This weekend’s Kingston Town Classic favourite Moriarty is the leading CB Cox Stakes 2014 nomination for the Perth Summer Racing Carnival showdown back at Ascot Racecourse on December 20.

Kingston Town Classic favourite Moriarty is also nominated for the 2014 CB Cox Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.

Nominations for both the $500,000 Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) on New Year’s Day and the weight-for-age $250,000 Group 2 LD Total C.B. Cox Stakes (2100m) have now been released by Perth Racing.

Twenty-nine stayers make-up the CB Cox Stakes entries, many of which are also in the 2015 Perth Cup mix for January 1.

Moriarty is not a Perth Cup nominee but could stay on in WA after the $500,000 Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) this weekend for a shot at the CB Cox Stakes.

He debuted in Perth last time out in the $1 million Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at flashed home late after being ridden off the pace by Nash Rawiller to finish third behind Elite Belle and Balmont Girl.

Bookmakers around the country including Ladbrokes.com.au now have the Clodovil seven-year-old as the Kingston Town Classic favourite with Hong Kong’s Douglas Whyte over for the ride.

Railway Stakes winner Elite Belle and runner-up Balmont Girl are also backing up in the Kingston Town this weekend and nominated for a CB Cox Stakes rematch a fortnight later.

Last year’s CB Cox Stakes was won by the flying Fred Kersley-trained Ihtsahymn who as a three-year-old scored the WA Guineas – Kingston Town Classic – CB Cox Stakes treble.

He returns this summer for another go at the Kingston Town and Cox Stakes, the now four-year-old Ihtiram gelding out to improve on a disappointing 10^th in the Railway Stakes.

Kersley also has Operational and Starlight Lady in the mix.

Eight-year-old Fantastic Light mare Starlight Lady won over 2200m at Ascot last Saturday and backs up this weekend in the $100,000 Group 3 Queen’s Cup (2200m) before her shot at the CB Cox Stakes and Perth Cup.

“Running her in the Cox Stakes suits because it is a better program and it has better prize money,” Kersley told The Australian.

Other notable Kingston Town Classic runners nominated for the CB Cox Stakes back-up include Neville Parnham’s recent Group 3 RJ Peters winner Bass Strait, and the Adam Durrant-trained trio of Chester Road, Mr Moet and an emergency for this weekend Real Love.

Durrant has six Perth Cup hopefuls this season with that same six also nominated for the CB Cox Stakes.

Another in-form hopeful heading towards the Cox Stakes is the Vaughn Sigley-trained Blackfriars four-year-old Black Heart Bart who comes off a win over Real Love in the Listed Carbine Club of WA Stakes (1400m) from November 22.

Also coming off a Railway Stakes Day win is the Justin Warwick-trained Global Flirt, the veteran eight-year-old gelding having saluted as a $101 outsider in the Listed Tattersall’s Cup (2100m).

Warwick’s other CB Cox Stakes hopefuls this year are Dubai Escapade, smart six-year-old mare Lucciola, Uncle George and his Tattersall’s Cup runner-up Son Of Something who won the Listed Northam Cup (1600m) back in October.

Other notable CB Cox Stakes nominees include recent Ascot Gold Cup winner Pop Culture, the Dan Morton-trained Boulder Cup winner Red Blast coming off a Tattersall’s Cup fourth, 2013 Perth Cup winning mare Talent Show and WATC Derby winner Respondent.

See below for the full list of C.B. Cox Stakes 2014 nominations then visit Ladbrokes.com.au to back your Perth carnival favourites at the best prices!

2014 CB Cox Stakes Nominations

Ascot Racecourse – 20/12/2014