The 2023 Cox Plate (2040m) has attracted a field of 12 runners vying for Australasia’s weight-for-age championship at Moonee Valley on Saturday afternoon.
Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior is set to jump from barrier seven as favourite with horse racing betting sites in Saturday’s $5 million feature.
James McDonald will stick on board the market elect, with Romantic Warrior seemingly taking great improvement from his run in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) when finishing fourth.
Reigning Melbourne Cup (3200m) champion Gold Trip will back up from finishing third in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup (2400m) and jump from barrier eight in the Cox Plate.
Having partnered Without A Fight to victory in the Caulfield Cup, Mark Zahra will hop back on board Gold Trip and look to add a third Group 1 to the horse’s already glittering record.
Northern Hemisphere three-year-old Victoria Road will make his Australian debut on Saturday for trainer Joseph O’Brien, with Blake Shinn taking the ride from barrier six.
Alligator Blood (5) and Mr Brightside (2) have drawn perfectly for their respective racing styles and are back to right the wrongs of last year’s Cox Plate, where the pair both ran below market expectations.
Fresh off her win in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m), Fangirl is one of two mares in the race and will be partnered by Hong Kong-based hoop Zac Purton.
King Colorado (10) and Militarize (3) come in as the only three-year-olds (Southern Hemisphere) in the race, with in-form jockeys Michael Dee and Zac Lloyd both getting down to 49.5kg for Saturday’s race.
Zaaki, My Oberon, Pinstriped and Duais round out a stacked field for the 2023 Cox Plate, which is race nine on Saturday’s card at Moonee Valley.
Cox Plate 2023 field
| No. | Silks | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
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