Cox Plate Tips & Betting Advice

2019 Cox Plate

COX PLATE BETTING SELECTIONS & TIPS

Our experts will have their pre-race predictions and Cox Plate betting selections available for the Group 1 race.

Some key Cox Plate pointers are:

• Barriers 3 to 7 are the place to jump from
• Horses at double figure odds shouldn’t be disregarded
• Six-year-old horses have the best record of any age group

COX PLATE LIVE STREAM

Australia’s leading bookmakers offer you the chance to watch the Cox Plate (and all other races from Victorian tracks) free of charge.

You can watch all Moonee Valley races including the Cox Plate streamed live online at:

• Ladbrokes
• BetEasy
• Sportsbet

Become a member of any of the four bookmakers and enjoy the coverage free. To find out how to stream the Cox Plate live, click on the dedicated link.

WHERE TO BET ON THE COX PLATE

Bookmakers Ladbrokes, BetEasy, Sportsbet and Neds are the best places to bet on the Cox Plate and all Moonee Valley races. They offer some of the best odds and promotions on the big race and also stream the race live online. Or take advantage of the top 5 bookmakers below.

COX PLATE HISTORY AND GUIDE

The Cox Plate is one of the jewels of the Melbourne Spring Carnival, the Group 1 race taking place at Moonee Valley Racecourse every October.

The 2040m race is regarded as the weight-for-age championship race in Australia as it pitches three-year-olds with their more experienced counterparts during the early part of the season. That is the reason it is known as “the race where legends are made” and why it is one of the most sought-after prizes in global horse racing.

With more than $3 million on offer, it is the most for any weight-for-age race. The prize money makes it the second richest race in Australian racing behind the

Melbourne Cup

.

From more than 200 nominations each year, a full field of 14 runners (plus 4 emergencies) will contest the race. Hard luck stories are commonplace around the tight turning Moonee Valley Racecourse which prevents a bigger number of horses doing battle.

The W.S. Cox Plate, to give it its full race title, is named in honour of William Samuel Cox, the founder of the Moonee Valley Racing Club back in 1883. It was first held in 1922 when won by Tangalooma.

It is positioned as the middle leg of the big three races of the Spring Carnival with the Cox Plate coming after the

Caulfield Cup

and before the Melbourne Cup.

The winner of the Cox Plate is guaranteed a place in the field of the Melbourne Cup at Flemington courtesy of being excused from balloting system.  Read more on our Melbourne Cup predictions page.

Such is the quality of the race, it has been the breeding ground of champions on both sides of the Tasman in Australia and New Zealand. The roll of honour of the Cox Plate reads like a who’s who of horse racing. The legend Kingston Town won the race three times between 1980-1982, and remains the only horse to land the hat-trick in their career.

Only one horse in history has achieved the holy grail during the

Spring Carnival

and won the Cox Plate as well as the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same season. Rising Fast achieved the feat in 1954 and it has yet to be emulated since.

The Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup double has proven only slightly less elusive with only six horses following victory in the Moonee Valley showpiece by taking out the Melbourne Cup a matter of days late. The sextet were Nightmarch (1929), Phar Lap (1930), Rising Fast (1954), Saintly (1996), Might And Power (1998 – in what remains a course record time) and three-time Flemington winner Makybe Diva (2005). Three of those won the Cox Plate the year after triumphing in the Melbourne Cup – Phar Lap, Might and Power and Makybe Diva (2005).

The Cox Plate is one of the biggest betting heats of the entire Spring Carnival with bookmakers such as Sportsbet and Ladbrokes offering all-in markets more than six or eight months ahead of the race. The Cox Plate is also a popular betting double with the Melbourne Cup and finding both winners can leave you well on the way to the rich list.

Cox Plate Winners (Since 2000)

MOONEE VALLEY RACECOURSE TRACK DESCRIPTION

Moonee Valley is a fairly consistent track with a sand base that compacts to become firm and drainage is very good after a downpour.

The track is constructed of the StrathAyr Turf System, having a lower layer of sand and an upper rootzone layer reinforced with mesh elements.

The unique, tight turning cambered circuit favours horses that are trained on small tracks such as Mornington, while horses trained on large open tracks such as Flemington can find it a difficult track to master.

The short straight favours on pace runners although it is possible for horses to make ground from the rear, providing they make a well-timed run.

MOONEE VALLEY RACECOURSE HISTORY

In 1883, William Samuel Cox purchased a farm belonging to John F. Feehan and developed what is now known as Moonee Valley Racecourse.

Expansion of the racecourse facilities occurred in the 1960s and were funded by compensation for land acquired for the construction of the adjacent Tullamarine Freeway.

One of Australia’s biggest races take place at Moonee Valley with the track home to the Cox Plate – one of the big three Group 1s during the Spring Carnival.

Star performers head to Moonee Valley during both the Spring and Autumn Carnivals to contests the four Group 1 races staged at the track.

The Moir Stakes (1200m) and Manikato Stakes (1200m) are the only Australian Group 1 races to take place under lights.

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