We have had some champion trainers in the history of horse racing in this country but it’s not a stretch to suggest that we’ve never seen one as dominant as Chris Waller right now.
The nominations for the 2025 Ladbrokes Cox Plate were released this week and among the 108 horses listed, 30 of them are trained by Waller.
The legendary New Zealander of course won the race with Winx on four occasions and is shooting for back-to-back wins with his star mare Via Sistina who produced the most dominant win we have ever seen last spring.
She is the early favourite in betting, but of the 30 nominated horses, who is most likely to start and what are their chances?
All 30 Chris Waller trained Cox Plate nominated horses ranked below.
30 Geriatrix – $201
Five year old gelding who has four wins from just 16 career race starts, the last of which came in June of 2024.
More realistically a benchmark horse and won’t be making the field.
29 Fermoy – $201
One placing from three starts as a three-year-old and was well beaten in a pair of Group 3 events.
Out of the mare Fundamentalist who was a handy galloper, but I can’t see making a Cox Plate field this year!
28 Real Class – $151
Won a Group 2 over 2000m in New Zealand in January but failed to make an impact in Australia.
Has contested some high quality races without any success.
27. Crusader Voyage – $201
Beaten on debut in a maiden at Gosford and finished fifth at his only other start at Rosehill.
Out of the very successful three-time Group 1 winning mare Sea Siren, so the breeding is there.
26. Sarapo – $201
Three-year-old colt by Frankel who has only been to the races on two occasions and is without a win.
Finished second in an open two-year-old race at Gosford in May.
25. Scarlet Oak – $101
Most impressive win came in the Group 2 The Roses at Doomben in May 2024.
If she found that form, she could be competitive in some black type races.
Not the Ladbrokes Cox Plate though.
24. Gentle Giant – $201
Unraced three-year-old by Maurice out of a mare named Fenway who beat Winx in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes.
Ranked so low because he is yet to get to the racetrack, but he is a blue blood that has every right to be a successful racehorse.
23. Hidden Achievement – $101
Won an open class two-year-old race in May and wasn’t beaten far in two subsequent runs including a second in the Ladbrokes J.J Atkins.
22. Sweltering – $201
Former Bussittin and Young trained filly who enters the premiere stable in the country going into the spring.
Is still a maiden but has been runner up in five of her eight starts including the Australasian Oaks in April.
21. Movin Out – $201
2025 Mornington Guineas winner who was beaten less than two lengths in both the Australasian Oaks and Queensland Oaks.
Progressive mare with a good amount of upside.
20. Central Coast – $101
Son of Wootton Bassett out of the multiple Group 1 winning mare Sunlight and is a half-brother to Dawn Service.
Last seen winning his maiden at Canterbury in June at just his second start.
19. Providence – $151
Progressive colt who hasn’t been beaten far in all three runs to date including a fourth in the Group 1 Ladbrokes J.J Atkins in June.
18. Wootton Verni – $101
Group winning gelding in France who made his way into the care of Chris Waller.
A light autumn campaign where he finished fifth in The Coast at Gosford, beaten under two lengths.
17. Shadizi – $51
Another lightly raced, middle distance French import who has landed in the Chris Waller stable.
The five-year-old gelding has won four of his 10 career starts and will need to improve his rating to gain a start in such a high-quality race.
16. Militarize – $151
Three-time Group 1 winner as a two and three-year-old including the Champagne Stakes over 1600m.
He’s clearly not the horse he once was but he was beaten just over a length in the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap in April suggesting there may be a big race win left in him at some stage.
15. Anisette – $101
Well-travelled six-year-old mare who has won seven times from 14 career starts including the Group 1 Del Mar Oaks and American Oaks at Santa Anita.
Finished last when making her Australian racing debut in the Doncaster Mile at Randwick during the autumn but is clearly a mare with talent.
14. Wodeton – $51
Despite not winning any of the feature two-year-old races during his autumn campaign, he was far from disgraced and went within a whisker of winning the Golden Slipper.
He is a beautiful looking colt who has developed physically during his break and there will be many that will be keeping a close eye on him during the coming months.
13. Moira – $51
There was plenty of buzz around the Canadian mare when she came to Australia especially considering her record and a win in the Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Fillies & Mares race.
She wasn’t disgraced when making her Australian racing debut in the Doncaster and she’s much better suited over 2000m.
12. Autumn Glow – $26
There’s no doubt this unbeaten mare has an enormous amount of ability but I’m going to keep a lid on the hype until she wins a high-quality race.
She’s never won over further than 1400m and beating the older horses over 2040m at The Valley is still a long way off in my opinion.
11. Full Count Felicia – $26
Tried to lead all the way, which is her style, in the Breeders’ Cup Fillies & Mares where she was comfortably beaten by Moira but her record in the States before that was elite.
Via Sistina gave her windburn on her way past in the Ranvet Stakes at her only Australian start.
10. Autumn Boy – $26
There’s something about this son of The Autumn Sun that has excited the racing public.
He’s had just two race starts but the way in which he won a listed race at Eagle Farm in June suggests he’s going to be in for an exciting spring.
You can leave me out of $26 with such little data to dissect though.
9. Buckaroo – $51
His last win was in the Group 1 Underwood back in September 2024 and we know his best is good enough to compete at the highest level.
Was unplaced in three runs over the autumn and winter months but I wouldn’t be ruling him out at The Valley on Cox Plate Day just yet.
8. Angel Capital – $101
Four wins from seven starts and three of those have been at black type level.
Couldn’t have been much more impressive when winning the Group 2 Autumn Stakes in February and he’s one of the more exciting prospects heading into the spring.
7. Trinity College – $17
Won over 2012m at Royal Ascot in June before a narrow defeat at Group 1 level in Paris one start later.
Clearly performed at a high level in Europe but will he have the turn of foot that is needed in Australian racing fresh off the boat?
6. Leica Lucy – $51
Won six of her first seven starts in New Zealand including the New Zealand Oaks at $1.30.
Made her way to Australia and was beaten less than a length behind Treasurethe Moment in the Oaks to close out the campaign.
5. Lindermann – $101
He’s a beauty this horse and although he’s probably a rung below the top tier talent in the country, he gives his all at the races.
When you consider he beat Via Sistina first up during the autumn and then got to within 1.5 lengths of her in the Ranvet Stakes over 2000m, he’s every chance of making the Cox Plate field and therefore is overs at the triple figure price.
4. Fangirl – $26
Just continues to show up and compete at the highest level of racing.
The knocks on her are that she does her best racing early in her prep, is better suited to her own sex and is a better horse over a mile.
But she is just a really good race horse.
3. Lady Shenandoah – $26
I’m not sure there is a more exciting prospect heading into the spring than this now four-year-old mare.
She won all three starts during the autumn including beating the older mares in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic.
I’m unsure whether she is a genuine 2000m horse, but her class will take her a long way.
2. Aeliana – $9.00
It truly was a special autumn campaign when she was beaten by the barest of margins in the Rosehill Guineas but then came out and beat the boys two weeks later in the Derby.
And the scary thing is that she is probably better suited over 1600m-2000m with her sensational turn of foot!
1. Via Sistina – $2.50
Not even Winx won more Group 1s in a single season than this mare did in 2024/25 and although she is somewhat vulnerable early in her campaign, Waller will have her peaking for her Grand Final.
If you have any doubt she is the horse to beat in the 2025 Ladbrokes Cox Plate just take a look at what she did to the field last year again.