MV On Track 2018

ON TRACK MAGAZINE 13 LADBROKES COX PLATE PRIZEMONEY SOARS TO $5M The Moonee Valley Racing Club and Racing Victoria were delighted to announce on June 1 that the prizemoney for the Ladbrokes Cox Plate will increase to $5m for the 2018 renewal. This year we will witness the 98th running of the MVRC’s signature race. The W.S. Cox Plate is ‘The Race Where Legends Are Made’ and this significant prizemoney increase is reflective of the exalted status of our great race, both here in Australia and around the world. Prizemoney for the W.S. Cox Plate increased to $3m in 2002 when the race formed the Australian leg of the World Series of Racing. Since Northerly’s victory in 2002, the W.S. Cox Plate has continued to deliver some of the most brilliant racing moments, including So You Think’s double in 2009 and 2010, Adelaide becoming the first internationally trained winner in 2014, and Winx becoming a three-time Cox Plate legend in 2015, 2016 and 2017. With this increase in prizemoney, the Ladbrokes Cox Plate is the richest Group 1 Weight-For-Age race in Australia and the richest Group 1 turf race at 2000 metres in the world. “This is a tremendous announcement for the Moonee Valley Racing Club and the Ladbrokes Cox Plate. This prizemoney increase is a significant boost for our great race and ensures that the Cox Plate remains the pinnacle of Australian racing,” said MVRC Chairman Don Casboult. “The Cox Plate Honour Roll features the greatest horses we have seen race in Australia over the past 97 years. As we move towards the 100th running of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate in 2020, the Club has been committed to securing this uplift to prizemoney to ensure we continue to attract the best horses from Australia and overseas. “This prizemoney increase has been delivered through the strong relationship that the MVRC has with Racing Victoria. I thank Racing Victoria for their tremendous support of our drive to achieve this outcome. I also thank our major partner Ladbrokes for their support of the MVRC and the Cox Plate. Under the new prizemoney structure, the winner of the 2018 Ladbrokes Cox Plate will receive $3m. Prizemoney will now extend down to 10th place.