Today at Moonee Valley Racecourse the second meeting of the two-day Cox Plate Carnival takes place with Cox Plate Day 2014 following last night’s Manikato Stakes.

There are nine races on the line-up in Melbourne today and it is another fine day for a spring showdown with the notoriously tight Moonee Valley track rated a Good (3).

Moonee Valley Track Report – 25/10/2014

• Rail Position: +3m Entire Circuit
• Track Condition: Good (3)
• Track Type: Turf
• Weather: Fine
• Penetrometer: 4.5

There are seven Group status races highlighting the Cox Plate Day card today including of course the marquee event on the meet – the $3 million Group 1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m).

Unlike last weekend’s major where four horses were scratched from the Caulfield Cup, the 2014 Cox Plate field is at capacity with all 14 of the original gallopers still in the mix.

Fawkner in barrier four, looking to be the first Cox Plate winner from the gate since even favourite Makybe Diva in 2005, remains at the top of this year’s Cox Plate odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.

The Robert Hickmott-trained seven-year-old opened at $4 but has eased out to $4.60 with favourites having won just two of the past 10 editions of the weight-for-age classic.

Also at single figures are the Aidan O’Brien-trained Irish raider Adelaide ($7) who is out to salute for the northern-hemisphere raiders for the first time, top four-year-old Criterion ($7) and the Chris Waller-trained Sacred Falls ($7.50).

Other highlights on the Cox Plate Day program today include Crown Oaks-bound Lumosty leading out a field of fillies in the $200,000 Group 2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic (1600m) which kicks off the black-type racing at 2:25pm and Race 5 – the $250,000 Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m).

Mr O’Ceirin has come out of the Melbourne Cup lead-up where Waller’s The Metropolitan runner-up The Opinion is the favourite just ahead of dual winner Precedence in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup odds.

The other notable Cox Plate Day scratchings include the Darren Weir-trained Rupert Clarke Stakes – Toorak Handicap double winner Trust In A Gust who is out of the $200,000 Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) with a foot ailment, and three from the $200,000 Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) including the Gai Waterhouse-trained Dulcify Quality runner-up Duccio.

Moonee Valley Scratchings – Saturday October 25, 2014

Race 1 (1:15pm) – $250,000 Inglis Banner (1000m)

#10 Pearl Star (7), #11 Perfect Beat (1)

Race 2 (1:50pm) – $100,000 City Jeep Handicap (1000m)

#3 Esprit De Bullet (4), #12 Inspector (7)

Race 3 (2:25pm) – $200,000 Group 2 Drummond Golf Fillies Classic (1600m)

No current scratchings

Race 4 (3:00pm) – $150,000 Telstra Phonewords Stakes (1200m)

#7 Alcobro (11)

Race 5 (3:35pm) – $250,000 Group 2 Racing.com Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m)

#3 Mr O’Ceirin (7)

Race 6 (4:10pm) – $200,000 Group 2 Schweppes Crystal Mile (1600m)

#5 Trust In A Gust (7)

Race 7 (4:50pm) – $200,000 Group 2 Dilmah Exceptional Teas Vase (2040m)

#6 Duccio (11), #8 Gouldian (3), #14 Miss Interiors (10)

Race 8 (5:40pm) – $3,000,000 Group 1 Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m)

No current scratchings

Race 9 (6:20pm) – $150,000 Group 3 Eliza Park International Stakes (1600m)

No current scratchings