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The Ladbrokes Cox Plate is the premier weight-for-age race in Australia and is known as Australasia’s weight-for-age championship. This Group 1 race is run over 2040m on turf at Moonee Valley Racecourse in late October each year and is held as part of the illustrious Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

Worth over $5 million, the race attracts the champion gallopers from across the globe competing for the richest weight-for-age prize in Australia and is the second of the three Spring Majors following the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) the Saturday before.

The Cox Plate is often referred to as “the race where legends are made” and has been won by many turf greats over the years including So You Think (2009-10) and historic four-time champion Winx (2015-18) who were the last multiple Cox Plate winners. Winx joined Kingston Town (1980-82) as the only three-time Cox Plate champion with her narrow victory over Humidor in the 2017 Cox Plate results, which also saw the heroic mare set a race record time set by herself in 2015. She then surpassed Kingston Town with her fourth Cox Plate trophy in 2018 before her retirement.

In 2014 the then Aidan O’Brien-trained Adelaide became the first Northern Hemisphere-trained Cox Plate winner and since then the number of international Cox Plate nominations continues to rise. The 2019 Cox Plate results saw Lys Gracieux from Japan join Adelaide as the only Cox Plate winners trained outside of Australia / New Zealand.

In 2020 Irish expat Sir Dragonet won the Cox Plate first-up down under in his debut for Ciaron Maher & David Eustace.

In 2021 Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien prepared Northern Hemisphere-trained three-year-old State Of Rest for a Cox Plate victory emulating the success of his father from 2014.

In 2022 Anamoe atoned for his devastatingly close second the year before to post a dominant victory for the punters in the Cox Plate results.

The punters were in luck in the 2023 Cox Plate results that saw Hong Kong hero Romantic Warrior narrowly defeat Mr Brightside in an epic finish to the 103rd running of the classic.

The 2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate ran on Saturday October 28, 2023 as the second of the ‘Big 3’ Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival majors and was won in a photo-finish thriller by Danny Shum’s Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior ($3.60F) who narrowly denied Mr Brightside right on the line with Alligator Blood a close third. 

Ladbrokes Cox Plate
Date:	Saturday October 28, 2023
Track:	Moonee Valley Racecourse
Distance:	2040m
Status:	Group 1
Conditions:	Weight-For-Age
Prize Money:	$5 million
Age:	3 year olds and over

The WS Cox Plate is one of the most highly bet on and anticipated races in the country. Cox Plate betting is also popular with the punters as it is included in some of the major betting doubles in the Spring Carnival.

Punters often indulge in the Cox Plate – Melbourne Cup double, but only six horses have won achieved the feat with Makybe Diva, Might and Power, Saintly, Nightmarch, Phar Lap and Rising Fast. Rising Fast is an especially notable winner as he is the only horse in history to also have won the Caulfield Cup in the same year, taking out this feature treble in 1954.

The race’s position towards the end of the Spring Carnival means punters have a plethora of trials and lead-up runs to consider the entries’ Cox Plate form and chances of success in the Cox Plate.

There are a range of different events the final Cox Plate field may come via, including three-years-old hopefuls coming out of the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) a fortnight before. Earlier races to watch as an indication for the Cox Plate include the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) in September, the Group 2 John F. Feehan Stakes (1600m) and the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m).

A change of scheduling for the Melbourne Cup Carnival from 2016 saw the race formerly known as the Mackinnon Stakes and run on Victoria Derby Day moved to the first Saturday of November and raced as the new Group 1 Emirates Stakes (2000m) in a bid to attract more Cox Plate graduates. That race has now been moved to the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival taking place on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup and is run as the Champions Stakes.

Randwick Racecourse in Sydney hosts the $10 million The Golden Eagle (1500m), $3 million Giga Kick Stakes (1300m) and the $750,000 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m) on the same date as Melbourne’s Cox Plate Day.

2023 Cox Plate Results

• 1st: #1 Romantic Warrior ($3.60F)
• 2nd: #3 Mr Brightside
• 3rd: #4 Alligator Blood
• 4th: #9 Duais

It was a Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2023 result for the ages with jockey James McDonald going back-to-back after his success on Anamoe last spring when narrowly getting up on the outside aboard the Danny Shum-trained Hong Kong raider Romantic Warrior ($3.60F). Denied by a nose was the Team Hayes-trained Mr Brightside, while Alligator Blood snared third after looking the winner inside the final 50m.

Click here to read more on the exciting 2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate win by Romantic Warrior.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Betting

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 COX PLATE ODDS (Final Field)

Futures Cox Plate betting odds open months in advance of the race offering all-in markets on the potential horses lining-up in that year’s Cox Plate field. Cox Plate betting is often dominated by horses that ran well in the previous season’s Cox Plate results.

Our Cox Plate betting page has more information on the many types of bets you can place, including advice on placing a Cox Plate trifecta, a Cox Plate quinella, a Cox Plate exacta, or a Cox Plate First Four bet. We also suggest the best online bookmakers to join for Cox Plate betting.

The latest Cox Plate 2023 betting markets provided by Ladbrokes.com.au are listed below for your to back your Cox Plate tips at the right price.

Anamoe ($2.40 in 2022) and Hong Kong raider Romantic Warrior ($3.60 in 2023) – both ridden by jockey James McDonald – are the latest favourites in Cox Plate betting to win.

Cox Plate Tips

Our exclusive Ladbrokes Cox Plate betting tips will be provided below a few days out from the Group 1 classic. Also head to our dedicated Cox Plate Tips page for more information on who to back and who to sack in the weight-for-age Moonee Valley feature this spring.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL 2023 COX PLATE TIPS & BEST BETS

To Win: #1 Romantic Warrior ($4 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Fantastic edition of the Cox Plate and we’ve got one of the more open affairs in recent years, but it is hard to go past this Hong Kong-trained favourite. The Sha Tin superstar will relish the 2040m second-up with a run down under now under his belt. His record at this distance is outstanding (7:5-1-0) and includes two Queen Elizabeth II Cup victories. Was a slashing fourth fresh in the Turnbull over the distance at Flemington making up late ground behind Gold Trip. James McDonald retains the ride and a decent barrier seven draw. Plenty to like and plenty to suggest he can salute for the punters. Easing slightly adding to his appeal. Lots of hype on the triple Group 1 winner but expect him to live up to expectations here so long as he is in for the fight.

The Danger: #4 Alligator Blood ($5.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

He is slightly shorter than would like but this Waterhouse/Bott-trained galloper is going great guns and peaking at exactly the right time to prove he is right up to a Cox Plate. Back-to-back Group 1 victories over very good fields by impressive margins in the lead-up. Won the Underwood over 1800m then silenced the naysayers with his barnstorming performance over 2000m at Caulfield to salute in the Might And Power by two lengths. Tim Clark rode him to perfection there and retains the mount for the acid test. The Valley hasn’t been this horse’s preferred track but he has run well in his two previous starts here. Fifth only two lengths beaten at 20/1 behind Anamoe in last year’s race from wide out in gate 12 and fourth, again narrowly beaten, a length behind Mr Brightside in the autumn. Going the best he ever has, was first to draw with the ideal gate five start, likely to be up on speed, and with only a short straight to sustain a run he could just do it!

Each Way: #5 Gold Trip ($8.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

If Gold Trip wins this he’ll go down as one of the best, ever, and really live up to that huge purchase price. The Maher/Eustace import is on the same trajectory as last spring when he won the Melbourne Cup after a Caulfield Cup second and Cox Plate ninth. It takes a pretty great horse to run in three majors in as many weeks and he’s doing it again here. Third in the Caulfield Cup last week by the six-year-old stallion was excellent. Forgivable Cox Plate performance last year and drawn well mid-field 12 months on. Mark Zahra is going as good as the horse and Turnbull Stakes victory two back was exceptional at this distance. Blinkers on. Watch him late.

Best Roughie: #8 Fangirl ($8.50 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Does Waller win his fifth Cox Plate here? He famously prepared four-time hero Winx (2015-18) and is after more glory. Fangirl is a very nice mare. She is a multiple Group 1 winner and was outstanding in Sydney last start dominating the beaten favourite Mr Brightside by nearly three lengths in the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m). The five-year-old daughter of Sebring is yet to win over further than 1850m but her margin last time out suggests she’ll get the trip. Sydney has always been her go to. How will she be the left-handed way at the notoriously tight Moonee Valley circuit? These are a couple of the questions she must answer in her hunt for greatness. One of the best in Zac Purton riding is another plus and she rates well. She is no Winx but she might just be a Cox Plate winner come Saturday afternoon.

2023 Cox Plate Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 COX PLATE FORM GUIDE

CLICK HERE FOR OUR TWO WORD COX PLATE 2023 FORM GUIDE

One of the best and cheapest tools you can use to improve your betting is a detailed Cox Plate form guide like you would find at an online bookie. Our page on the Cox Plate form guide will help anyone new to punting better understand how to read a form guide.

Key 2023 Cox Plate Dates

• 2023 Cox Plate Nominations: Closed on Tuesday the 8th of August, 2023 – 178 early entries taken.
• 2023 Cox Plate First Acceptances: Closed on Tuesday the 12th of September, 2023 – 100 first acceptors.
• 2023 Cox Plate Second Acceptances: Closed on Tuesday the 26th of September, 2023 – 55 second acceptors.
• 2023 Cox Plate Third Acceptances: Closed on Tuesday the 10th of October, 2023 – 31 third acceptors.
• 2023 Cox Plate Final Acceptances: Closed on Tuesday the 24th of October, 2023 at 8:30am (AEDT) – 12 final acceptors with Romantic Warrior from Hong Kong favourite.

2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Field

The Cox Plate field represents the best weight-for-age hopefuls from around Australia and aboard. The official 2023 Cox Plate field will be released by the Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) on Tuesday October 24, 2023 following a number of declaration stages of early acceptances.

The 2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate final field is now out with a dozen of the world’s best weight-for-age horses engaged in an open and intriguing edition of the classic including Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior, impressive Might And Power winner Alligator Blood, Irish raider Victoria Road, and reigning Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip.

Click here to read more on the key contenders in the Cox Plate 2023 field and betting markets.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Probable Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	x1122x12x4	ROMANTIC WARRIOR (IRE)	Danny Shum	James McDonald	7	59kg			124
2	341x217x32	ZAAKI (GB)	Annabel Neasham	Damian Lane	12	59kg			118
3	x5211x1112	MR BRIGHTSIDE (NZ)	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	Craig Williams	2	59kg			119
4	1x140x4211	ALLIGATOR BLOOD	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Tim Clark	5	59kg			119
5	1x2570x413	GOLD TRIP (FR)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Mark Zahra	8	59kg			121
6	x6026x6473	MY OBERON (IRE)	Annabel Neasham	Jamie Mott	4	59kg			115
7	534113×215	PINSTRIPED	Enver Jusufovic	Ben Allen	11	59kg			113
8	2x3227x131	FANGIRL	Chris Waller	Zac Purton	9	57kg			116
9	80x43x7933	DUAIS	Edward Cummings	Damien Oliver	1	57kg			112
10	2241111×73	VICTORIA ROAD (IRE)	Aidan O’Brien	Blake Shinn	6	56.5kg			115
11	13011×515	MILITARIZE (NZ)	Chris Waller	Zac Lloyd (a)	3	49.5kg			117
12	411×974	KING COLORADO	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Michael Dee	10	49.5kg			112