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51-494: The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club at Moonee Valley Racecourse , Melbourne , Australia in late October. The race has a purse of A$ 5,000,000. The race is named in honour of William Samuel (W. S.) Cox ,

102-534: A handicap (expecting the European Free Handicap ), may not be divided into two or more divisions, may not have a standard entry fee exceeding 2% of the purse, must be open to geldings (excepting Group 1 races restricted to two- or three-year-olds), and must have a permanent element in the title. In addition, Group 1 races may only have sex and weight-for-age allowances, with no other weight penalties. France, Germany, Great Britain, and Ireland are

153-404: A 4-year-old mare and in doing so set a new track record. She returned in 2016 when the race boasted a stellar field including the high class Godolphin star Hartnell . Winx and Hartnell looked set for a dream showdown approaching the home bend before Hugh Bowman flicked the switch on Winx, who accelerated away to score by a record breaking margin of eight lengths. In 2017, the champion mare started

204-568: A comprehensive Pattern of black type races with an emphasis on high-class, non-handicap races, limited in number and spread throughout the season to encourage the best horses to face each other. With the general principles laid out, Lord Porchester headed a further committee in 1967 to identify specific races, both in Britain and in other countries. By the late 1960s, a state of crisis had developed with regards to international racing in Europe. At

255-577: A future Cox Plate winner in Fields of Omagh . Better Loosen Up was 30 lengths from the lead, with 1000 metres to run, before winning the 1990 Plate in record time. He later became the first – and remains the only – Australian horse to win the Japan Cup . The eight-year-old Super Impose won in 1992 and defeated a top-class field which included Better Loosen Up , Let's Elope and favourite Naturalism , who lost his rider. Naturalism went on to run second in

306-438: A holdup at the barrier caused a delay of some five minutes, Bill Williamson the jockey decided to remain in the saddle, together with the lead weights making a very heavy burden for Rising Fast. Rising Fast began well, but in the last 200 metres he was jostled offstride by Toporoa ridden by Neville Sellwood and came a close second. The crowd expected jockey Williamson to protest, but owner Leicester Spring philosophically declared it

357-646: A list of Cox Plate winning horses, see List of Cox Plate winners . The favourite in the Cox Plate has an overall win rate of 41%. Favourites starting at less than $ 2.00 (Even money – 1/1) have a win rate of 70%. Phar Lap has the record of shortest favourite at $ 1.07 (1/14 on) in 1931. More recently Winx started favourite at $ 1.10 (1/10 on) in 2017 on her way to winning her record-equalling third Cox Plate and in 2018 at her record-breaking fourth win she started at 1.20. Group races The International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee (IRPAC), part of

408-618: A list of Principal Races that qualified for black type. By the mid-1980s, international agreement had been made that all graded/group races would qualify for black type designation. In 1985, concern was raised regarding a lack of opportunity to earn black type in North American compared to Europe due to the lower percentage of stakes races. This led to the development of ungraded or non-listed black type races in North America. In 1985, unrestricted allowance or handicap races with

459-642: A minimum for the race's age/sex division, or it loses black type status. From 1971 to 1984, the top three finishers in a Graded/Group race were granted black type status. In 1985, this was expanded to the top four finishers in Graded/Group races and the top three finishers in qualified races in North America. Starting in 1989, races in Part III countries were no longer recognized as black type and rules were amended so that only in Group/Grade 1 races were

510-480: A purse of $ 30,000 or greater were given black type status and designated with a Q for Qualified Race. Other added money or black type races were designated with an O or OR. In 1986, new rules for black type status in North American races were drawn up, defining listed stakes with purses of $ 50,000 or more and other added-money stakes with purses of $ 15,000 (raised to $ 20,000 in 1987) to $ 49,999. The minimum purse to qualify for black type status for other added-money stakes

561-599: A second off the race record in a front-running display to win in 1959. Tulloch , who is often compared to Phar Lap and Carbine , won the following year and again set a new race record. Tobin Bronze became a dual winner of the race with victories in 1966 and 1967. The 1969 Cox Plate was won by the New Zealand three-year-old colt Daryl's Joy , who went on to race successfully in the USA. The popular Goondiwindi grey, Gunsynd ,

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612-650: Is the accepted authority for Group and Listed status in Australia. In Europe the designation of flat races is agreed by the European Pattern Committee. The Committee grades races depending on the average official ratings achieved by the first four finishers in a race over a three-year period. There is no minimum purse money across Europe. The breakdown is as follows: Under the European Pattern, Group and Listed races may not be run as

663-637: Is the accepted authority for Group and Listed status in the United Arab Emirates. The designation of graded status for jumps races is determined by individual countries. Among countries that run recognized jump races, the Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States recognize some sort of Group/Grade status for jump races. Rising Fast Rising Fast (1949 - 1978)

714-676: The Canadian International Stakes , the Grosser Preis von Baden , the Irish Champion Stakes , the Breeders' Cup Turf and the Breeders' Cup Classic . Past winners of the Cox Plate include many of the champion racehorses of Australia and New Zealand . Winx has been the most successful, winning four years in a row (2015–2018) and Kingston Town won the race three times. Many horses have won

765-665: The Japan Cup . Australian Horse of the Year Octagonal defeated Mahogany in 1995, while Saintly gave Bart Cummings his second winner of the race in 1996 and Dane Ripper his third winner the following year. The 'People's Champion' Might and Power led throughout to win in 1998, setting a new track record not to be broken for 17 years. In a front-running display, Sunline won the 1999 Cox Plate and returned in 2000 to win again by seven lengths (equalling Dulcify's winning margin), before West Australian champion Northerly defeated her in 2001 and 2002. In 2004, Savabeel became

816-831: The Jockey Club of Canada established the Canadian Graded Stakes Committee to take over the task. In 2012, the North American International Cataloging Standards Committee announced the implementation of additional quality control requirements for non-listed black type races in North America. The Organización Sudamericana de Fomento del Sangre Pura de Carrera (OSAF) oversees the grading of stakes races in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The Asian Pattern Committee

867-641: The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival . The 1925 race was taken out by three-year-old Manfred , who went on to win the VRC Derby and ran second to Windbag in the Melbourne Cup. The class gallopers Heroic (21 wins from 51 races) and Amounis (33 wins from 78 races) were successful in 1926 and 1927. Champion New Zealand-bred Nightmarch won in 1929 before Phar Lap took out the race in 1930 and 1931. Another dual winner of

918-604: The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe , Kentucky Derby , Melbourne Cup , Japan Cup , and Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini . Group/Grade 2 Races that have significant international importance, but are below a championship standard. Examples include the Doncaster Cup , Black-Eyed Susan Stakes , Sandown Guineas , Daily Hai Nisai Stakes , and Grande Prêmio Bento Gonçalves . Group/Grade 3 Other races of note, mainly of national rather than international importance. Examples include

969-588: The Royal Whip Stakes , British Columbia Derby , Hawkesbury Gold Cup , and Challenge Cup . Listed Races below the standard of graded or group races, but still run by horses of notable merit and performance quality. In 1943, Lord Ilchester 's Racing Reorganisation Committee first proposed the idea of a planned racing program for Great Britain. This idea was returned to in 1965, when the Duke of Norfolk 's Pattern of Racing Committee proposed formalizing

1020-667: The Sha Tin Racecourse . The Asian Pattern Committee is the accepted authority for Group and Listed status in Japan, and the Japanese Graded Stakes Committee monitors and approves the grading system. All Japan Racing Association (JRA) graded stakes were opened to foreign-trained horses in 2010. In the United States and Canada, the equivalent are known as graded stakes races . The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) manages

1071-581: The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) began a project grading North American stakes races and American races were first designated with graded designations, mirroring group designations in Europe. The categorical system stakes races began to spread to other countries, with Germany and Italy soon joining Great Britain, France, and Ireland in the European Pattern, Brazil starting to designate group races in 1975, Australia introducing group races in 1976, New Zealand doing

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1122-544: The blue ribbon events of the carnival, racing aficionados generally agree the weight-for-age Cox Plate is the contest that establishes genuine champions. Nowadays, the Melbourne Cup is internationally known and Rising Fast was aiming for his sixth successive win. Race-goers still remember that the nine stone five pounds (59.5 kg) Rising Fast carried to win the cup in 1954, has only been exceeded by Rain Lover who carried nine stone seven pound (60.5 kg) in 1969. Nor has

1173-511: The 1984 Washington, D.C. International at Laurel . In 1984, Red Anchor became trainer T.J. Smith 's seventh Cox Plate winner. The 1986 Cox Plate was a two-horse war over the final 800 metres before Bonecrusher triumphed over Our Waverley Star by a neck. This encounter became known as the Race of the Century . Rubiton , the winner in 1987, went on to a successful stud career where he sired

1224-772: The ARB is accepted by the International Cataloguing Standards Committee (ICSC) for publication by The Jockey Club (US) in The Blue Book , thus providing international recognition for Australia's best races. Minimum purse values for group races in Australia are as follows: Australia has a total of approximately 540 to 550 Group races from a season total of almost 21,000 races. These races were collectively known as Principal Races until about 1979. Handicap races in Australia are eligible for group status. The Asian Pattern Committee

1275-497: The American Graded Stakes Committee, which manages the determination of black type and grading of races in the United States. Minimum purse requirements for races are as follows: Graded races may be run in divisions (so long as the total purse among all the divisions is at least 150% that of the original purse) and may be handicaps. From 1973 to 1997, TOBA also graded Canadian races, but in 1998

1326-586: The Cox Plate as the shortest priced favourite since Phar Lap at $ 1.10 aiming for her 22nd successive win. After receiving a scare down the straight in the final 200m from Humidor, Winx pulled off an incredible victory to join Kingston Town in becoming just the second triple winner of the title. Winx completed the course in a time of 2 min 2.94 and in doing so broke the track record she previously set in 2015. In 2018 Winx launched herself into true equine legend status winning an unprecedented fourth Cox Plate. For

1377-504: The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), enforces quality standards for the designation of group and graded races internationally. The Group race system divides races into one of four categories, based on their prestige and quality. Group/Grade 1 The highest level, for races with major international importance considered to be of championship standard, including Classics . Examples include

1428-514: The Pattern are gradual and evolutionary, thereby giving the racing industry time to adjust. In particular, the current European Pattern Committee "Ground Rules" explicitly state that no race may be upgraded by more than one Group in any one year. Great Britain has minimum purse values for some group races, as follows: There are 31 Group races held in Hong Kong . All group 1 races were held in

1479-783: The United States Graded Stakes Committee granted the seven new Breeders' Cup races Grade 1 status, despite having never been run before, an unprecedented move. In 2015, the Commonwealth Cup became the first new race inaugurated with Group 1 status in the history of the European Pattern. In 1952, for their sales catalogs, Fasig-Tipton began to designate stakes winners in a pedigree using bold-face type, with winners in all caps and stakes-placed runners in mixed case, in an attempt to show buyers and breeders horses and races of note. Keeneland followed suit in 1960. In 1963, Blood Horse published

1530-503: The first 3-year-old to win since Octagonal. In 2005, Makybe Diva triumphed and became one of the most popular horses in Australian racing history with an unprecedented third Melbourne Cup win 10 days later. Fields of Omagh won his second Cox Plate in 2006, having already won in 2003, then finished second in 2004 and third behind Makybe Diva in 2005. In 2007, El Segundo won the Cox Plate, avenging his close defeat to Fields of Omagh

1581-581: The first edition of Cataloguing Standards for foreign racing. Two years later, the Jockey Club Statistical Bureau took over publication. The International Cataloguing Standards Committee (ICSC) and Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers (SITA) later defined more precisely specific races in which horses could earn black type. In 1971, the Australian Conference of Principal Race Clubs (ACPRC) developed

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1632-410: The increase in international racing. British, French, and Irish authorities met in 1970 to discuss developing a Pattern race system, and in 1971 the European Pattern Committee was established and the first European Pattern published. European authorities began to push North American jurisdictions to develop a similar system designating prominent races to promote international competition. In 1973,

1683-571: The member countries of the European Pattern Committee, with Italy, Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), and Turkey as associate members. The pattern system, overseen by the European Pattern Committee, is fluid and the Group status of key races can change. By this method, the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot was upgraded from Group 2 to Group 1 in the year 2000. However, a number of checks and balances are in place which ensure that changes to

1734-578: The next year. The double with the Melbourne Cup has only been achieved by seven horses: Makybe Diva , Might and Power , Saintly , Nightmarch , Phar Lap, Delta and Rising Fast. Only three horses have ever won the Melbourne Cup and then gone on to win the Cox Plate the following year: Phar Lap, Might and Power and Makybe Diva. The first Cox Plate was run in 1922 and won by the English horse Violoncello, who also won his next three starts during

1785-510: The race been won since by any top weighted horse, wearing number one saddle cloth, until Makybe Diva did so in 2005. Rising Fast finished the 1954 season with wins which included the Turnbull Stakes , Caulfield Stakes , Caulfield Cup , Cox Plate , Melbourne Cup, LKS Mackinnon Stakes and VRC C.B.Fisher Plate during a great spring campaign. Rising Fast was ridden in the 1954 events by Melbourne jockey Bill Williamson but when he

1836-458: The race twice, including Phar Lap , Flight , Tobin Bronze , Sunline , Northerly , Fields of Omagh , and So You Think . Only one horse has ever won the race in the same year as winning the Melbourne and Caulfield cups, Rising Fast (1954), considered by many to be the greatest-ever horse from New Zealand. One other horse, Might & Power, has won all 3 races but the Cox Plate win was in

1887-399: The race was Chatham in 1932 and 1934, as was Young Idea in 1936 and 1937. The 1938 race was won by Ajax (36 wins from 46 races) in race record time. Outstanding New Zealand champion Beau Vite , a winner of 31 races, won in 1940 and 1941. Due to restrictions on interstate travel due to World War II, the race was only contested by local horses from 1942 to 1944. In 1946, the Cox Plate

1938-757: The racing club's founder. It was first run on Saturday 28 October 1922 with a purse of £1,000. Between 1999–2005 the event was included in the Emirates World Series Racing Championship, a global "grand prix" of horse racing. The series included the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot , the Japan Cup , the Dubai World Cup , the Arlington Million , the Hong Kong Cup ,

1989-475: The same in 1979, and Japan implementing a graded race structure in 1984, among other countries. In 1983, the International Cataloguing Standards Committee (ICSC) and Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers were created and the first International Cataloguing Standards Booklet was published, with the objective of preventing discrepancies and imbalances in the designation of Group or Grade and black type status among different jurisdictions. In 1984,

2040-460: The time, weight penalties were determined by the amount of money won. French races were significantly richer than those in other European countries, resulting in complaints that many important French races were being "plundered" by foreign horses carrying less weight. Pressure was being applied to restrict races to only horses trained in France in order to prevent this, which would have greatly hampered

2091-616: The top four finishers granted black type. The following year, the rules were once again amended, so that only the top three finishers in black type races are granted black type status. The recognition of the black type status of jump races is based on regional preference. In Australia , the Australian Pattern Committee recommends to the Australian Racing Board (ARB) which races shall be designated as Group races. The list of races approved by

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2142-453: The year before. In 2008, Maldivian led all the way to claim victory, while So You Think , at just his fifth career start, was an easy winner in 2009, giving Bart Cummings his fourth training victory in the race. In 2013, Shamus Award recorded his first career win in the Cox Plate, a unique achievement for a WFA race of such high standing. He gained a start only due to the scratching of dominant favourite Atlantic Jewel. Winx won in 2015 as

2193-493: Was put down after breaking a pelvis during the race. One of only two triple winners of the Cox Plate, Kingston Town , won in 1980, 1981 and 1982. On each occasion he was ridden by a different jockey: Malcolm Johnston in 1980, Ron Quinton in 1981, and Peter Cook in 1982. After winning in 1983, Strawberry Road raced in Europe and the US, where he ran fifth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp and third to Seattle Song in

2244-661: Was a bay or brown gelding by Alonzo (GB) and from the mare Faster, by Mr. Standfast. Alonzo was a poorly performed racehorse having only won one race on the flat and one over the hurdles in England. Faster was unplaced at her only two starts, but produced seven winners from ten foals. Rising Fast was purchased at the 1950 New Zealand National Sales for 325 guineas by first time racehorse owner, Leicester R. Spring. Raced by his owner Leicester Spring and trained by both Ivan Tucker and Fred Hoysted, Rising Fast's blue, gold and black colours soon became familiar on New Zealand race tracks. He

2295-522: Was a champion New Zealand -bred Thoroughbred racehorse who is the only horse to complete the Spring Grand Slam , winning the Melbourne Cup , Caulfield Cup , and Cox Plate in 1954. He also won the 1955 Caulfield Cup and came second in the 1955 Melbourne Cup . Rising Fast was bred by brothers Frank and Bruce Robertson at their Platform Lodge farm at Greytown in the Wairarapa . He

2346-490: Was a racing incident and the protest was not lodged. However, Neville Sellwood, the rider of Toporoa, was subsequently suspended for two months for interfering with the run of Rising Fast. Had Rising Fast won his record would have been two Caulfield Cups, a Cox Plate and two Melbourne Cups, and those wins would have been in successive years. When Rising Fast retired, the Moonee Valley Racing Club held

2397-411: Was a seasoned five-year-old when he made the sea voyage to Melbourne in 1954 for the spring ( Southern Hemisphere ) carnival. He was already well known in racing circles when he arrived, but his accomplishment of winning the Spring Grand Slam put him on front pages of newspapers in Australia, New Zealand and internationally. Although many people consider the Melbourne and Caulfield Cup handicaps to be

2448-663: Was raised to $ 25,000 starting in 1990. Over the years, the minimum purse for black type status in North American races has increased, and is $ 50,000 as of 2023. In 2012, the North American ICSC introduced a scoring system to determine whether or not non-listed stakes should be granted black type. Since 2014, each race is assigned a Race Quality Score (RQS), based on speed figures for the top four finishers with data from Bloodstock Research Information Services (BRIS), Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form , Equibase, and Thoro-Graph. The three-year average RQS must meet

2499-508: Was run in two divisions with the mare Flight winning the stronger division. She became a dual winner following her victory a year earlier. Hydrogen became the seventh dual winner of the race with victories in 1952 and 1953. The dual Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup winner Rising Fast won in 1954. Redcraze , a 32-race winner and New Zealand champion, took out the Plate in 1957 as a seven-year-old, ridden by George Moore . Noholme took nearly

2550-481: Was seriously injured prior to the Caulfield Cup he was replaced by Arthur Ward . Melbourne jockey Jack Purtell took over for his next races including the Melbourne Cup, but he was replaced by Bill Williamson the following year 1955 he again won the Caulfield Cup, for the second time. He was handicapped with the formidable top weight of ten stone in the 1955 Melbourne Cup. It was a very wet and heavy track,

2601-470: Was trainer Tommy Smith's third winner of the Cox Plate in 1972, and the New Zealand Derby winner Fury's Order staggered to victory on a bog track in 1975. Surround became the first three-year-old filly to win the race in 1976, when she defeated the VRC Derby winner Unaware. The ill-fated Dulcify strode away to win by seven lengths in 1979. He later started favourite in the Melbourne Cup but

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