The Cox Plate is a Thoroughbred horse race held yearly by the Moonee Valley Racing Club in honour of W.S. Cox, the club's founder. The race is a weight-for-age, unlike the Melbourne Cup, which is handicapped according to the ability as well as the age of the horse. It is open to three-year-olds and over, and the race distance is approximately two kilometres.
Originally referred to as the W.S. Cox Plate, the MVRC began using sponsorship with naming rights in the mid 90's with the first sponsor as motor car manufacturer, BMW. BMW held the rights for a few years, and it is currently sponsored by Carlton and United Breweries (CUB) and is called "The Carlton Draught Cox Plate".
In 1999 it was added as the only Southern Hemisphere race to be included in the World Series, a global "grand prix" of horse racing. This puts it alongside the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot, the Japan Cup, the Dubai World Cup, the Arlington Million, the Hong Kong International Cup, the Canadian International, the Grosser Preis Von Baden, the Irish Champion Stakes, and Breeders Cup Turf and Breeders Cup Classic.
Many horses have won the race twice, including Northerly and Phar Lap. Legend Kingston Town won three times in a row.
Amongst "serious" racegoers the race, as a test of horses, is regarded more highly than the Cup. Virtually all of the recent winners are truly outstanding racehorses, whereas some Cup winners are comparatively mediocre horses that have managed to fool the handicappers as to their potential.
See also: Australian horse-racing, Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival
Cox Plate Winners
External Links
External Links
