Australasia’s weight-for-age championship the Cox Plate 2015 runs at Moonee Valley Racecourse this Saturday in Melbourne and below are the insider Cox Plate betting tips exclusively for Races.com.au readers.
Arod is the Races.com.au’s 2015 Cox Plate tip to win at Moonee Valley this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Running as the penultimate event on a bumper 10-race Moonee Valley line-up, this year’s $3 million Group 1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) has a capacity field of 14 including a trio of top international hopes looking to secure another win after the success of Adelaide 12 months ago.
The same Irish horseman who won last year’s edition, Aidan O’Brien, is back with the Cox Plate favourite in 2015 – Highland Reel.
Like Adelaide this Galileo four-year-old won the Secretariat Stakes in the lead-up in the USA and looks prime in barrier four with last year’s Cox Plate – Melbourne Cup winning jockey Ryan Moore in the saddle.
Highland Reel pays $5.50 in the latest Cox Plate odds at Ladbrokes.com.au but can be had at a juicer Best Tote or SP + 20% on Saturday along with every horse in every race on the Moonee Valley program!
His biggest dangers according to Cox Plate betting are Chris Waller’s Epsom Handicap winning mare and market mover Winx ($6) drawn barrier one and last start Caulfield Stakes winner Criterion ($6.50) – both out to prove they can handle the tight turns at the Valley.
Also under $10 for the win are another raider in Arod ($8) who dual Cox Plate winning jockey Craig Williams is singing praises and Waller’s talented Teofilo four-year-old Kermadec ($8.50) who saw the distance for the first time when fourth to Criterion in the Caulfield Stakes a fortnight ago.
So will Highland Reel salute for the Cox Plate punters and become just the third favourite to take it out in 10 years or is there another Cox Plate upset on the agenda?
1st
#8 Arod ($8)
Think another international will steal the Cox Plate silverware, but not the one top of the odds. The Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained British raider is at a nice price to secure three wins from as many starts over the distance, the 2000m set to suit as the Teofilo stallion improves on his mile form back home in the lead-up. It’s been a while between runs but Williams, a dual Cox Plate winning jockey, has given the horse a couple of good hit-outs and rates him as fit. A Group 2 winner, Group 1 placegetter out to break the hoodoo of five-year-olds in the race. Sussex Stakes second behind Solow last start carrying 61kg so 59kg at WFA is manageable. Barrier five is also the most successful in the race in the past 30 years so he’s drawn to win.
2nd
#14 Winx ($6)
All the early money has been on the sole mare in the Cox Plate field this year, Waller shooting for his maiden success in the classic. She has barrier one, which hasn’t produced a winner since 1989 and Bowman needs to keep her out of trouble from the gate. That said she’s unbeaten in her past four starts, including two Group 1 wins. Her Epsom victory was good, just a matter of whether that form stacks up when she debuts in Melbourne. She’s the right age, has the right form, is classy and even from barrier one is a danger.
3rd
#12 Preferment ($13)
One of the best Cox Plates in recent history, this year’s field is bursting with depth and a logjam of livewire chances to fill the placings. Think Waller and his stable can dominate though and Preferment looks over the odds coming off back-to-back wins including the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes over this distance at Flemington at the start of the month. Runner-up Royal Descent was the Caulfield Cup flop last Saturday, but not completely ruling a line through the Tunbull form with this Zabeel stallion a gun over 2000m (3-2-1-0) and on the rise.
Agree or disagree with our Cox Plate 2015 betting tips, make sure you get the guaranteed best odds by locking in Best Tote or SP + 20% online at Ladbrokes.com.au this Saturday!
