Preview of the 2015 Cox Plate
From John Hawthorne: June 2015

As one of the premiere horse races in the Southern Hemisphere, it's never too soon to take stock of the upcoming Cox Plate. The Plate has long been a staple of Australian racing program, maintaining its position as the feature race held during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. This year's race is scheduled to be held at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Saturday 24th October.

Race Conditions

The Plate is a Group 1 event run at 2040m (just over 1 1/4 miles) on turf for three-year-olds and upward. The race is run at weight-for-age allowance conditions. With an estimated purse of AUS$3.0 million, the Plate is the richest event in the world with allowance race conditions.

Race History

The Plate was first run in 1922. After spending six years (1999-2005) as part of the international Grand Prix group of races (King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, the Dubai World Cup, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Classic among others), the Plate is still considered one of the most prestigious races in the world. Through the years, some of the greatest horses is Australia's rich racing history have won the Plate. They include Phar Lap (1930 & 1931), Chatham (1932), Rising Fast (1954), Kingston Town (1980-1982), Sunline (2000 & 2001), So You Think (2009 & 2010) and last year's winner Adelaide. In the trainer column, legendary trainer T.J. Smith won the race seven times while Darby Munro holds the riding record at five victories for a jockey.

This Year's Competitors

As always, this year's field will be restricted to 14 runners. Initial nominations are due by August with the first round of declarations released in September and final declarations released in early October. The final Cox Plate field will be determined at the ceremonial barrier draw held one week before the race. This year's field is shaping up as a wide open event, assuring the Cox Plate results will render a good payoff. Sports books odds currently list future book prices for 47 runners, ranging from 7-1 all the way up to 101-1. The current future book favourite is Able Friend at 7-1 followed closely by Contributer at 8-1. Here is a quick analysis on the top four favourites.

Able Friend (7-1, bred in Australia) - With earnings of HK$52,333,500, Able Friend is currently ranked as the top horse in Hong Kong and perhaps one of the greatest in Hong Kong racing history. His current racing record stands at 18-12-4-1 with key victories coming in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (2014) and Champions Mile (2015).

Contributer (8-1, bred in Ireland) - Owned by the powerful Godolphin Stables, Contributer spent the first two years of his racing career running in Europe. After making a successful transition to racing in the Southern Hemisphere, he has rattled off three straight victories, including the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill.

Criterion (9-1, bred in New Zealand) - With 27 races under his belt, Criterion has establish himself as a true iron horse. As a 3-year-old, he annexed the Rosehill Guineas-G1 and the Australian Derby-G1 and recently won the Group I Queen Elizabeth Stakes-G1 at Randwick.

Pornichet (11-1, bred in Australia) - As a winner of four of eight races, Pornichet looks to be a young horse with a big future. His biggest accomplishment to date was his recent victory in the Doomben Cup-G1 at Doomben Race Course, the first Group 1 victory of his career.

Punters should start their search now for a reliable sportsbook, which provides the best Cox Plate odds and Cox Plate results. With several months to handicap, it's never too soon to put down wagers on one of Australia's classic horse racing events.

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