

See the 2021 Cox Plate Preview and results

See the 2020 Cox Plate Preview and results

The race is now one of much importance and prestige and a key event in the Victorian Spring Racing Carnival. The Cox Plate is held each year at the Moonee Valley Racecourse which is located only a few minutes away from the centre of Melbourne. The Moonee Valley Committee decided to run the weight for age race in honour of the Tracks founder, Sam Cox. Positioned between the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup and the Victoria Derby, the Cox Plate quickly became a horse race of importance.

The Cox Plate is held each year at the Moonee Valley Racecourse which is located only a few minutes away from the centre of Melbourne. The Moonee Valley Committee decided to run the weight for age race in honour of the Tracks founder, Sam Cox. Positioned between the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup and the Victoria Derby, the Cox Plate quickly became a horse race of importance.

Useful Facts

Last mare to win: Winx (2018)

Last 3YO to win: C&G – Savabeel (2004); Filly – Surround (1976)

Multiple winners: Winx (2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018)); Fields Of Omagh (2003 & 2006); Northerly (2001 & 2002); Sunline (1999 & 2000); KIngston Town (1980, 1981 & 1982); Tobin Bronze (1988 & 1967); Hydrogen (1952 & 1953); Flight (1945 & 1946); Tranquil Star (1942 & 1944); Beau Vite ( 1940 & 1941); Young Idea (1936 & 1937); Phar Lap (1930 & 1931).

Fastest time (2040m): Winx (2017) 2:02.94

Interesting trivia: Winx is the only horse to win this race 4 times.

Previous Winners of Cox Plates

As Australasia’s most prestigious race, the Cox Plate is now part of the World Series Racing Championship which is horse racing’s Grand Prix circuit. The series features thirteen races in eleven countries and the Cox Plate is the only southern hemisphere race to be included.

Year Winner Second Third
2023 Romantic Warrior Mr Brightside Alligator Blood
2022 Anamoe I’m Thunderstruck El Bodegon
2021 State Of Rest Anamoe Verry Elleegant
2020 Sir Dragonet Armory Russian Camelot
2019 Lys Gracieux Castelvecchio Te Akau Shark
2018 Winx Benbatl (GB) Humidor (NZ)
2017 Winx Humidor (NZ) Folkswood (GB)
2016 Winx Hartnell (GB) Yankee Rose
2015 Winx Criterion (NZ) Highland Reel (IRE)
2014 Adelaide (IRE) Fawkner Silent Achiever (NZ)
2013 Shamus Award Happy Trails Fiorente
2012 Ocean Park All Too Hard Pierro
2011 Pinker Pinker Jimmy Choux Rekindled Interest
2010 So You Think Zipping Whobegotyou
2009 So You Think Manhattan Rain Zipping
2008 Maldivian Zipping Samantha Miss
2007 El Segundo Wonderful World Haradasun
2006 Fields Of Omagh El Segundo Pompeii Ruler
2005 Makybe Diva Lotteria Fields Of Omagh
2004 Savabeel Fields Of Omagh Starcraft
2003 Fields Of Omagh Defier Lonhro
2002 Northerly Defier Grandera
2001 Northerly Sunline Viscount
2000 Sunline Diatribe Referral
1999 Sunline Tie The Knot Sky Heights
1998 Might And Power Northern Drake Tycoon Lil
1997 Dane Ripper Filante Vialli
1996 Saintly Filante All Our Mob
1995 Octagonal Mahogany Station Hand
1994 Solvit Rough Habit Redding
1993 The Phantom Chance Solvit Golden Sword
1992 Super Impose Kinjite Slight Chance
1991 Surfers Paradise Super Impose Sydeston
1990 Better Loosen Up Sydeston Canny Lad
1989 Almaarad Stylish Century Empire Rose
1988 Our Poetic Prince Horlicks Bonecrusher
1987 Rubiton Our Poetic Prince Fair Sir
1986 Bonecrusher Our Waverley Star The Filbert
1985 Rising Prince Roman Artist Drawn
1984 Red Anchor Street Café King Delamere
1983 Strawberry Road Kiwi Slave Mr McGinty
1982 Kingston Town Grosvenor My Axeman
1981 Kingston Town Lawman Binbinga
1980 Kingston Town Prince Ruling Our Paddy Boy
1979 Dulcify Shivaree Lawman
1978 So Called Family Of Man Karaman
1977 Family Of Man Raffindale Vice Regal
1976 Surround Unaware Better Draw
1975 Fury’s Order Kiwi Can Analight
1974 Battle Heights Taras Bulba Bellota
1973 Taj Rossi Swell Time Zambari
1972 Gunsynd All Shot Magnifique
1971 Tauto Igloo Beau Sovereign
1970 Abdul Tails Rough ’N Tumble
1969 Daryl’s Joy Ben Lomond Fileur
1968 Rajah Sahib Fileur Crewman
1967 Tobin Bronze Terrific Craftsman
1966 Tobin Bronze Winfreux Light Fingers
1965 Star Affair Winfreux Yangtze
1964 Sir Dane Contempler Nicopolis
1963 Summer Regent Tatua Sometime
1962 Aquanita Grand Print New Statesman
1961 Dhaulagiri New Statesman Sky High
1960 Tulloch Dhaulagiri Persian Lyric
1959 Noholme Grand Garry Prince Lea
1958 Yeman Stormy Passage Master Rane
1957 Redcraze Prince Darius Pandie Sun
1956 Ray Ribbon Rising Fast Caranna
1955 Kingster Caranna Sailor’s Guide
1954 Rising Fast Prince Delville Pride Of Egypt
1953 Hydrogen Prince Morvi Cromis
1952 Hydrogen Ellerslie Advocate
1951 Bronton Hydrogen Iron Duke
1950 Alister Iron Duke Bhutan
1949 Delta Comic Court Persist
1948 Carbon Copy Phoibos Beau Gem
1947 Chanak Attley Sweet Chime
1946 Leonard (Div 2) Monmouth Cotham
1946 Flight (Div 1) Star Act Magnificent
1945 Flight Don Pedro Russia
1944 Tranquil Star Lawerence Tea Cake
1943 Amana Sun Valley Precept
1942 Tranquil Star Pendect Leahero
1941 Beau Vite Tranquil Star Laureate
1940 Beau Vite Ajax Beaulivre
1939 Mosaic Gold Salute Reading
1938 Ajax Royal Chief Young Idea
1937 Young Idea Courtcraft Charles Fox
1936 Young Idea Mala Shakespeare
1935 Garrio Hall Mark Feldspar
1934 Chatham Hall Mark Rogilla
1933 Rogilla Dermid Waltzing Lily
1932 Chatham Viol d’Amour Johnnie Jason
1931 Phar Lap Chatham Johnnie Jason
1930 Phar Lap Tregilla Mollison
1929 Nightmarch Highland Mollison
1928 Highland Ramulus Fourth Hand
1927 Amounis Avant Courier Gothic
1926 Heroic Limerick Metellus
1925 Manfred The Night Patrol Pantheon
1924 The Night Patrol Whittier Demades
1923 Easingwold Whittier Purser
1922 Violoncello Easingwold Furious
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2019 Cox Plate Preview & Tips:

Track: Good   Weather: Overcast

There is a full field of 14 runners plus 4 emergencies for the $5,000,000 Ladbrokes Cox Plate, after Winx broke all records by winning the race four years in a row. The early favourite is Japanese runner Lys Gracieux who won a Group 1 race in Japan last start by 3 lengths. Second favourite is Tasmanian mare Mystic Journey who has won 11 of her 16 starts. Third favourite is three-year-old Castelvecchio who hit the lins strongly for 2nd in the Spring Champion Stakes, and carries 7 kg less here.

Avilius was an impressive winner of the George Main Stakes before 4th in the Caulfield Stakes. Magic Wand was 2nd in Group 1 races in the USA and Ireland at his last 2 starts. Cape Of Good Hope won the Caulfield Stakes at his Australian debut , Te Akau Shark was a close 2nd in the Epsom, while Verry Elleegant won the Australian Oaks in the autumn and returned to form winning the Hill Stakes last start. Other runners are over $20 including Black Heart Bart who won the Underwood Stakes then was 2nd in the Caulfield Stakes.

The following are the top 4 selections from our tipster panel for this years race.

Jo’s Tips
9 Lys Gracieux
7 Te Akau Shark
13 Verry Elleegant
1 Black Heart Bart
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