Cox Plate 2020: 182 horses entered for this year's elite race

Cox Plate 2020: 182 horses entered for this year's elite race

The WS Cox Plate is set for October 24^th at Moonee Valley and like many Australia race fans, I couldn’t be more excited to watch the big horse race. As always, the Cox Plate is the big lead-in race to the legendary Melbourne Cup, which will be run in November. The Flemington Racecourse-based event is fast approaching and 4njbets allows fans to find out more information about the historic race and the latest odds for horse racing.

The 2020 edition of the Cox Plate will give horse racing fans and punters insight into which horses to look out for at the Melbourne Cup. The race has already had 182 horses entered in to it and once pared down to the final runners, it will feature a strong field of top-class horses.

A Melbourne Cup winner and 28 internationals

The Cox Plate will have a strong field no matter how you cut it. With 182 horses entered in the race currently, some of the best thoroughbreds in the world will compete in November at Moonee Valley. The large number of entries also means that some very good horses will be left out.

One horse that will be expected to perform well is Vow And Declare, the 2019 Melbourne Cup winner. Trained by Danny O’Brien, the horse hasn’t won since racing to the cup victory almost a year ago. In two starts since the Melbourne Cup win, Vow And Declare has finished third and ninth respectively in the Australia Cup and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Vow And Declare is just one of 13 horses that O’Brien has entered for the Cox Plate. Meanwhile, O’Brien’s sons, Joeseph and Donnacha have entered nine horses combined. The Irish trio’s entriesmake up over 80% of the international runners entered for the Cox Plate.

Although travel restrictions are in place for Australia, there are a high number of international horse heading for the Cox Plate. Horses from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France, and Ireland make up some of the 182 entries.

Can any horse achieve a cup double?

Only seven times has a horse won both the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in the same year. It is a truly unique event that only comes along on rare occasions. The last horse to accomplish the double cup feat was Makybe Diva in 2005. Makybe Diva achieved even more renowned by winning three straight Melbourne Cup races in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2006, the horse was inducted into the Aussie Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

The Cox Plate’s prestige is just one of the reasons trainers are attracted to the race. The 2020 edition of the Cox Plate will hand out $5 million in prize money. The winning horse will take home $3m and that is why championship gallopers come from around the world to Moonee Valley to compete.

In 2019, Japanese horse Lys Gracieux won the Cox Plate. Prior to the horse’s win, legendary Australian horse Winx won the Cox Plate in four consecutive years. Which horse will come first in 2020?