The punters are saying Winx will win, the betting markets are saying Winx will win, the money moves say Winx will win and the bookies are praying she won’t, but what does the history books say about the favourite saluting in Cox Plate 2016 betting?

Winx is odds-on favourite to go back-to-back in the Cox Plate this afternoon at Moonee Valley Racecourse. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Chris Waller’s five-year-old daughter of Street Cry is there to be beaten when she lines up in the $3 million Group 1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley shooting for her 13^th win on the trot.

Nothing came close to her in the Cox Plate results 12 months ago when she blitzed her rivals by a minimum 4.75 lengths and this afternoon she is odds-on to get the job done again.

Latest Cox Plate betting at Ladbrokes.com.au has her at $1.85 for the win, with the only other chance under $16 in the markets being last year’s fifth placegetter Hartnell ($3.50).

He is going far better than last spring and finally matches up against the superstar mare in peak form, but can Hartnell beat Winx in the 2016 Cox Plate Result?

To help decide whether to back or sack Waller’s $7.5 million earner let’s look back over the Cox Plate history and how the favourites have fared.

2016 Cox Plate History: How the Favourites Have Fared

• From 1979 – 1990 the favourites saluted in all but two editions of the weight-for-age classic
• During that time the longest priced Cox Plate winner was Rising Prince ($7 in 1985)
• In the 25 years since 1990 only six favourites have come up trumps in the Cox Plate finishing order
• In the last 10 years only So You Think ($1.50 in 2010) and Winx ($4.60 in 2015) have jumped Cox Plate favourite and won
• In the past 13 years 7 Cox Plate winners jumped at double-figures including Shamus Award ($20 in 2013) and Pinker Pinker ($25 in 2011) at the blow-out Cox Plate odds
• In the past 30 years six Cox Plate horses have started at $2 or under in Cox Plate betting
• During that time along with So You Think ($1.50 in 2010) the other short-priced favourites to win in that time were: Bonecrusher ($1.90 in 1986), Might And Power ($1.73 in 1998) and Makybe Diva ($2 in 2005)
• Winx is out to go back-to-back for favourite backers for the first time since Almaarad (1989) and Better Loosen up (1990)
• She is the first reigning Cox Plate winner to attempt to defend her crown since So You Think (2009-10)

Think Winx is the one to beat and deserving Cox Plate 2016 favourite? Back her now at Enhanced Odds only at Ladbrokes.com.au (T&Cs apply).