Cox Plate Horse Race | Winners, Results & Betting Tips
In the annuls of Australian horse racing history, the Melbourne Cup will always rule supreme as the country’s preeminent race. With that said, there is another famous race that features a history that is almost as important. This reference is directed towards the W.S. Cox Plate.
About the Cox Plate Horse Race
The inaugural Cox Plate race was run on Saturday 28 October 1922. The race was named after William Samuel (W.S.) Cox, who was the founder of the Moonee Valley Racing Club. The Moonee Valley Racing Club plays host to the Cox Plate horse race every year at the Moonee Valley Racecourse, in Melbourne, Australia.
The conditions of the race are as follows: The race is run at 2,040 meters (proximately 1 1/4 miles) on the turf with a left-handed turn. The race is designated for three-year-olds or older. Jockey weights are determined under allowance weight for age conditions with three-year-olds carry the light impost. The current purse for the race is $5,000,000AUS with 60% going to the owners of the winner. The race is typically featured towards the end of October in any given year.
It’s worth mentioning the unofficial Triple Crown of Horse Racing for older horses in Australia is comprised of the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, and The Cox Plate.
The History of the Cox Plate Race
Much like the Melbourne Cup, the Cox Plate has a very rich history. The race has been won by many of the greatest horses, jockeys, trainers, and owners in Australian racing history.
To date, the race has two truly great race champions. From 2015 to 2018 (four times), the great race mare Winx won this race on the way to becoming arguably one of the great racehorses in international horse racing history. Joining her at the top is Kingston Town won the race three times (1980 to 1982). Only one horse has been able to capture the aforementioned Triple Crown and that was Rising Fast (1954), who was considered by many to be the greatest horse to ever come from New Zealand. Other horse racing greats to win this race were Phar Lap, So You Think, Tobin Bronze, Makybe Diva, and Sunline.
Of the race’s leading connections, jockey Darby Munro won the race five times between the late 1930s and the early 1950s. The trainers’ division is led by the legendary T.J. Smith, who the race seven times with four different horses, including the great Kingston Town being one of them.
Wagering on the Cox Plate
In general, Australian horse racing fans are fanatical about their horse racing. Melbourne Cup day is actually listed as a legal holiday in the province of Victoria. The race is often referred to as “the race that stops a nation.”
The Cox Plate race has the same kind of following among horse racing fans. From the moment a Cox Plate result is posted for one year, conjecture about the next year’s race begins. This was certainly true each time the great Winx crossed the finish line.
In the months leading up to the Cox Plate in late October, land-based and online sportsbooks in Australia and many parts of Europe will start posting future book odds on possible participants. These future book options offer horseplayers an opportunity to secure really good odds on their favourite Cox Plate horses. Of course, there is a great risk that comes with future book betting. Should a horse not make it to the race, all future book bets on that horse are automatic losers.
At the famous Ladbrokes online horse racing book, the following horses are listed as the race’s current favourite to win the Cox Plate on October 24, 2020.:
- Addeybb (5 to 1)
- Almond Eye (5 to 1)
- Danon Premium (8 to 1)
- Melody Belle (10 to 1)
- Alligator Blood (11 to 1)
- Russian Camelot (12 to 1)
- Verry Elleegant (12 to 1)
In the weeks leading up to the race, racing fans will be able to get a Cox Plate tip from a wide range of tipsters and prognosticators. Sometimes the information is available for free and sometimes, the Cox Plate tip is going to come at a cost.
