Cox Plate | Australia Melbourne Cup and Racing News

Maldavian put on a great display to win the $3 million Cox Plate 2008 today. Maldavian hit the turbo button on the final turn and lead all the way, winning from Zipping and the favourite Samantha Miss.

• Princess Coup $3.6
• Samantha Miss $4
• Zipping $8
• Alamosa $10
• Theseo $11
• Master Oreilly $12
• Sirmione $15
• Maldivian $16
• Zarita $21
• Gallant Tess $26
• Cest La Guerre $26
• Raheeb $51

View latest odds at Sportingbet.

The Cox Plate 2008 will follow the lead of another of the world’s great races the Kentucky Derby by allowing the owners to choose their own barriers. The $3 million race owners will want to hear their horse’s name early in the the draw though as no horse has won the Cox Plate from barriers 12 and 14. Also, most winners have jumped from the inside seven barriers. View the Cox Plate Final Field and odds.

El Segundo ($7) won the prestigious Cox Plate by two lengths from Wonderful World ($41) with Australia’s most highly-valued racehorse Haradasun ($5) was third.

Miss Finland, a five time Group 1 winner, was the Cox Plate favourite at $4 but only managed fourth spot.

An elite field of Cox Plate hopefuls will contest the prestigious $3 million weight-for-age contest this Saturday at Moonee Valley, in a race that is billed to be one of the highlights of this year’s Carnival.

World-class mare Miss Finland leads the betting and will make her run from the inside barrier. After good draws Haradasun (barrier 4) and El Segundo (barrier 7) firmed in the odds as close second favourites, with Devil Moon and Efficient not far behind. Eskimo Queen returns from her Caulfield Cup disaster, posing a definite threat along with Divine Madonna and Marasco.

The MVRC has decided on a capacity field of 14 to contest Australia’s premiere weight-for-age championship, the $3 million W.S Cox Plate over 2040m at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Dual Melbourne Cup winner and race favourite Makybe Diva drew ideally in gate 4 while the Bart Cummings trained 3-year-old Gods Own drew the outside gate.

The full field and barrier draw is listed below:

Number Horse Barrier
1 GREYS INN 2
2 LAD OF THE MANOR 7
3 SUPER KID 5
4 CONFECTIONER 12
5 DESERT WAR 1
6 FIELDS OF OMAGH 10
7 TOSEN DANDY 9
8 XCELLENT 13
9 OUTBACK PRINCE 6
10 MAKYBE DIVA 4
11 SKY CUDDLE 3
12 LOTTERIA 8
13 GOD’S OWN 14
14 HOTEL GRAND 11

Craig Williams has been booked to ride the Bart Cummings trained Caulfield Guineas winner Gods Own in the WS Cox Plate.

The star youngster was to be ridden by Melbourne apprentice Blake Shinn who had to forgo the ride after being suspended last week.

Leading Group 1 jockey Glen Boss rode the colt to his amazing victory on Saturday. Boss will stick with the Australian Horse of the Year and Cox Plate favourite Makybe Diva.

Williams was blasted by trainer David Hayes after being beaten on Confectioner in the G1 Yalumba Stakes won by new Caulfield Cup favourite El Segundo.

Confectioner can now only be included by the discretionary powers of the Melbourne Racing Club Committee.

Dual Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva and Lad of the Manor will both continue their Cox Plate preparations with special track gallops today.

The Lee Freedman trained Queen of the turf will have an exhibition gallop between races at Mornington today while the Roger Hoysted trained Lad of the Manor who held on to defeat Makybe Diva in the Feehan Stakes last start will have a track gallop between races two and three at Seymour today.

Caulfield Cup favourite Plastered trained by Lindsey Smith is to have a rousing hitout at the beach tomorrow before Smith and jockey Paul Harvey arrive from Perth next week to round off his preparations.

Meanwhile, AJC Derby winner Starcraft will fly the flag for Australia at 1:20 AM EST tomorrow morning in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, at Newmarket.

Trainer Luca Cumani said Starcraft would again be ridden by French jockey Christophe Lemaire, “Paul Makin, the owner, who is on his way from Australia, was very happy with Christophe’s ride last time and saw no reason to change the winning partnership.”

The Grame Rogerson trained filly Carry On Cutie will be set on a path towards the WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 22 this year with Rogerson hoping the filly can emulate the deeds of last seasons stable star Savabeel .

Rogerson is aiming four runners at the weight-for-age championship of Australasia with the Lloyd Williams owned duo Perlin and Activation joining Carry On Cutie and Caulfield Guineas winner Econsul.

Rogerson trained Savabeel to an upset victory in last years race with the Zabeel colt becoming the first three-year-old to win the race since Octagonal in 1995.

Diva to return for Cox Plate

Diva, who has recently returned from a stint in Japan and has been spelling at Freedman’s Rye property in Victoria, will be aimed at the 2040m Cox Plate in October at her third run from spell.

While Freedman hasn’t yet confirmed where the seven-year-old mare and dual Mebourne Cup winner will run first-up, it is widely tipped to be the Feehan Stakes at Moonee Valley in September. Makybe Diva was narrowly beaten in the stakes last year by Delzao.

Freedman will also start recent International Cup winner Mummify in the Cox Plate.