Hugh Bowman and Chris Waller with the Ladbrokes Cox Plate after Winx's 2017 victory.
The Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) and Racing Victoria are delighted to announce that the prizemoney for the Ladbrokes Cox Plate will increase to $5m for the 2018 renewal.
This year we will witness the 98th running of the MVRC’s signature race. The W.S. Cox Plate is ‘The Race Where Legends Are Made’ and this significant prizemoney increase is reflective of the exalted status of our great race, both here in Australia and around the world.
Prizemoney for the W.S. Cox Plate increased to $3m in 2002 when the race formed the Australian leg of the World Series of Racing. Since Northerly’s victory in 2002, the W.S. Cox Plate has continued to deliver some of the most brilliant racing moments, including So You Think’s double in 2009 and 2010, Adelaide becoming the first internationally trained winner in 2014, and Winx becoming a three-time Cox Plate legend in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
With this increase in prizemoney, the Ladbrokes Cox Plate is the richest Group 1 Weight-For-Age race in Australia and the richest Group 1 turf race at 2000 metres in the world.
“This is a tremendous day for the Moonee Valley Racing Club and the Ladbrokes Cox Plate. This prizemoney increase is a significant boost for our great race and ensures that the Cox Plate remains the pinnacle of Australian racing,” said MVRC Chairman Don Casboult.
“The Cox Plate Honour Roll features the greatest horses we have seen race in Australia over the past 97 years. As we move towards the 100th running of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate in 2020, the Club has been committed to securing this uplift to prizemoney to ensure we continue to attract the best horses from Australia and overseas.
“This prizemoney increase has been delivered through the strong relationship that the MVRC has with Racing Victoria. I thank Racing Victoria for their tremendous support of our drive to achieve this outcome. I also thank our major partner Ladbrokes for their support of the MVRC and the Cox Plate.
“Next week, the Club will issue invitations to the best international WFA middle distance turf horses to travel to Melbourne to contest the Ladbrokes Cox Plate on Saturday 27 October. Over the coming years, the Club will continue to develop the international profile of the Cox Plate and we believe that prizemoney of $5m will be very tempting to connections of these horses,” Casboult said.
“This is one of the premiere Weight-For-Age races in the world and, as a company, we know full well its value, which is why we didn’t hesitate in putting our name to it for eight years,” said Jason Scott, Ladbrokes Australia CEO.
“To have the recognition in prizemoney is not only a great thing for the race moving forward, but recognition of the tireless work Michael Browell and his team have put in building it to the event that it is today. Because that’s what it is now. Not just a race, but an event,” said Scott.
Under the new prizemoney structure, the winner of the 2018 Ladbrokes Cox Plate will receive $3m. Prizemoney will now extend down to 10th place.
Nominations for the 2018 Ladbrokes Cox Plate close on Tuesday, 7 August 2018.