History was made in front of a capacity crowd of over 20,000 at The Valley on Saturday as Via Sistina broke Winx’s track record for 2040m with an eight-length win in the 104th running of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate.

Via Sistina shatters Valley track record in historic 2024 Ladbrokes Cox Plate as James McDonald claims third consecutive win

<div class="raw-html-embed">History was made in front of a capacity crowd of over 20,000 at The Valley on Saturday as Via Sistina broke Winx’s track record for 2040m with an eight-length win in the 104th running of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate.
It was also a historic moment for champion jockey James McDonald, who joined Hugh Bowman and Brent Thomson as the only jockeys to win three consecutive Ladbrokes Cox Plates and became the fastest Australian rider to reach 100 Group 1 victories.
The performance by Via Sistina was described as ‘Winx-like’—the highest praise possible and fitting for what the Chris Waller-trained mare produced in Australia’s Best Race.
The dramas of the week added to the greatness of Via Sistina’s achievement.&nbsp;
Via Sistina’s time of 2.01.07 smashed the previous track record of 2.02.94 set by Winx in the third of her victories in 2017.&nbsp;
This was Chris Waller’s fifth Ladbrokes Cox Plate win, following Winx’s four-peat from 2015 to 2018, while James McDonald’s feat of three consecutive Ladbrokes Cox Plates on three different horses had only been achieved once before by Brent Thomson from 1977 to 1979.
Prognosis for Japanese trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida battled on gamely to hold down second, while three-year-old Broadsiding showed his promise, running into third.&nbsp;
Fittingly, James McDonald was the face of the 2024 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival as an official ambassador.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I love this race. I love this place.” 
 
James McDonald. Simply the best.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LEGENDARY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LEGENDARY</a> <a href="https://t.co/0ZBiTRYrgT">pic.twitter.com/0ZBiTRYrgT</a>
— Moonee Valley Racing Club (@TheValley) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheValley/status/1850293948293763209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Among the other 2024 Cox Plate Carnival ambassadors enjoying the festive atmosphere under perfect conditions at The Valley were Olympic gold medallists Shayna Jack and Breanna Throssell, and AFL Rising Star winner Ollie Dempsey.
Earlier in the day, Baraqiel secured his place to represent Moonee Valley Racing Club in Southside Racing’s $1 million slot race, The Meteorite, at Cranbourne on 23 November, claiming a 2¾-length victory in the Mittys McEwen Stakes.
Thirsty Merc had the crowd in full voice with their rendition of The Horses before the running of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate, creating a lively pre-race atmosphere. Their post-race concert then wrapped up the Carnival on a high, giving fans a final celebration to cap off an unforgettable 24 hours at The Valley.&nbsp;
Ladbrokes Gold Cup Night kicked off the Carnival on Friday. The 142nd running of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup saw Okita Soushi claim victory under Billy Egan for Ciaron Maher. Australian DJ CYRIL then brought the night to a close, thrilling the crowd with a high-energy, hour-long set.
The Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival supported Myeloma Australia by raising funds and awareness through Cox Plate Charity Pin sales. This marked the first year of a three-year partnership between the Club and the charity.</div>

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