Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2021

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.

2021 Cox Plate Tips

Our exclusive Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2021 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.

• Best Bet: #6 Verry Elleegant ($5 at time of publish) 

Reigning Horse of the Year, a nine-time Group 1 winning mare and she’s prepared by Chris Waller who famously won this race four years running with the mighty Winx. No doubt Verry Elleegant is a champion and happy to forgive her last run and suggest she can further secure her spot in the history books with a Cox Plate victory. She has had just one previous run at The Valley when 12th two years ago behind the Japanese galloper. Things didn’t go to plan right from the jump and she has steered clear of the notoriously tight track since. But now, 12 months on from her Caulfield Cup victory, she gets another chance. Her lead-up run did not instill confidence when fourth finishing out of the money at Group 1 level for the first time in her career behind subsequent Caulfield Cup hero Incentivise. Waller remains sure she can bounce back however stating the mare to have been “in season” and the money is coming. Follow The Money. 

• The Danger: #8 State Of Rest ($11 at time of publish) 

There is just one international in the Cox Plate field this year and happy to have something on this talented raider from the Irish stables of two-time Melbourne Cup winning trainer Joseph O’Brien. Sartatoga Derby winner in the States last start at blowout odds, so no doubt has class and won’t be found at that price here. Beautifully bred being a son of Starspangledbanner and races down under as a four-year-old. Similar profile to Adelaide (2014) who was internationally-trained at the time of his Cox Plate win for O’Brien’s father. This is no doubt a tougher test for State Of Rest, but he is in with a chance and his racing style suggests the 2000m will suit. Each Way.

• Best Roughies: #5 Mo’unga ($16 at time of publish); #10 Captivant ($19 at time of publish)

Odds are firming on Mo’unga to defeat stablemate with Neasham’s second runner a dual Group 1 winner, proven at the distance, drawn ideally and ticking plenty of boxes. Beat Verry Elleegant fresh in the Group 1 Winx Stakes, second to Incentivise next-up in Flemington’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at a mile. Went back to Sydney last time out in the Epsom Handicap only 1.62L off the winner when fifth from out wide. Up to 2000m and rock hard fit? Back Don’t Sack.

As for Captivant, the price looks overs for the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained three-year-old Anamoe won the Caulfield Guineas and is $4 for the Cox Plate. This colt ran a half-length second and is close to $20? Obviously he needs to produce a career best and a win is not likely. But the 2000m shouldn’t be a problem and if he stays out of trouble from the inside alley, he’s a chance in the exotics adding value. Exotics.

• Market Favourite: #1 Zaaki ($3 at time of publish) SCRATCHED

This Annabel Neasham-trained import has been the favourite for the Cox Plate since that stunning seven-length Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) win in the winter. Was excellent first and second-up saluting in both the Tramway and Underwood before things came undone when third as the beaten favourite to Probabeel in the Might And Power Stakes. Can he atone? History says he can with the bounce-back rate of favourites coming off a lead-up loss solid. Barrier six (into five) is ideal and with just nine remaining it’s an open race. C. Williams had trouble with the horse keen last time out and the ride has been highly criticised. The job now turns to James McDonald. Does he restrain him or let the horse roll with a lack of tempo on paper? This is the big time and while the horse has class, the jury is still out. Runs Fourth. 

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 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes 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.

2021 Cox Plate Acceptance Dates

• 2021 Cox Plate Nominations: Closed on August 3, 2021 – attracted 153 early entries
• 2021 Cox Plate First Acceptances: Close on September 7, 2021 – drew 79 hopefuls
• 2021 Cox Plate Second Acceptances: Close on September 21, 2021
• 2021 Cox Plate Third Acceptances: Close on October 5, 2021
• 2021 Cox Plate Final Acceptances: Close on October 19, 2021

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

2021 Cox Plate Field

The 2021 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 2021 Cox Plate final field and barrier draw has been confirmed with the favourite Zaaki to jump from barrier six looking to atone for his shock third in the Caulfield Stakes last time out.

Godolphin-raced three-year-old Caulfield Guineas winner Anamoe is the danger from the outside barrier (10), while the inside alley belongs to the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Caulfield Guineas runner-up Captivant.

Last year’s Caulfield Cup winner Verry Elleegant meanwhile jumps from barrier 9 for Chris Waller chasing her incredible 10th Group 1 success.

Scratched:

• #1 Zaaki (6) has sensationally come out of the event on race morning with the pre-race favourite found to have an elevated temperature.
• #3 Gold Trip (2) has been scratched from the Cox Plate field. The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained import failed to pass a vet check on Friday and has subsequently been ruled out of the feature leaving last year’s winning stable without a chance at back-to-back wins following their devastatingly loss of reigning champion Sir Dragonet. 

2021 Cox Plate Third Acceptances

The Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2021 Third Acceptances are announced in early October as the final stage of acceptances before the field is confirmed the week of the race.

The 2021 Cox Plate third acceptances are taken on Tuesday October 5, 2021. 

2021 Cox Plate Second Acceptances

The make-up of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2021 Field further takes shape with the 2021 Cox Plate Second Acceptances closing in early September.

2021 Cox Plate First Acceptances

The make-up of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2021 Field further takes shape with the 2021 Cox Plate First Acceptances closing in early September.

The 2021 Cox Plate First Acceptances close on September 7, 2021.  

The Cox Plate 2021 first acceptances attracted 79 hopefuls including the talented Annabel Neasham-trained Zaaki, Chris Waller’s Caulfield Cup winning mare from last spring Verry Elleegant and the defending champion Sir Dragonet.

2021 Cox Plate Nominations

The first hint at the likely Ladbrokes Cox Plate Horses for 2021 are revealed when Racing Victoria take 2021 Cox Plate Nominations in early August, the early entries often attracting in excess of 150 hopefuls.

The 2021 Cox Plate Nominations close on August 3, 2021. 

The Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2021 nominations attracted 153 early entries including the reigning champion Sir Dragonet and Chris Waller’s eight-time Group 1 winning mare Verry Elleegant.

Cox Plate Form Guide

The Cox Plate form guide is a key reference for any smart punter wanting to place the winning bet on the race and features all the information you need to determine the chances of the horses in the field. The best form guides feature basic information like saddlecloth numbers, barriers and jockeys as well as more detailed statistics like lead-up form, win / place percentages and records at the track / distance.

The Caulfield Stakes – now known as the Ladbrokes Stakes – is one of the best lead-up races into the Cox Plate with the double most recently achieved by Winx (2016). The Caulfield Guineas is also a key lead-up race producing the likes of Shamus Award (2013) and So You Think (2009) in recent years, while the Turnbull Stakes has also produced two Cox Plate winners in the past decade with El Segundo (2007) and Makybe Diva (2005).

In 2017 and 2018 the champion mare continued to frank the Turnbull Stakes form winning that Group 1 race before her last two Cox Plate triumphs.

Cox Plate Form Facts

• Winx (2016, 2017, 2018) became the first Cox Plate winner older than four to salute since 2008 taking out the race as a 5YO in 2016, 6YO in 2017 and 7YO in 2018; Winx also won the 2015 Cox Plate as a 4YO
• No horse has finished worse than third in the lead-up to a Cox Plate win since So You Think (Caulfield Guineas 5th in 2009)
• In the past decade three horses have won multiple editions of the Cox Plate with So You Think (2009-10) and Winx (2015-18)
• Three Cox Plate champions from 2011 – 2021 saluted from a double-digit barrier most recently Lys Gracieux (11 of 14 in 2019)

2021 Cox Plate Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2021 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Ladbrokes Cox Plate Results

The Cox Plate results are known after the classic jumps as Moonee Valley Race 9 at the late October meeting each spring. As well as listing the complete Cox Plate finishing order the results show the trainer and jockey of each horse as well as the margin between each place, the weight they carried and their starting price in the betting markets.

Cox Plate Winners