Damian Lane will be hoping to again partner Lys Gracieux in the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate.
The Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) is excited to announce that connections of Japanese galloper Lys Gracieux has accepted the invitation to contest the $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 26 in Melbourne, Australia.
As the winner of the JRA Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen over 2200m on Sunday 23 June, Lys Gracieux, a five-year-old mare trained by Yoshito Yahagi, received an invitation to compete in the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate and is the first horse to become eligible for a AUD$2M bonus through the Ladbrokes Cox Plate International Series.
Under the conditions of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate International Bonus, as the winner of the 2019 Takarazuka Kinen, Lys Gracieux would win AUD$3M (¥225,000,000) first prizemoney plus a AUD$2M (¥150,000,000) bonus (total prizemoney plus bonus AUD$5M or ¥375,000,000) if the mare was to be successful in the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate.
Through a collaborative effort with Racing Victoria (RV), the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture (DA) granted permission for the Japanese-trained mare to travel to Victoria to compete in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate. Having competed in the QEII Cup in Hong Kong on 28 April 2019, Lys Gracieux did not meet the standard country residence requirements for importation to Australia, however following a joint submission from RV and global horse transporters IRT, DA granted approval on the basis of the existing stringent biosecurity requirements in place for racehorses travelling to Victoria via the Werribee International Horse Centre (WIHC), and that the horse will undergo additional pre-export testing.
“This is amazing coup for the MVRC and the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate given the world-class standing Lys Gracieux has,” said Michael Browell, MVRC CEO.
“The Ladbrokes Cox Plate International Bonus was introduced to complement our International Invitations strategy and by partnering with selected prestigious Group 1 races around the world, our aim was to continue to raise the profile of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate and secure the best horses from around the world to race at The Valley.
“We are thrilled to have secured a star Japanese Group 1 runner in Lys Gracieux at our first year of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate International Series.
“With Danceteria and Kluger also having accepted their invitations and a host of Australian and New Zealand horses targeting the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate, including the current favourite in Mystic Journey, we are set-up for a world-class field to be here at The Valley on October 26.
The second leg of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate International Series will be the Group 1 Juddmonte International to be run at York Racecourse on Wednesday 21 August.