Cox focus on global rivals
RISING English star Cracksman heads a list of 13 international targets for this year’s $5 million Cox Plate.
In what looms as one of the most eagerly anticipated Cox Plates as Winx bids for a fourth win in the weight-forage championship, a host of global stars have been sounded out, including horses from the world’s leading stables.
Moonee Valley Racing Club is confident the $2 million boost in prizemoney, the first increase in 16 years, will provide more incentive for international representation.
“We have identified what we believe to be the best weight-for-age horses and we hope they are keen to take on Winx and create a brilliant spectacle,” MVRC chief executive Michael Browell said.
“We are confident we can entice horses on the world stage to compete at the Valley in the richest Group 1 turf race at 2000m in the world.”
Cracksman, an outstanding son of Frankel, has won seven of nine starts.
His most recent success was a narrow Group 1 victory in the 2400m Coronation Cup at Epsom last week.
With an international ranking of 125, the John Gosden-trained horse appears headed for more success at Royal Ascot this month.
Invitations have been sent to connections of the 13 horses pinpointed by the Monnee Valley club and Racing Victoria’s Paul Bloodworth and his team.
Four are from Japan, two from England, two from the United Arab Emirates, three from Aidan O’Brien’s Ireland operations, one from France, and one from the US.
No American-trained horse has contested the Cox Plate, but Bloodworth hopes to change that statistic with Yoshida, one of America’s best turf gallopers.