Australia’s champion race mare Winx heads up the nominations for the 2018 Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 27.

Winx, above in blue colours, beating Humidor in the 2017 Cox Plate at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Winx, above in blue colours, beating Humidor in the 2017 Cox Plate at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Winx is one of fifteen Chris Waller trained horses that make up the 135 nominations for the Weight For Age Championship Of Australasia that has had a prizemoney boost from $3 million to $5 million this year.

Winx will be chasing her fourth consecutive win in the Cox Plate after equalling the legendary Kingston Town’s record of three straight wins last year and the champion mare is set to kick off her 2018 Spring Carnival campaign in the Group 1 $500,000 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 18 after having her second trial this preparation at Rosehill today.

Regular rider Hugh Bowman was on board Winx when she ran seventh in her first trial this preparation and was on top again last Saturday when she stretched her legs in between races at Randwick and described today’s trial as the champion mare’s best to date.

“She felt as good as she looked. I am sure it looked pretty good. I would suggest that was as good as she has ever trialled,” Bowman said.

“I was very impressed with her. I asked her to do a little bit more than I did in the first trial.”

“She was more relaxed this morning than she was in her first trial and I think that was a result of going to the races for her exhibition gallop on Saturday.”

“For me it is the right direction that some of that nervous energy has left her body and she is ready for the races now.”

“She is in a good spot and I am very excited about her return in a couple of weeks time.”

Winx is the winner of eighteen Group 1 races and is joined but Waller’s other Group 1 winners nominated for the Cox Plate, Comin’ Through, D’Argento, Egg Tart, Shillelagh, The Autumn Sun, Unforgotten and Youngstar.

Victoria’s leading trained Darren Weir also a double figure of nominations headed up by last year’s Cox Plate runner up Humidor.

The international entries are headed up by the powerful Godolphin stable’s multiple Group 1-winner Benbatl, trained in the UAE by Saeed bin Suroor while Sir Michael Stoute’s stable star Poet’s Word, who recently added the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes to his Royal Ascot victory, is also among the entries.

A total of twenty-six internationally trained horse are among the nominations.

MVRC Chief Executive, Michael Browell, said: “The MVRC is delighted to see the quality of nominations from around the globe to contest the first $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate, taking Australasia’s weight-for-age classic to the world.

“The 98th edition of the Cox Plate promises to be one of the richest chapters in our club’s history, with Winx aiming for an unprecedented fourth straight win.

“It’s great to see such a strong list of international runners nominated for the race, which illustrates the prestige the Cox Plate now carries on the world stage.”

The first acceptances for the 2018 Cox Plate will be taken on Tuesday, September 11 while the final acceptances will be on Tuesday October 23.

Nominations for the 2018 Cox Plate (2040m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer
1 111x55462x ACE HIGH H 4 David Payne
2 21x21x214x ADMIRE ROBSON (JPN) H 5 Darren Weir
3 113x16041x ALIZEE M 4 James Cummings
4 16x503768x ALOISIA (NZ) M 4 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
5 5x0x92834x AMBITIOUS (JPN) H 7 Anthony Freedman
6 1186112x8x ANGELUCCI (NZ) G 5 Lloyd Kennewell
7 1x4205138x ARBEITSAM G 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
8 1x ASHARANI F 3 David Vandyke
9 11x3326x1x AVILIUS (GB) G 5 James Cummings
10 1x BEAT THE BANK (GB) G 5 Andrew Balding
11 321x1x BENBATL (GB) H 5 Saeed Bin Suroor
12 4480x0221x BETTYRAE RUBY M 5 Tim Hughes
13 2x11x BLAIR HOUSE (IRE) G 6 Charlie Appleby
14 1111x1160x BONNEVAL (NZ) M 5 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
15 934100x21x BOOM TIME H 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
16 1x BROROCCO (GB) G 6 Andrew Balding
17 222x1x334x CALIBRATION (IRE) H 5 Darren Weir
18 30x603717x CATCHY M 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
19 51x12446x CLIFFS OF MOHER (IRE) H 5 Aidan O’Brien
20 60x312561x COMIN’ THROUGH G 5 Chris Waller
21 x2x533x98x DANON LIBERTY (JPN) H 7 Darren Weir
22 11x13714x D’ARGENTO H 4 Chris Waller
23 2133230x0x DEAUVILLE (IRE) H 6 Aidan O’Brien
24 581111329x DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR G 6 Tony McEvoy
25 54x217549x DOUGLAS MACARTHUR (IRE) G 5 Liam Howley
26 70x400521x EGG TART M 5 Chris Waller
27 3x4213x EL DORADO DREAMING F 3 Benjamin Smith
28 EMOTIONLESS (IRE) H 6 Charlie Appleby
29 35x135x16x FOLKSWOOD (GB) G 6 Charlie Appleby
30 417801x FUTOOH F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
31 11x GEM SONG C 3 Kris Lees
32 11x GOLD MAG (NZ) G 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
33 211x GOOD ’N’ FAST C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
34 11x GRAFF C 3 Kris Lees
35 3x1111x GRUNT (NZ) H 4 Mick Price
36 HAPPILY (IRE) M 4 Aidan O’Brien
37 1262x1213x HAPPY CLAPPER G 8 Patrick Webster
38 867x28167x HARLEM (GB) G 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
39 12343x312x HIYAAM (NZ) M 4 Mick Price
40 139x15233x HOLY SNOW H 4 Mick Price
41 412153x16x HOMESMAN (USA) G 5 Liam Howley
42 3520x4184x HUMIDOR (NZ) G 6 Darren Weir
43 HUNTING HORN (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
44 213x HUSH WRITER (JPN) H 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
45 HYDRANGEA (IRE) M 5 Aidan O’Brien
46 6525x2124x INSTANT DE REVE (FR) G 6 Chris Waller
47 311x68139x JON SNOW (NZ) H 5 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
48 11x6260x1x KAONIC (NZ) H 4 Chris Waller
49 7x5252720x KASPERSKY (IRE) H 8 Michelle Payne
50 0x11130x2x KEMENTARI H 4 James Cummings
51 331x11111x KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) G 5 Darren Weir
52 2x4452622x LANCASTER BOMBER (USA) H 5 Aidan O’Brien
53 1x LANGLEY (JPN) H 8 Darren Weir
54 LATROBE (IRE) H 4 Joseph O’Brien
55 250x74232x LE ROMAIN G 6 Kris Lees
56 13310x LEAN MEAN MACHINE C 3 Chris Waller
57 114x39770x LORD FANDANGO (GER) H 6 Archie Alexander
58 LUCIUS TIBERIUS (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
59 MAGIC WAND (IRE) M 4 Aidan O’Brien
60 331x2221x MANTASTIC (IRE) G 5 Darren Weir
61 22x56x430x MEROVEE H 4 Chris Waller
62 1x MIG ENERGY G 3 Brent Stanley
63 12741x780x MIGHTY BOSS H 4 Mick Price
64 13323x MILSEAIN (NZ) M 4 Kris Lees
65 2x MISS FABULASS F 3 Kris Lees
66 1x MORE SUNDAYS C 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
67 0x4x57x15x MR GARCIA (GB) G 6 Darren Weir
68 363x27314x MR MOONLIGHT MAGIC (GB) H 6 James Cummings
69 13x MURLESS (NZ) G 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
70 x39x1x1x3x NEOREALISM (JPN) H 8 Noriyuki Hori
71 1x7433923x NETTOYER M 5 Wendy Roche
72 116412141x NIGHT’S WATCH (NZ) G 5 Darren Weir
73 5108x NOT A SINGLE CENT C 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
74 3x OCEAN EMPEROR (NZ) H 7 Gary Hennessy
75 2x32322x OOHOOD F 3 Tony McEvoy
76 x2x115627x ORDEROFTHEGARTER (IRE) H 5 Liam Howley
77 83x222415x OREGON’S DAY M 5 Mick Price
78 2x3110328x OUR VENICE BEACH (IRE) H 5 Liam Howley
79 73211x209x PAYROLL M 6 Richard Laming
80 PHARRELL (FR) H 4 Jean-Claude Rouget
81 x121122x1x PIERATA H 4 Gregory Hickman
82 1111x31x3x PLEIN CIEL (GER) G 6 Darren Weir
83 13173x5x POETIC DREAM (IRE) H 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
84 1x2x122x POET’S WORD (IRE) H 6 Sir Michael Stoute
85 20x242630x PRIZED ICON H 5 Kris Lees
86 x025x2347x RADIPOLE (IRE) G 6 Michael Moroney
87 32x11x5x0x RED CARDINAL (IRE) G 7 Darren Weir
88 53722x240x RED EXCITEMENT G 9 Gerald Ryan
89 RHODODENDRON (IRE) M 5 Aidan O’Brien
90 42x315117x RIVEN LIGHT (IRE) G 7 William Mullins
91 1x76x2115x ROMAN SON G 5 Richard Freedman
92 x14312533x ROMANCER (NZ) G 5 Darren Weir
93 ROSTROPOVICH (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
94 2720x2220x SAMOVARE M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
95 34x110x SANTOS C 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
96 x2x38x947x SATONO RASEN (JPN) H 7 Chris Waller
97 112133115x SAVVY COUP (NZ) M 4 Michael & Matthew Pitman
98 SAXON WARRIOR (JPN) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
99 3x11x SCOTT BASE (NZ) G 4 Johno Benner
100 4x31591x SEABROOK (NZ) F 3 Mick Price
101 057x77326x SEABURGE H 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
102 611212112x SELF SENSE G 8 David Brideoake
103 3361x8899x SENSE OF OCCASION G 8 Kris Lees
104 SEPTEMBER (IRE) M 4 Aidan O’Brien
105 SHAMWOW (NZ) F 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
106 1x076x462x SHILLELAGH (NZ) M 7 Chris Waller
107 112x1295x SIEGE OF QUEBEC H 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
108 1x4711224x SILENT WARRIOR G 5 Stuart Gower
109 31x691420x SIR JOHN LAVERY (IRE) H 5 Liam Howley
110 1303x0436x SIRCCONI G 4 Peter Morgan
111 750x55211x SIXTIES GROOVE (IRE) G 6 Darren Weir
112 11x SMART ELISSIM G 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
113 11x SMART MELODY F 3 Kris Lees
114 2249x1110x SPANISH REEF M 5 Ken Keys
115 1213x SPANISH WHISPER F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
116 x11432x80x SULLY (NZ) G 4 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
117 11x THE AUGUST C 3 Brent Stanley
118 111x THE AUTUMN SUN C 3 Chris Waller
119 THE PENTAGON (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
120 6925041x8x THE TAJ MAHAL (IRE) H 5 Liam Howley
121 131x THINKIN’ BIG C 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
122 THREEANDFOURPENCE (USA) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
123 230x25828x TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) G 8 Chris Waller
124 1x5x4x1x2x TOSEN BASIL (JPN) H 7 Darren Weir
125 3x60x11x TOULOUSE G 3 David Payne
126 11116x632x TRAP FOR FOOLS G 5 Jarrod McLean
127 x1611x8x1x UGO FOSCOLO (NZ) G 5 Stephen Marsh
128 x111x0121x UNFORGOTTEN M 4 Chris Waller
129 URBAN FOX (GB) M 5 William Haggas
130 00x437829x VENTURA STORM (IRE) G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig
131 1153x6830x WHEAL LEISURE M 5 Archie Alexander
132 5x213x WHITELEY C 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
133 11111x111x WINX M 7 Chris Waller
134 54x311113x YOUNGSTAR M 4 Chris Waller
135 146122x ZOUSAIN C 3 Chris Waller

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.