The 2014 Cox Plate has been taken out by Northern Hemisphere three-year-old Adelaide, who came around the field with a long swooping run to record a most impressive victory in the Group 1 event at Moonee Valley this afternoon.
Adelaide was settled at the tail of the field by jockey Ryan Moore in the early stages of the Cox Plate, while the likes of The Cleaner, Almalad and Side Glance set a quick tempo in the early stages, and he elected to take off on the Galileo entire at the 1000 metre mark.
The Coolmore-owned galloper kept making up ground in the final stages of the race and he was too strong in the final stages of the race to score a win from Fawkner and Silent Achiever in almost course record time.
For more information visit our complete 2014 Cox Plate Results.
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The 2014 Cox Plate results will be known in just over six hours and there is still plenty of time to back the winner of the Group 1 event that will be held at Moonee Valley this afternoon.
Sweynesse has been the best backed runner in 2014 Cox Plate betting markets. Photo by: Steve Hart
Fawkner has been close to the top of 2014 Cox Plate betting markets since the Macedon Lodge team of Lloyd Williams declared that the race was the major 2014 Spring Racing Carnival for the Reset gelding and he was backed into favouritism for the Australasian Weight-For-Age Championship after he took out the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 11.
The seven-year-old opened at Cox Plate odds of $4 when the final field was released earlier in the week and he has been on the drift since, but he still remains a clear favourite to give Lloyd Williams his first Cox Plate victory.
Criterion stormed home late to finish second behind Fawkner in the Caulfield Stakes and he has been one of the best backed runners ahead of the Cox Plate this afternoon.
The Sebring entire was available at a quote of $41 before his impressive performance in the Caulfield Stakes and was available at $9 on Wednesday, but he has been well supported in the last 24 hours and is into a price of $7 to become the first horse since Bonecrusher in 1986 to complete the Australian Derby/Cox Plate double.
Adelaide is arguably the most interesting runner in the 2014 Cox Plate field and he has remained at about the $7 mark in betting markets for the Group 1 event throughout the week.
The Galileo entire is the first Coolmore-owned horse to contest the Cox Plate and is taking strong international form into the race after taking out the Group 1 Secretariat Stakes (2011m) at Arlington on August 16 and finishing in the placings in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes (2414m), Group 1 Secretariat Stakes (2011m) and the Group 2 Prix Niel (2400m).
Chris Waller-trained Sacred Falls has divided opinion heading into the Cox Plate and there is still a great deal of debate over whether the O’Reilly entire is capable of running out a strong 2040 metres this afternoon.
Sacred Falls stamped himself as a genuine Cox Plate contender when he worked home strongly to finish second behind It’s A Dundeel in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 19, but jockey Zac Purton was not particularly happy with the way the five-year-old felt in the final stages of the Caulfield Stakes.
The Raffles Racing-owned entire opened at Cox Plate odds of $6, but he has been friendless in betting over the past couple of days and is now out to $7.50.
One horse that has not been friendless in betting is Godolphin colt Sweynesse, who has been a clear market mover in Cox Plate betting markets.
Sweynesse opened at $34 on Tuesday morning, the same price as the other two three-year-olds in the field, but there has been plenty of support for the Spring Champion Stakes placegetter throughout the week and he is now into $16.
There has been a sprinkling of support for Side Glance ($34 into $26) and Almalad ($41 into $26), while Happy Trails ($9 out to $12), Foreteller ($21 out to $34) and Silent Achiever ($13 out to $15) have all been on the drift.
The 2014 Cox Plate will be run at Caulfield at 5.40 (AEDT) this afternoon and you will be able to find all the Cox Plate results at horseracing.com.au.
