2008 Cox Plate – 25 October 2008

The Group 1 Tatts Cox Plate over 2040 metres at Moonee Valley carries prizemoney of $3 million, making it the second richest race in Australia after the Melbourne Cup. It is the only southern hemisphere race that is included in the World Series Racing Championship that consists of thirteen races in eleven different countries, and it is my favourite race of the year.

It is a standard weight-for-age race that was first run in 1922 and the list of winners is a list of champions. The list of placegetters contains some mighty fine horses too.

This year twelve runners will face the starter. They range in age from the three-year-old filly Samantha Miss to the seven-year-old gelding Zipping who has ran fourth twice in the Melbourne Cup, but has yet to win a Group 1 race. Six of the field are geldings, with two stallions, three mares and the filly.

The prices on offer suggest that it might be a year for the girls, with the early market having Princess Coup and Samantha Miss as equal favourites at $3.60. Princess Coup landed in Melbourne on Wednesday night after a final gallop at New Zealands Matamata course on Wednesday morning. She has won over $2.85 million in prizemoney and her last two starts were both Group 1 wins in New Zealand, the latest over the 2040 metre distance. She likes to get back in her races, so barrier 9 won’t worry her, but she has never raced at Moonee Valley before.

Samantha Miss has won six of her nine starts, including all four legs of the Princess Series of Sydney’s spring carnival. She has beaten the colts in the Champagne Stakes, but hasn’t won in open company. This will be her biggest test, but there is no doubt that she is brilliant. Glen Boss is working hard to lose weight so that he can ride her at the featherweight of 47.5kg. Only one three-year-old filly has ever won the Cox Plate, and that was the great Surround in 1976.

Third favourite in the race at $9 is Zipping, who ran an eye-catching third in the Turnbull Stakes, and performs well at the track and distance. Following him in the market are three runners at $14 – Maldivian, Sirmione and Theseo. Maldivian has been jumping over logs to freshen him up for the race while Theseo won the Epsom with authority on October 4th.

Sirmione is trained by Bart Cummings, which is like having an extra leg at this time of year. Bart has won three Cox Plates with Taj Rossi (1973), Saintly (1996) and Dane Ripper (1997). Sirmione will be ridden by Damien Oliver, who rode Bart’s last Cox Plate winner 11 years ago.

All other runners are over $20, but don’t forget Master O’Reilly who excels at this track and distance. Whoever wins, it will be a great race.

by Jo Jackson