The 2015 Cox Plate nominations have been released and 173 gallopers remain a chance of contesting the Australasian Weight-For-Age Championships that will be held at Moonee Valley on October 24.

Criterion is one of 173 gallopers that have been included in the 2015 Cox Plate nominations. Photo by: Steve Hart

Adelaide became the first Northern Hemisphere-trained galloper to claim the Cox Plate when he came from the tail of the field to win the race in dramatic circumstances last year and internationally -trained gallopers remain a chance of contesting the Group 1 event.

Aidan O’Brien won the Cox Plate for the first time with Adelaide in 2014 and he could have as many as 3 runners in the race after including Cougar Mountain, Highland Reel and Ol’ Man River in the intial entries for the race.

The Cox Plate has been on the agenda for Arod since he took out the Group 2 Summer Mile Stakes (1609m) at Royal Ascot on July 11 and he is still on track to make the trip to Australia after he finished a gallant second behind the talented Solow in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes (1609m) at Goodwood on July 29.

Another international runner that is set to make the trip to Australia for the Cox Plate is OTI Racing-owned Gailo Chop, who failed to fire in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (2011m) during the recent Royal Ascot meeting in the United Kingdom.

Other international entries for the 2015 Cox Plate include Almodovar, Canndal, Collaboration, Goldstream, Last Bullet, Lightning Spear, Manndawi, Simba, Singing, Tullius, Turfdonna, Vadamos and Warrior Of Light.

There is plenty of hype around the crop of three-year-olds that will be in action during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and a number of talented colts and fillies could be set for the Cox Plate.

Vancouver stamped himself as one of the most exciting horses in the country when he took out the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21 and the Cox Plate will be his final goal during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival if he performs well in both the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 12 and the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 10.

Pride Of Dubai took out both the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) and the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) during his juvenile career and he is another horse that could end up in the Cox Plate, while the likes of were also included in the 2015 Cox Plate nominations.

Other three-year-olds that are a chance to contest the 2015 Cox Plate are Attack The Line, Black Vanquish, Odyssey Moon, Petits Filous, Prince Of Brooklyn, Press Statement, Ready For Victory and Rageese.

Shooting To Win, Hallowed Crown and Wandjina were all retired at the end of the 2014/2015 racing season, but the likes of Alpine Eagle and Kermadec will race on and could face off in the Cox Plate.

Alpine Eagle stamped himself as a colt to watch when he took out the Group 2 Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield on February 28 and he was set for the Cox Plate after he stormed home to finish an unlucky second behind Wandjina in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m).

Kermadec finished a luckless fourth in the same race and he had no luck once again in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m), but he finally had things go his own way in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) and he stormed home to record a most impressive victory.

The Teofilo entire will be aimed at races like the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) in Sydney before he likely makes the trip to Melbourne for the Cox Plate.

Another locally-trained galloper that is set to take on the internationals in the 2015 Cox Plate is Criterion, who remains in the United Kingdom after finishing a credible fifth in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (2012m).

Criterion will have one more run in the United Kingdom when he contests the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes (2012m) in August before he returns to Australia for the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and the Cox Plate.

Contributer missed out on a clash with Criterion in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) due to injury, but is set to return to racing during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and is set to contest the Australasian Weight-For-Age Championships with stablemate Hartnell.

No mare has won the Cox Plate since Pinker Pinker in 2011, but Robert Smerdon-trained Noble Protector has been included in the nominations and is rated by many experts as one of the best chances in the race.

Noble Protector performed well without winning in two race starts during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival and she showed what she was capable of when she claimed the Group 3 Schweppervescence Trophy (1600m) and Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m) in dominant fashion before she finished a more than credible third in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 11.

Gai Waterhouse is chasing her first Cox Plate victory and Pornichet, Adrift, Amanpour, Bohemian Lily, Café Society, Cosmic Endeavour, Ecuador and Excess Knowledge, have all joined Vancouver in the nominations, while Chris Waller has Beaten Up, Flamingo Star, Foreteller, Grand Marshal, Hawkspur, Moriarty, Preferment, Royal Descent, Silverball, Strawberry Boy, Weary, Who Shot Thebarman and Winx in the initial entries.

Cult hero The Cleaner, 2013 runner-up Happy Trails, talented mare First Seal, Australian Derby winner Mongolian Khan, Rosehill Guineas winner Volkstok’n’barrell and Godolphin-owned Sweynesse have also been included in the 2015 Cox Plate nominations.