Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2023

Ladbrokes Cox Plate Race Info

• Date: Saturday October 28, 2023
• Edition: 100th
• Track: Moonee Valley Racecourse
• Distance: 2040m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $5 million
• First Run: 1922

Ladbrokes Cox Plate Betting

Early Cox Plate betting opens during the winter months before the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival even kicks off and features a list of all-in prices on possible runners. While there is good value on offer in these futures markets many punters prefer to wait until a few days out when the confirmed field is released.

Upsets are not uncommon in the Cox Plate and since 2000 when Sunline (11/8F) saluted for the first of her two victories 10 other favourites have won the race, boosted by the four-peat of Winx (2015-18), and most recently the Japanese raider Lys Gracieux ($2.50 2019) followed by Anamoe ($2.40 in 2022) and Hong Kong raider Romantic Warrior ($3.60 in 2023).

Winx was the first three time defending Cox Plate winner to jump favourite in her forth attempt, which she also won for the punters making the Cox Plate history books.

In the 2021 Cox Plate results, State Of Rest ($7.50) was eventually confirmed the winner denying equal favourites Anamoe and Verry Elleegant who ran second and third at $3.60 each.

Anamoe atoned in 2022 saluting as the $2.40 Cox Plate favourite 12 months after his close defeat the year before.

Ladbrokes Cox Plate Tips

Cox Plate tips flood in during October every year and usually the pro punters and tipsters put three and four-year-olds on top of their selections as this age group won every Cox Plate from 2009 – 2015, the weight-for-age conditions suiting the younger horses.

Tipping a Cox Plate winner also involves looking at the lead-up form with gallopers coming off a top three run the best performed in this spring classic.

A key lead-up races into the Cox Plate is the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington earlier in the month with Winx (2017 and 2018) completing the Turnbull Stakes – Cox Plate double twice in recent history.

Romantic Warrior (4th in 2023) was the last Cox Plate winner to come via a lead-up run in the Turnbull Stakes.

2023 Cox Plate Tips

Our exclusive Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2023 betting tips will be detailed in full below the week of the race so stay tuned to see the horses to back and sack in your exotic Cox Plate selections this season.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL 2023 COX PLATE TIPS & BEST BETS

To Win: #1 Romantic Warrior ($4 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Fantastic edition of the Cox Plate and we’ve got one of the more open affairs in recent years, but it is hard to go past this Hong Kong-trained favourite. The Sha Tin superstar will relish the 2040m second-up with a run down under now under his belt. His record at this distance is outstanding (7:5-1-0) and includes two Queen Elizabeth II Cup victories. Was a slashing fourth fresh in the Turnbull over the distance at Flemington making up late ground behind Gold Trip. James McDonald retains the ride and a decent barrier seven draw. Plenty to like and plenty to suggest he can salute for the punters. Easing slightly adding to his appeal. Lots of hype on the triple Group 1 winner but expect him to live up to expectations here so long as he is in for the fight.

The Danger: #4 Alligator Blood ($5.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

He is slightly shorter than would like but this Waterhouse/Bott-trained galloper is going great guns and peaking at exactly the right time to prove he is right up to a Cox Plate. Back-to-back Group 1 victories over very good fields by impressive margins in the lead-up. Won the Underwood over 1800m then silenced the naysayers with his barnstorming performance over 2000m at Caulfield to salute in the Might And Power by two lengths. Tim Clark rode him to perfection there and retains the mount for the acid test. The Valley hasn’t been this horse’s preferred track but he has run well in his two previous starts here. Fifth only two lengths beaten at 20/1 behind Anamoe in last year’s race from wide out in gate 12 and fourth, again narrowly beaten, a length behind Mr Brightside in the autumn. Going the best he ever has, was first to draw with the ideal gate five start, likely to be up on speed, and with only a short straight to sustain a run he could just do it!

Each Way: #5 Gold Trip ($8.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

If Gold Trip wins this he’ll go down as one of the best, ever, and really live up to that huge purchase price. The Maher/Eustace import is on the same trajectory as last spring when he won the Melbourne Cup after a Caulfield Cup second and Cox Plate ninth. It takes a pretty great horse to run in three majors in as many weeks and he’s doing it again here. Third in the Caulfield Cup last week by the six-year-old stallion was excellent. Forgivable Cox Plate performance last year and drawn well mid-field 12 months on. Mark Zahra is going as good as the horse and Turnbull Stakes victory two back was exceptional at this distance. Blinkers on. Watch him late.

Best Roughie: #8 Fangirl ($8.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Does Waller win his fifth Cox Plate here? He famously prepared four-time hero Winx (2015-18) and is after more glory. Fangirl is a very nice mare. She is a multiple Group 1 winner and was outstanding in Sydney last start dominating the beaten favourite Mr Brightside by nearly three lengths in the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m). The five-year-old daughter of Sebring is yet to win over further than 1850m but her margin last time out suggests she’ll get the trip. Sydney has always been her go to. How will she be the left-handed way at the notoriously tight Moonee Valley circuit? These are a couple of the questions she must answer in her hunt for greatness. One of the best in Zac Purton riding is another plus and she rates well. She is no Winx but she might just be a Cox Plate winner come Saturday afternoon.

Cox Plate Field

The Cox Plate field is released on the Tuesday before the race runs on a Saturday in late October each year as part of the two meeting Cox Plate Carnival that kicks off on the Friday night with the Moonee Valley Gold Cup race night.

The race has a capacity of 14 starters plus four emergencies and is open to horses aged three years and older.

Many horses come into the race via earlier spring features including the Caulfield Stakes and Turnbull Stakes. Cox Plate nominations, which typically feature over 200 early entries, are taken in August before a number of declaration stages whittle down the line-up to the confirmed final acceptors.

Typical lead-up races into the Cox Plate field include the Group 1 Caulfield Ladbrokes Stakes, a double recently achieved by Winx (2016) and Ocean Park (2012).

An earlier lead-up into the Cox Plate field is the Group 3 JRA Cup (2040m) held at the same track and distance in late September on Moir Stakes Night.

In Sydney a new early Cox Plate lead-up race is the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) held at Randwick in mid-September in place of the George Main Stakes.

2022 Cox Plate Acceptance Dates

• 2023 Cox Plate Nominations: Closed on Tuesday August 8th, 2023 – 178 nominations taken.
• 2023 Cox Plate First Acceptances: Closed on Tuesday September 12th, 2023 – 100 first acceptances taken.
• 2023 Cox Plate Second Acceptances: Closed on Tuesday September 26th, 2023 – 55 second acceptances taken.
• 2023 Cox Plate Third Acceptances: Closed on Tuesday October 10th, 2023 – 31 third acceptances taken. 
• 2023 Cox Plate Final Acceptances: Closed on Tuesday the 24th of October, 2023 at 8:30am (AEDT) – 12 final acceptances taken. 

2023 Cox Plate Field

Champion mare Winx won the 2015 Cox Plate in record-breaking time and saluted for the punters again in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

The 2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Field of weight-for-age contenders to take each other on in one of the best races on the Australian Racing calendar will be announced and published below the week of the race.

The 2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate final field is now out with a dozen of the world’s best weight-for-age horses engaged in an open and intriguing edition of the classic including Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior, impressive Might And Power winner Alligator Blood, Irish raider Victoria Road, and reigning Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip.

2023 Cox Plate Third Acceptances

The Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2023 Third Acceptances are announced in early October as the final stage of acceptances before the field is confirmed the week of the race.

The 2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate third acceptances closed on Tuesday October 10 attracting 31 weight-for-age hopefuls including Amelia’s Jewel who is two-from-two in Melbourne this prep and Hong Kong galloper Romantic Warrior out to improve on a fourth first-up down under to Gold Trip in the Turnbull Stakes. Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip who scored the upset in the Turnbull Stakes along with the airborne Mr Brightside from the Hayes’ stable are among the other standout Cox Plate third acceptors.