Tassie star Mystic Journey remains in contention for the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) following the release of the first acceptances for the Group 1 $5m Weight For Age Championship at The Valley on October 26.

Mystic Journey, above, remains in contention for the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate after first acceptances. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Mystic Journey, above, remains in contention for the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate after first acceptances. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The numbers for the Cox Plate have been reduced to 102 after 187 horses were in the original nominations.

Mystic Journey is the winner of eleven of her fourteen race starts and kicked off her Cox Plate campaign with a first up win in the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 17.

The Adam Trinder trained Mystic Journey took all before her during the 2019 Melbourne Autumn Carnival and was undefeated from four runs during the Autumn as a three year old filly and gained everybody’s attention with wins in the Group 1 $1m Australian Guineas (1600m) and in the $5m All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington.

Trainer James Cummings is also giving himself a reasonable chance of getting amongst the Cox Plate prizemoney with seven of his Godolphin owned horse among the first acceptances, including war horse Hartnell and his imported six year old Avilius.

Hartnell was runner up to Winx in the 2016 Cox Plate when trained by John O’Shea and has had two runs back this preparation for a first up third to Mystic Journey in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes followed by a fourth to Scales Of Justice in the  Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 31.

The Lindsey Smith trained Scales Of Justice is also among the first acceptances for the Cox Plate and if he can go through the Spring Carnival without aggravating his old injury, will be a force to reckon with in the Weight For Age Championship.

Trainer Chris Waller also still holds a strong hand with sixteen of his charges still in the running for the Cox Plate and includes Verry Elleegant, True Detective, Yes Yes Yes and Kings Will Dream.

The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have strength in numbers as well and have sixteen first acceptances for the 2019 Cox Plate with dual Australian Cup winner Harlem among them.

Seventeen internationally trained horses remain in contention and include Japanese pair Lys Gracieux (Yoshito Yahagi) and Kluger (Tomokazu Takano) and last start German Group 1 winner Danceteria (David Menuisier).

Champion Irish trained Aidan O’Brien who won the 2014 Cox Plate with Adelaide, has left seven horses in contention for the Cox Plate and includes English Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck and dual Group 1 winner Circus Maximus.

High profile Australian owner Lloyd Williams and Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien accepted with four horse, Buckhurst, Latrobe, Master of Reality and Twilight Payment.

Second acceptances for the Ladbrokes Cox Plate will be taken on Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

First acceptances for the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Weight
1 0x11511x42 AVILIUS (GB) G 6 James Cummings 59kg
2 3211x5Nx73 BEST OF DAYS (GB) G 6 James Cummings 59kg
3 121x128x5x CASCADIAN (GB) G 5 James Cummings 59kg
4 5337x6306x CHIEF IRONSIDE (GB) H 5 David Menuisier 59kg
5 594x13141x DANCETERIA (FR) G 5 David Menuisier 59kg
6 50x111050x DREAM CASTLE (GB) G 6 Saeed Bin Suroor 59kg
7 621x8132x1 DREAMFORCE G 7 John Thompson 59kg
8 8321x6720x FIERCE IMPACT (JPN) H 6 Matthew Smith 59kg
9 1x60110x67 FIFTY STARS (IRE) H 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 59kg
10 655x1x34x5 FINCHE (GB) G 6 Chris Waller 59kg
11 50x112142x GAILO CHOP (FR) G 9 Matthew Williams 59kg
12 2425×51225 GATTING G 6 Darren Mcauliffe 59kg
13 69x4719x00 HARLEM (GB) G 8 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 59kg
14 0x53233x34 HARTNELL (GB) G 9 James Cummings 59kg
15 x16x2172x1 HOMESMAN (USA) G 6 Liam Howley 59kg
16 4x817333x0 HUMIDOR (NZ) G 7 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 59kg
17 x33444658x HUNTING HORN (IRE) H 5 Aidan O’Brien 59kg
18 x9239x1662 HUSH WRITER (JPN) G 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 59kg
19 441x5496x0 KAONIC (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller 59kg
20 x43236Px5x KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) G 6 Chris Waller 59kg
21 x984x42x8x KLUGER (JPN) H 8 Tomokazu Takano 59kg
22 220x34421x LATROBE (IRE) H 5 Joseph O’Brien 59kg
23 11311113×0 LE JUGE (IRE) G 7 Chris Waller 59kg
24 5x812511x8 MANTASTIC (IRE) G 6 Chris Waller 59kg
25 7250x1433x MASTER OF REALITY (IRE) H 5 Joseph O’Brien 59kg
26 354551x02x MEINER FANRONG (JPN) H 5 Takahisa Tezuka 59kg
27 12x0x1322x MIRAGE DANCER (GB) H 6 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 59kg
28 60x34000x5 NIGHT’S WATCH (NZ) G 6 Chris Waller 59kg
29 24x414513x ORDER AGAIN (NZ) G 6 Brian Smith 59kg
30 192251557x ROSTROPOVICH (IRE) G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 59kg
31 730x53x121 SCALES OF JUSTICE H 7 Lindsey Smith 59kg
32 x1x92321x0 SHRAAOH (IRE) G 7 Chris Waller 59kg
33 5x42170x46 SIKANDARABAD (IRE) G 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 59kg
34 310x3321x0 SIXTIES GROOVE (IRE) G 7 Kris Lees 59kg
35 1292450×12 SO SI BON G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 59kg
36 22113211×4 STAR OF THE SEAS (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller 59kg
37 38414x0x31 SUPER TITUS (GB) G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 59kg
38 112x216x2x SUPERNOVA (GB) H 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 59kg
39 114x111x22 TE AKAU SHARK (NZ) G 5 Jamie Richards 59kg
40 16x5233x90 TRAP FOR FOOLS G 6 Jarrod McLean 59kg
41 2423x2411x TWILIGHT PAYMENT (IRE) H 7 Joseph O’Brien 59kg
42 x0x6000x64 VOLKSTOK’N’BARRELL (NZ) G 8 Danny O’Brien 59kg
43 x33x2x6x6x WREN’S DAY (USA) H 6 James Cummings 59kg
44 436013x10x YUCATAN (IRE) H 6 Liam Howley 59kg
45 2221x00x79 YULONG PRINCE (SAF) H 5 Chris Waller 59kg
46 12x154134x GEM SONG H 4 Kris Lees 57.5kg
47 12331111×5 KOLDING (NZ) G 4 Chris Waller 57.5kg
48 131x13422x MADISON COUNTY (NZ) G 4 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman 57.5kg
49 11x112131x MR QUICKIE G 4 Phillip Stokes 57.5kg
50 0x2490431x PURPLE SECTOR (NZ) H 4 John Thompson 57.5kg
51 1x211x TARWIN G 4 Michael Kent 57.5kg
52 22470141×5 THE CHOSEN ONE (NZ) H 4 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman 57.5kg
53 7027x90x74 VASSILATOR (NZ) G 4 Colin Little 57.5kg
54 211x36621x VOW AND DECLARE G 4 Danny O’Brien 57.5kg
55 4449x16x4x CON TE PARTIRO (USA) M 6 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 57kg
56 606113104x CONSENSUS (NZ) M 8 Stephen McKee 57kg
57 12x3123x DIVANATION M 5 Tony & Calvin McEvoy 57kg
58 x10623334x I CAN FLY (GB) M 5 Aidan O’Brien 57kg
59 x931911x78 KENEDNA M 6 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 57kg
60 8x212x231x LYS GRACIEUX (JPN) M 6 Yoshito Yahagi 57kg
61 x2x532202x MAGIC WAND (IRE) M 5 Aidan O’Brien 57kg
62 1x30111x41 MELODY BELLE (NZ) M 5 Jamie Richards 57kg
63 10x58158x8 NETTOYER M 6 Wendy Roche 57kg
64 102112334x RONDINELLA (NZ) M 5 Roger James & Robert Wellwood 57kg
65 8x53403x60 UNFORGOTTEN M 5 Chris Waller 57kg
66 276x059x87 YOUNGSTAR M 5 Chris Waller 57kg
67 1239x1120x ANTHONY VAN DYCK (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien 56.5kg
68 15211x BUCKHURST (IRE) H 4 Joseph O’Brien 56.5kg
69 2x3x14093x CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (IRE) H 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 56.5kg
70 134x16127x CIRCUS MAXIMUS (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien 56.5kg
71 112x122x DJANGO FREEMAN (GER) H 4 Robert Hickmott 56.5kg
72 417x28718x MOHAWK (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien 56.5kg
73 100x1360x6 AMPHITRITE M 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 55.5kg
74 1121x1x13x AVANTAGE M 4 Jamie Richards 55.5kg
75 x3033x432x EL DORADO DREAMING M 4 Kris Lees 55.5kg
76 x432200x39 FUNDAMENTALIST M 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 55.5kg
77 11x1111x1x MYSTIC JOURNEY M 4 Adam Trinder 55.5kg
78 4130x08x77 OOHOOD M 4 Tony & Calvin McEvoy 55.5kg
79 1x3516832x POHUTUKAWA M 4 James Cummings 55.5kg
80 21x71116x PRINCESS JENNI (NZ) M 4 David Brideoake 55.5kg
81 25x14941x2 QAFILA M 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 55.5kg
82 57x2111x9x VERRY ELLEEGANT (NZ) M 4 Chris Waller 55.5kg
83 x31x03224x FLEETING (IRE) M 4 Aidan O’Brien 54.5kg
84 1217x BELLEVUE HILL C 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 49.5kg
85 11331x CASTELVECCHIO C 3 Richard Litt 49.5kg
86 25×142 CONQUEROR C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 49.5kg
87 112x1x DALASAN C 3 Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas 49.5kg
88 13x1x DAWN PASSAGE C 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 49.5kg
89 2712145x ERIC THE EEL G 3 Stuart Kendrick 49.5kg
90 681x0x EXETER C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 49.5kg
91 3x1x EXPRESS PASS C 3 Nick Ryan 49.5kg
92 21x9x INDEPENDENT ROAD G 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 49.5kg
93 112x KUBRICK C 3 Chris Waller 49.5kg
94 116 PEIDRA G 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 49.5kg
95 3x86217x1 POWER SCHEME G 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 49.5kg
96 55311x PRINCE FAWAZ C 3 Anthony Cummings 49.5kg
97 21×1 QUICK THINKER C 3 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman 49.5kg
98 1x221x TRUE DETECTIVE C 3 Chris Waller 49.5kg
99 211x17x YES YES YES C 3 Chris Waller 49.5kg
100 123111x YOURDEEL (NZ) G 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 49.5kg
101 312x2x FLIT F 3 James Cummings 47.5kg
102 SELICA (NZ) F 3 Michael Kent 47.5kg

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.