How the field lines up in the Cox Plate
THE 2018 COX PLATE FIELD IN SADDLECLOTH ORDER
1: BENBATL (Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor. Jockey: Oisin Murphy).
* Barrier 3. Has won seven of 15 starts for prize money of $6,088, 650
* The five-year-old entire has won three Group One races including the Caulfield Stakes (2000m)
2: HUMIDOR (Darren Weir. Damian Lane).
* Barrier 7. Has won eight of 31 starts for $3,592, 915
* The six-year-old gelding has won three Group One races. Runner-up to Winx in the 2017 Cox Plate and third behind Benbatl and Blair House in the Caulfield Stakes
3: KINGS WILL DREAM (Darren Weir. John Allen).
* Barrier 4. Has won six of 13 starts for $729,688
* The five-year-old is yet to win a Group One race but the import has been placed three times at that level this spring in the Memsie Stakes, Makybe Diva Stakes and Turnbull Stakes.
4: AVILIUS (James Cummings. Glyn Schofield).
* Barrier 1. Has won six of 11 starts for 590,210
* The five-year-old gelding is unbeaten in four Australian starts but hasn’t been tested at Group One level. One of the favourites for the Melbourne Cup.
5: D’ARGENTO (Chris Waller. Kerrin McEvoy).
* Barrier 2. Has won four of 11 starts for $1,003,525
* The four-year-old entire won the Group One Rosehill Guineas last season and ran third to Winx in the Group One Winx Stakes at the start of his campaign.
6: WINX (Chris Waller. Hugh Bowman).
* Barrier 6. Has won 32 of 36 starts for $19,884,924
* The seven-year-old mare has been the benchmark racehorse of Australian racing for the past three seasons. Her 21 Group One wins include a record-equalling three victories in this race.
7: ROSTROPOVICH (Aidan O’Brien. Ryan Moore).
* Barrier 8. Has won four of 12 starts for $932,436
* The four-year-old entire has made four Group One appearances for two placings, including a close second in this year’s Irish Derby.
8: SAVVY COUP (Michael and Matthew Pitman. Chris Johnson).
* Barrier 5. Has won six of 16 starts for $614,333
* The four-year-old mare is one of New Zealand’s best racehorses with Group One wins in the New Zealand Oaks last season and the Livamol Classic at her most recent start.