With this afternoon’s announcement that the 2020 Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final will be held at the GABBA in Brisbane on October 24 at night, the Moonee Valley Racing Club is excited for the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate to form one of the biggest days in Australian sport.
Saturday, October 24 is now a date many will look forward to with anticipation as we celebrate two iconic sporting events. It will be LEGENDARY!
“This announcement will see Ladbrokes Cox Plate 100 take centre stage on a day that will see the first AFL Grand Final played at night. With the proposed Victorian Public Holiday on Friday 23 October coinciding with the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Meeting, and the NRL Grand Final to be played on Sunday 25 October, this promises to be an incredible weekend of world-class sport across Australia,” said Michael Browell, MVRC CEO.
“The Club is grateful to AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan, Managing Director of Seven Melbourne Lewis Martin and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events and Minister for Racing Martin Pakula for collaborating with us so closely over the past few months to negotiate this outcome, which is a win-win for all parties.”
“To celebrate our raceday in such a significant year with the 100th running of the W.S. Cox Plate with another national sporting event as treasured as the AFL Grand Final is a brilliant outcome for both sporting events in a year where sporting bodies need to work together in close cohesion,” said Browell.
The MVRC will be working closely with the AFL and host broadcaster of both events, Seven West Media (Channel 7), to ensure a quality broadcast befitting of both Ladbrokes Cox Plate 100 and the AFL Grand Final. The Club will now finalise the race times in conjunction with Channel 7 for Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day, including the time for the running of Ladbrokes Cox Plate 100.
With the possibility that COVID-19 restrictions will see Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day at The Valley conducted without spectators, planning is currently underway with Channel 7 and Racing.Com on how to elevate the raceday telecast to capture the significance of the 100th running of ‘The Race Where Legends Are Made’ to lounge rooms across Australia and the world.
The MVRC’s first raceday broadcast on Channel 7 for the new 2020/21 season will be Ladbrokes Cox Plate Qualifier Day this Saturday, whereby the winner of the Ladbrokes Feehan Stakes will receive the only ‘Golden Ticket’ into the final field of the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate.