Just 36 horses remain in the mix for Australasia’s weight-for-age championship with Winx the headline Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2017 third acceptor for the Moonee Valley classic.

Dual defending champion Winx dominates 2017 Ladbrokes Cox Plate betting this spring. Photo: Steve Hart.

Winx is out to join Kingston Town with a trio of wins in the Group 1 $3 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) when she dually defends her title on October 28.

She has won the past two editions emphatically including her record eight length victory over Hartnell last spring.

On Tuesday Racing Victoria took the official Cox Plate third acceptances and the number of potential starters has been cut from 48 (at second acceptance stage) to 36.

Winx ($1.20) is dominating futures Cox Plate betting at race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au after winning her Flemington debut last Saturday with an historical six and a half-length Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) victory.

That was the 14-time Group 1 winner’s final tune-up for Cox Plate Day and is out to do the Turnbull Stakes – Cox Plate double for the first time since Makybe Diva (2005).

A win will also see Winx surpass that same mighty mare on the list of highest earning racehorses in Australia, Makybe Diva currently on top with her $14,526,685 in prize money.

2017 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Third Acceptances

• 36 total third acceptors
• 17 Group 1 winners
• 7 three-year-olds
• 4 previous Cox Plate runners
• 20 trainers represented

Along with Winx Waller has five other Cox Plate horses still entered with: Comin’ Through, Egg Tart, Foxplay, McCreery and Tom Melbourne.

Three of those could race at Caulfield on the weekend in the Group 1 $500,000 Toorak Handicap (1600m) with Comin’ Through, dual Oaks winner Egg Tart and last start Epsom Handicap runner-up Tom Melbourne all nominated for the mile showdown.

There are still officially five internationally-trained Cox Plate contenders in the mix to take on Winx looking to be the first to salute since the then Irish-prepared Adelaide in 2014.

The international Cox Plate horses among the third declarations are:

• Folkswood (Charlie Appleby)
• Johannes Vermeer (Aidan O’Brien)
• Taj Mahal (Aidan O’Brien)
• Kaspersky (Mrs Jane Chapple-Hyam)
• Riven Light (William Mullins)

Last year’s well-beaten Cox Plate runner-up Hartnell also remains in the hunt with Godolphin to make a call as to whether to target it or the previous Saturday’s Group 1 $3 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) after the horse races in Saturday’s Group 1 $1 million Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes (2000m).

Hartnell occupies the second line of futures Ladbrokes Cox Plate betting at $21 along with the Pat Webster-trained Happy Clapper.

After being run down by Winx in his second in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) on September 16, seven-year-old Happy Clapper enjoyed an elite level win of his own returning to the track and distance a fortnight later to take out the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m).

He races again in Sydney on The Everest Day this weekend chasing the big prize money on offer in the Group 3 $500,000 Craven Plate (2000m).

Other key Cox Plate 2017 third acceptances include: Kiwi stayer Gingernuts who was originally targeting the Caulfield Cup before a Group 1 meeting across the Tasman was washed out last Saturday, Makybe Diva Stakes winner Humidor who finished a disappointing third to Winx in the Turnbull Stakes, this weekend’s Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas favourite Royal Symphony and the reigning Melbourne Cup winner Almandin.

The 2017 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Field is set for release at 8:30am (AEDT) on October 24.

Check out the latest Cox Plate 2017 odds online now through Ladbrokes.com.au and back Winx to make history again.

2017 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Third Acceptances

Moonee Valley Racecourse – 28/10/2017