The countdown is on to the last running of the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse as we know it, with only eleven days until the 2040m Weight-For-Age contest.
After acceptances last week 16 horses remain in contention for the great race that are paid. However, across the weekend, a few horses who have not been paid up for by connections thrust themselves into the Cox Plate picture, including Might And Power winner Globe, Hill Stakes winner Lindermann and Caulfield Guineas placegetter Observer.
Of those 19 horses, this is who we know are confirmed starters for the Cox Plate barring injury or issue.
CONFIRMED
VIA SISTINA (C Waller) J McDonald
SIR DELIUS (G Waterhouse & A Bott) C Williams
ANTINO (T Gollan) B Shinn
LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (C Maher) E Brown
GLOBE (M Price & M Kent Jnr) *Not Nominated. Pays $200,000 late acceptance fee to run.
Last year’s winner Via Sistina, Turnbull winner Sir Delius and Queenslander Antino are all going to be there.
Might And Power winner Globe has almost forced connections into paying a $200,000 late acceptance fee for the race given his win on the weekend. The crew at Roll The Dice racing are keen to take their spot in the field but he will need a new jockey with Blake Shinn riding Antino.
Despite running down the track in the Hill Stakes, connections of Light Infantry Man are still keen to bring the Australian Cup winner down for the Cox Plate. He will likely be partnered by Ethan Brown.
QUESTION MARKS
TREASURETHE MOMENT (M Laurie)
BUCKAROO (C Waller)
AELIANA (C Waller)
AUTUMN BOY (C Waller)
NEPOTISM (M, W & J Hawkes)
LINDERMANN (C Waller) N Rawiller *Needs to pay $200,000 late acceptance fee if runs.
Treasurethe Moment headlines the list of horses that remain with a question mark over them before the big race. Her effort in Saturday’s Might And Power Stakes, when second, was labelled as disappointing from rider Damian Lane and has left trainer Matt Laurie with plenty to ponder. “We have got two weeks to decide, but we would have loved to have been winning today,” were the comments of Laurie post race on Saturday, he was also wanting to give time to the decision re: a Cox Plate start, “(We have) a few options – you play on, you change your sights or we are giving her a holiday.”
Chris Waller has three horses he also needs to decide on whether they start in the W.S Cox Plate with stars Aeliana and Buckaroo underwhelming at their most recent starts. Whilst three-year-old, Autumn Boy, suggested he could be a player if connections opt to run him for the first time against open age, after an impressive win in the Guineas. It’s worth noting that Waller has only run one three-year-old in a Cox Plate in Militarize in 2023.
Nash Rawiller, jockey of Lindermann, gave Waller another horse to think about. After his win in the Hill Stakes, Nash suggested the horse would be suited in a Cox Plate and has earnt his crack at the race after a strong body of work in Sydney this spring.
A decision on all of the aforementioned horses is still yet to be made.
Co-trainer of Nepotism, Wayne Hawkes, was on SEN’s “Giddy Up” and suggested that a decision regarding the three-year-old colt running in the Cox Plate hadn’t yet been made. He did also say if the decision was solely up to him that he’d run the Champagne winner at The Valley against the older horses.
The Hawkes stable are no strangers to running three-year-olds in a Cox Plate across history with Octagonal (1995, 1st), Viscount (2001, 3rd) and All Too Hard (2012, 2nd) taking part in the classic race.
RULE THEM OUT- (Unlikely)
TOM KITTEN (A & S Freedman)
WILLYDOIT (C Maher)
WODETON (C Waller)
RIVELLINO (K Lees)
Wodeton and Rivellino both are highly unlikely to press on after their runs in Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas. If they are to press on this spring at Group 1 level, it will likely be in a Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Godolphin’s Tom Kitten runs in Saturday’s King Charles Stakes, and connections have been open that he is unlikely to back up from that race to The Valley, given the Champions Mile and Stakes at Flemington are suitable next options.
New Zealand Derby winner Willydoit was OK in the Alan Brown on the weekend but will need to be 1400 up to 2040m in what will be his toughest task to date class-wise. He looks another who is very unlikely to run.
POSSIBLE
ATTRITION (M Freedman)
Hill Stakes runner up Attrition was brave on Saturday in defeat and has connections weighing up a start at The Valley. He’s coming into the race in good form and is racing best these days at the 2000m range.
He may lack the class of some of the other competitors but doesn’t shirk his task.
Plenty of options on the table for a horse like him with the Craven Plate, Rosehill Gold Cup and Champions Stakes other potential targets.
My gut feel, though, is we see him in the Cox Plate.
UNKNOWNS
ADELAIDE RIVER (K Lees)
MIDDLE EARTH (C Maher)
OBSERVER (C Maher) *Needs to pay $100,000 late acceptance fee to run.
Adelaide River and Middle Earth run in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup. A decision on either starting in a Cox Plate won’t be until after that race is run.
In recent times Gold Trip has backed up after running well in a Caulfield Cup, the Maher stable may want to do the same with Middle Earth.
The other real unknown is a horse not in the acceptances for the Cox Plate in Guineas placegetter Observer. Connections will need to pay $100,000 if they opt to run in the Group 1, which is less than Lindermann and Globe’s connections as the rate is lower for three-year-olds.
Godolphin and Ciaron Maher Racing are mulling over next steps for the son of Ghaiyyath, other possible targets include the Moonee Valley Vase against his own age at the same distance on Cox Plate day or heading straight to the Victoria Derby at Flemington.
CURRENT BET365 MARKET
Sir Delius $2.75
Via Sistina $3
Antino $5
Aeliana $9
Autumn Boy, Treasurethe Moment $11
Globe $13
Buckaroo $21
Others $34+
We will have the look of the final field on Sunday in ‘First Look’ but, if I was speculating now, I’d expect to see a field of at least 8 in next week’s W.S Cox Plate.
