Nominations for the 2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate closed on Tuesday with 178 early entries for the 103^rd edition of the Australasian weight-for-age championship taken by the Moonee Valley Racing Club.

Hong Kong Derby winner Romantic Warrior heads all-in betting on the 2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate nominations. Photo: Getty.

The picture for The Valley’s showcase spring event – the Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) – is starting to take shape ahead of the October 28^th event.

All-in Cox Plate 2023 betting odds at race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au on the nominated horses have Romantic Warrior on top at $4.20 to make a successful raid down under this season.

The Danny Shum-trained Acclamation gelding won the 2022 Hong Kong Derby, is tipped to make an impact in Australia later in the year, and is one of 17 international runners among the nominations.

2023 Cox Plate Nominations Feature

• 178 entries
• 48 individual Group 1 winners
• 35 three-year-olds (24 southern hemisphere, 11 northern hemisphere)
• 17 international raiders
• 65 represented stables

Romantic Warrior is likely to be partnered by last year’s Cox Plate winning hoop James McDonald in his Australian campaign with J Mac already partnering the 2000m star for a perfect three-from-three record over in Hong Kong.

The last internationally-trained Cox Plate winner was the Joseph O’Brien-trained State Of Rest in 2021, and the raiders dominate future markets this year with Paddington the next best at a current quote of $6.

Hailing from the Irish stables of O’Brien’s father Aidan, who took out this race back in 2014 with the first official international W.S. Cox Plate winner Adelaide, Paddington has been absolutely airborne winning seven of his eight career starts to date.

The progressive Siyouni entire is already a four-time Group 1 champion at time of publish with big wins in Ireland and the UK including the Irish 2000 Guineas in late May and most recently the Sussex Stakes at The Goodwood in August.

Paddington will chase automatic Ladbrokes Cox Plate qualification, including all flights and expenses paid for, when he heads to the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York next start.

Joseph O’Brien has three Cox Plate nominees this season himself with Above The Curve, Al Riffa, and Buckaroo.

His father meanwhile has nine with Paddington joined by the likes of Australia entire Adelaide River who was runner-up in the Irish Derby and Group 1 Irish Champion hero Luxembourg.

Other key international Cox Plate entries for 2023 include the Simon & Ed Crisford-trained West Wind Blows who also heads all-in Caulfield Cup markets, Charles Hills’ lightly-raced colt Galeron, and the William Haggas-trained My Prospero.

Of the Australian-trained Cox Plate nominations the best in the current pre-field markets is the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained import Without A Fight ($8) who won Brisbane’s Group 2 The Q22 over the winter.

Another classy import being kept safe in Cox Plate betting from the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace stables is Light Infantry ($9) who was last seen finishing third at Ascot in the Group 1 Queen Anne back in June.

While last year’s Cox Plate winner Anamoe is missing from this year’s nominations, six from the 2022 field are back for a second shot with: El Bodegon, Zaaki, Alligator Blood, Mo’unga, Mr Brightside, and subsequent Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip.

Of those, the Team Hayes-trained Mr Brightside (7^th in the 2022 Cox Plate results) is the best in the current markets after his excellent autumn that culminated with wins in the All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley and Doncaster Mile at Randwick.

There are also plenty of New Zealand-trained hopefuls from across the Tasman set to make their way over including flying Proisir mare Prowess who has won Group 1 races on both sides of the ditch, most recently Rosehill’s Vinery Stud Stakes back in March.

Ocean Park (2012) was the last New Zealand-trained Cox Plate champion.

Other notable Kiwi gallopers in the mix this year include Legarto who won the Australian Guineas at Flemington, NZ Derby champ Sharp ‘N’ Smart, and NZ 2000 Guineas winner Pier.

New Zealand-bred, Sydney-based master horseman Chris Waller meanwhile returns with 27 entries in Australia’s Best Race following his historic four-peat with the might Winx from 2015-18.

One of the best fancied from the Waller contingent this year is his Group 1 Inglis Sires’ – Champagne Stakes double winning Dundeel colt Militarize.

The only Australian Cox Plate qualifying race takes place at Moonee Valley on Saturday the 9^th of September with the running of the Group 2 $500,000 Feehan Stakes (1600m).

2023 Ladbrokes Cox Plate first acceptances then close on Tuesday the 12^th of September at midday local time.

Click here for the latest all-in Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2023 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2023 Cox Plate Nominations

Table Credit: Racing Australia.