History

In honour of the founder of Moonee Valley, William Samuel Cox, the Moonee Valley Racing Club Committee decided to run a weight for age race over 2040m.

Offering a purse of 1000 Pounds, the W.S. Cox Plate was first run in 1922 and was won by imported stallion Violencello. He was a seven-year-old who the previous year had won the Caulfield Cup at only his fifth start in Australia after being brought out from England.

Strategically placed on the racing calendar between the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, the Tatts Cox Plate has become a race of great importance and prestige. It is regarded as the best weight for age race in Australasia and one of the most exciting race days in the world.

Since its introduction in 1922, the Tatts Cox Plate has always attracted a field of the best horses on offer. The who's who of the Australasian turf have won this race. Phar Lap, Kingston Town, Rising Fast, Dulcify, Gunsynd, Super Impose, Octagonal, Might and Power, Sunline, Northerly and more recently champion mare Makybe Diva (pictured right), Fields Of Omagh and in 2008 Maldivian have all etched their names on the W.S. Cox Plate Wall of Champions that now takes pride of place in the Octagonal Lounge.

Today the Tatts Cox Plate carries total prize money of $3,050,000. It is the second richest race in Australia behind the Melbourne Cup.

The Tatts Cox Plate has provided racegoers with many great turf memories and will continue to for many more years to come.

Renowned journalist and author Les Carlyon once wrote;

"For a scribbler casting around pearls, the Cox Plate has become a tease. The problem is: how do you write about the race without appearing to slobber ?

I'll explain. The Moonee Valley Racing Club, rather like that good colt Shakespeare in his Classic year, insists on staging masterpiece after masterpiece. They gave us the Kingston Town trilogy; that used up a few pearls. Then as a variation, they staged the Bonecrusher - Our Waverley Star slugfest. And how do you follow that ?"

 

 

Past Winners

Tatts Cox Plate (Group 1)
2040 Metres
STANDARD WEIGHT-FOR-AGE.