The 2025 Ladbrokes Cox Plate winner was Via Sistina who went back-to-back in a thrilling finish to the 105th edition of the WFA feature!
The Ladbrokes Cox Plate is considered the greatest weight-for-age race in the world, and it has been won by some of the world’s best middle-distance thoroughbreds.
Run at Moonee Valley in late October, the Cox Plate is a spectacle every racing fan and punter loves to watch. The tight-turning Valley track makes for an exciting race as the horses pull out wide around the final turn to make their winning runs.
Past Cox Plate winners are a who’s who of world-class thoroughbreds, including the mighty Winx, Sunline, and Romantic Warrior. We look at the past winners of the Cox Plate, and everything you need to know about what trainers and jockeys to follow.
2025 Cox Plate Results
The Cox Plate 2025 was a thrilling way to bring down the curtain on Moonee Valley as we know it. Via Sistina won consecutive titles when holding off stablemate Buckaroo and Treasurethe Moment.
1st: No. 6 Via Sistina
2nd: No. 4 Buckaroo
3rd: No. 7 Treasurethe Moment
4th: No.3 Attrition
Treasurethe Moment took up the running, and although it didn’t look like Via Sistina was going to fight back with Buckaroo finishing faster down the outside, the champion mare showed her winning qualities. It was James McDonald’s fourth consecutive Cox Plate win, equalling Hugh Bowman’s record.
List of Cox Plate winners by year
The Cox Plate was first run in 1922 when taken out by Violoncello. It has a long history of being one of the top-graded races in the world, and there have been some amazing champions win the Group 1 feature.
| Year | Winner | Trainer | Jockey | Time | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Via Sistina | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 2:05.03 | $2.25 |
| 2024 | Via Sistina | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 2:01.07 | $5.00 |
| 2023 | Romantic Warrior | Danny Shum | James McDonald | 2:03.16 | $3.50 |
| 2022 | Anamoe | James Cummings | James McDonald | 2:10.17 | $2.40 |
| 2021 | State of Rest | Joseph O’Brien | John Allen | 2:06.97 | $7.50 |
| 2020 | Sir Dragonet | Ciaron Maher/David Eustace | Glen Boss | 2:08.46 | $7.50 |
| 2019 | Lys Grecieux | Yoshito Yahagi | Damian Lane | 2:04.21 | $3.50 |
| 2018 | Winx | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 2:03.47 | $1.20 |
| 2017 | Winx | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 2:02.94 | $1.10 |
| 2016 | Winx | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 2:06.35 | $1.70 |
| 2015 | Winx | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 2:02.98 | $5.50 |
| 2014 | Adelaide | Aidan O’Brien | Ryan Moore | 2:03.76 | $8.00 |
| 2013 | Shamus Award | Danny O’Brien | Chad Schofield | 2:05.27 | $21.00 |
| 2012 | Ocean Park | Gary Hennessy | Glen Boss | 2:04.14 | $6.00 |
List of multiple Cox Plate winners
The Cox Plate winners’ list features many multiple winners, most recently Winx, who amazingly won four consecutive Cox Plates followed by the fellow Chris Waller trained mare Via Sistina (2024-25). Some greats of the turf have won multiple Cox Plates, including Sunline, Phar Lap, Northerly, and Kingston Town.
- Via Sistina x2 (2024-25)
- Winx x4 (2015-2018)
- Kingston Town x3 (1980-1982)
- So You Think (2009-2010)
- Fields of Omagh (2003, 2006)
- Northerly (2001-2002)
- Sunline (1999-2000)
- Tobin Bronze (1966-1967)
- Hydrogen (1952-1953)
- Flight (1945-1946)
- Tranquil Star (1942, 1944)
- Beau Vite (1940-1941)
- Young Idea (1936-1937)
- Chatham (1932, 1934)
- Phar Lap (1929 – 1930)
List of the most successful Cox Plate-winning jockeys
There are many jockeys with two or more Cox Plate wins under their belt. Topping the list is Darby Munro, who scored five Cox Plate wins between 1933 and 1952, including riding Hydrogen to his first Cox Plate win in 1952.
Recently, James McDonald and Hugh Bowman have won multiple times, with McDonald winning four consecutive Cox Plates on three different horses.
- Darby Munro x5 (1933, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1952)
- James McDonald x4 (2022-2025)
- Hugh Bowman x4 (2015-2019)
- Glen Boss x4 (2005, 2009, 2012, 2020)
- Brent Thomson x4 (1975, 1977-1979)
- Jack Purtell x4 (1950, 1951, 1954, 1956)
- Neville Sellwood x3 (1949, 1959, 1960)
List of the most successful Cox Plate-winning trainers
A few trainers have dominated the Cox Plate, including T.J. Smith, Bart Cummings, and Chris Waller. Smith scored an incredible seven Cox Plate victories, most notably scoring three consecutive wins with Kingston Town.
In 2025 trainer Chris Waller secured his sixth Cox Plate trophy to sit one off the all-time training record in the event.
- T.J. Smith x7 (1957, 1960, 1972, 1980-1982, 1984)
- Jack Holt x6 (1923, 1926, 1928, 1936-1937, 1947)
- Chris Waller x6 (2015-2019, 2024-25)
- Bart Cummings x5 (1973, 1996-1997, 2009-2010)
- Trevor & Stephen McKee x2 (1999-2000)
- Fred Kersley x2 (2001-2002)
- David Hayes x2 (1990, 2006)
- Colin Hayes x2 (1978-1979)
Famous Cox Plate Winners
It’s tough to pick a few winners from the Cox Plate list, but there are some standout performances over the course of Cox Plate history. Moonee Valley Racing Club has been the scene of some of Australian racing’s greatest ever performances, headlined by Bonecrusher’s 1986 win over fellow Kiwi raider Our Waverley Star.
Bonecrusher (1986)
We expect every horse racing fan to have watched the epic battle between New Zealand runners Bonecrusher and Our Waverley Star in the 1986 Cox Plate. Named “The Race of the Century”, the two Kiwis paired off and put up many lengths on the field as they turned for home. It looked like Our Waverley Star was going to out-finish Bonecrusher, but the champion Kiwi pulled out all the stops. Commentator Bill Collins had an amazing call, culminating with “and Bonecrusher races into equine immortality”. It’s a classic example of how tough you need to be to win a Cox Plate, and it remains the most famous edition of the race.
Winx (2018)
Records were broken by arguably the best horse to grace the Australian turf in 2018. Winx won her fourth consecutive Cox Plate, a feat never achieved. Kingston Town won three in a row, and horses like Sunline tried and failed, so to win four on the bounce is an amazing achievement. Trainer Chris Waller had her in perfect condition, as the skinny $1.20 odds suggested. She was far too strong on the day, scoring by two lengths over Benbatl. All four of her wins deserve to be on the list, but with history being created in 2018, we’ve chosen that performance.
Sunline (2000)
There were many past Cox Plate winners we could have included, but Sunline’s 2000 win was outstanding. The Kiwi mare was shooting for consecutive wins after beating a tough field in 1999, but no one expected her to win so easily in 2000. She put lengths on the field approaching the turn as jockey Greg Childs put the foot down. It was the most dominant win of the 2000s, and she became a genuine superstar with the victory. It also marked her last win in the Cox Plate, with her 2001 and 2002 bids coming up short.
Cox Plate Information
The Cox Plate is run over 2040m at Moonee Valley every October, and it’s one of the biggest Group 1 races of the spring carnival. The Cox Plate prize money consists of $6 million, with $4 million going to the Cox Plate winner. It was increased from $5 to $6 million in 2025, with Racing Victoria injecting money into its biggest races.
It’s a weight-for-age contest, which makes it a winnable race for older and younger horses. The latest 3YO winner was Shamus Award in 2013 when causing a big upset at $21 odds.
Described as “the greatest two minutes in sport”, the Cox Plate is a must-see race this spring, and it also provides punters with a potential guide to the Melbourne Cup. Some horses attempt the double, including Rising Fast.
Betting on the Cox Plate
It takes a good horse to win the Cox Plate, which is why many winners have been favourites. 2024 winner Via Sistina wasn’t the favourite, but she was only a $5 chance, and she followed favourites Romantic Warrior and Anamoe.
Via Sistina did return in 2025 to successfully defend her title as the $2.25 favourite in betting on the Cox Plate!
In the last 11 years, eight favourites have won the Cox Plate. Four of those came via Winx, with the other being Japanese raider Lys Gracieux in 2019. It’s a favourites’ race, especially recently, but that wasn’t always the case.
The likes of Fields of Omagh, Maldivian, So You Think, and Shamus Award all won paying double-figure odds. So You Think paid $13 in 2009 before winning as a $1.50 chance in 2010.
FAQs about Cox Plate winners
Which horse has the fastest Cox Plate time?
Via Sistina ran 2:01.07 when winning the Cox Plate in 2024. It broke the record of Better Loosen Up, who ran 2:01.05 in 1990.
How many mares have won the Cox Plate?
The Cox Plate has been won by mares on 15 occasions, most recently by Via Sistina in 2024 & 2025. It was won by mares in five consecutive years with Winx and Lys Grecieux.
How much does the winner of the Cox Plate get?
The Cox Plate winner gets $4 million, which increased from $3 million in 2025. The total purse is $6 million.
How many internationally trained runners have won the Cox Plate?
There have been 12 internationally-trained runners, including trainers from Japan, New Zealand, and Ireland.