The Valley’s two-day racing carnival culminates on Saturday with the $6 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate headlining the 10-race card.
With track renovations forcing a shift to Flemington next year, Moonee Valley’s famous tight turns will play host for one last time, and a fitting field of nine has accepted with Group 1 glory up for grabs.
Reigning champion Via Sistina lines up at short odds for champion trainer Chris Waller, who is searching for his sixth win, while Queensland hopeful Antino and fellow stablemate Aeliana both pose serious challenges over the 2040m trip.
Can history repeat itself? Or will we see another champion emerge?
See below for our thoughts on every runner in this year’s 2025 Ladbrokes Cox Plate in our runner-by-runner guide!
Suggested Bets
- 2 Units Via Sistina (Win)
- 1 Unit Aeliana (Each-Way)
1. Light Infantry Man (9) – Ciaron Maher
- Odds: $51.00 (at time of publish)
Ciaron Maher’s talented import made it two Group 1 wins on Australian shores when he took out the Australian Cup by two lengths at Flemington earlier in the autumn.
The French raider beat home some decent horses that day as a 9-1 chance (namely Zardozi and Atishu), but has failed to replicate that performance, finishing worse than midfield in both runs back in Sydney.
He raced across heels last time out off a wide run in the Hill Stakes, finishing 4.5 lengths off Lindermann after failing to pick up down the straight.
Third-up now, the rise to 2000m is a plus, but with a wide gate and only one run to his name at The Valley, the price tells you just about all you need to know.
2. Antino (6) – Tony Gollan
- Odds: $3.50 (at time of publish)
Plenty to like about the Queenslander as he heads back to The Valley third-up.
Tony Gollan’s seven-year-old continues to hold his own at the elite level, finishing midfield first-up in the Memsie Stakes, where he was five-wide into the bend and entitled to finish 4.4 lengths off.
He closed the gap nicely second-up in the Makybe Diva after settling closer to the speed, before making a big move two weeks ago in the Turnbull Stakes to lay down an early challenge to the original Cox Plate favourite, Sir Delius.
Like the Turnbull, there should be a strong early tempo on Saturday, which should suit Antino as he looks to settle forward early. The stable has said he’s going as well as he was earlier in the year when he won the Doomben Cup, and given some of the form we’ve seen come out of the Sunshine State recently, there’s every reason to believe this son of Redwood could finish Top 3.
3. Attrition (2) – Mitchell Freedman
- Odds: $51 (at time of publish)
This Churchill entire is looking to break a string of recent placings dating back to the So You Think Stakes here at The Valley in early September.
He was given a trial between runs before coming out and running third in the Feehan Stakes, then going on to tackle the Hill Stakes in Sydney, where he stuck on well for a distant second to Lindermann.
Wins have eluded Mitch Freeman’s galloper since he won the Hill Stakes in 2024, and although he’s drawn well with 2007 and 2012 Cox Plate winner Craig Williams steering, it’s hard to see him winning given the sheer level of class in this field.
4. Buckaroo (4) – Chris Waller
- Odds: $17 (at time of publish)
This talented six-year-old by Fastnet Rock has been well-backed in recent runs, finding the placings in the Memsie, Underwood and Might And Power Stakes leading in.
A slightly tardy start cost him a length or so in the small field of four last time; eventually laying out under pressure, where he weakened late to finish nearly 3.75 lengths off Globe.
Like others, the slow tempo has cost him of late, and it’s worth noting Waller and connections chose to bypass last week’s Caulfield Cup, likely due to the 59kg he would have carried.
He’ll be charged with the same weight on Saturday but is a much better chance at weight-for-age.
The forecast for a few showers will play into his hands if there is a little juice in the track but considering this is his first look at The Valley, Waller said it best when telling Racing.com that Buckaroo “needs to lift”.
5. Globe (7) – Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr
Odds: $15 (at time of publish)
**Update: Globe was scratched from the 2025 Ladbrokes Cox Plate due to injury (irritation in the off front fetlock)**
The last-start Might And Power Stakes winner comes in beaming with confidence after putting away Treasurethe Moment and Buckaroo by three lengths a fortnight ago at Caulfield.
To be fair, everything went his way that day in a slowly run race, and it’s unlikely he finds a similar tempo against a stacked field looking to peak on a much tighter track.
In saying that, he’s already proven himself a solid 2000m horse with a placing to his name at this track first-up in late August also on his resume.
Losing Blake Shinn might hurt his chances, but if he gets forward and runs the race on his terms, he’s still a Top 4 chance.
6. Via Sistina (5) – Chris Waller
- Odds: $2 (at time of publish)
The defending champ returns, looking to put her last two runs in the Makybe Diva and Turnbull Stakes behind her.
Waller’s mighty mare has come off third-best to the likes of Mr Brightside and Sir Delius, although most know both races weren’t really run to suit.
James McDonald sticks for Saturday’s grand final and Waller, in typical fashion, has been bullish on her chances, suggesting she’s going just as well as she was this time last year.
Her record at The Valley and her fitness get two big ticks, while Tuesday’s track work suggested she’s revved up with J-Mac having to restrain her slightly down the straight.
She might be a little short for some in the market, but eager and ready to win, she’s the one to beat.
7. Treasurethe Moment (1) – Matt Laurie
- Odds: $11 (at time of publish)
Matt Laurie’s mare has a serious point to prove on Saturday.
Her first look at weight-for-age in the Memsie to kick off her prep went according to plan, bolting in from midfield to win by 2.5 lengths over the likes of Mr Brightside and Buckaroo.
Things quickly went a little haywire over further, as the daughter of Alabama Express was rolled as an odds-on pop by Pride Of Jenni in the Feehan, and a touch disappointing two weeks later in the Might And Power.
The stable has said publicly that her prep hasn’t gone according to plan with a few health issues to overcome, and similar to Via Sistina, the leader probably got away for her in the Might And Power as Globe took over and won well.
She’s fallen well out of favour with the bookies and maybe punters, but drawn well and likely to find the box seat early, she’s a big price for a mare that has been nothing but class during her short career.
8. Aeliana (8) – Chris Waller
- Odds: $7.00 (at time of publish)
A young and improving mare who gets in with a handy weight allowance as a four-year-old under Hugh Bowman.
The daughter to Castelvecchio has missed the money only four times for 13 career starts, one of those occasions coming two weeks ago in the Turnbull where she was up around midfield early on, before giving decent chase for fifth after finding the centre of the straight at Flemington.
Chis Waller has said her coat has taken a little while to come on, but that she handled her first look at The Valley well on Tuesday during track work.
She’s still learning and maturing as she grows, but a winner of the Australian Derby earlier in the autumn, a nice patient ride would see her go close to threatening her stablemate with improvement still to come.
9. Nepotism (3) – Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes
- Odds: $26 (at time of publish)
Three-year-olds have a good record in the Cox Plate with Shamus Award and the late, great So You Think both being notable winners over the past 50 years.
Team Hawkes will be banking on that fact when they line up with Nepotism, a colt by 2021 Doncaster Mile winner Brutal, who might find this race a touch too sharp in the early stages of his career.
With only six runs under his belt, he hasn’t put his best forward in recent runs across Sydney and Melbourne, beaten 10 lengths in the Golden Rose two back at Rosehill off a wide run, with a similar story playing out two weeks ago in the Caulfield Guineas.
The 49.5kg under Zac Lloyd is the key to his chances on Saturday, but unproven past the mile, this shapes as a very stiff test.