Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Every spring, racing fans get excited about the lightweight 3-year-olds in the G1 WS Cox Plate. It’s not just the opportunity that these horses afford to punters. It’s that it takes an extremely good horse to win a Cox Plate at three.
The honour board doesn’t include many horses, only Shamus Award, Savabeel, So You Think (NZ), and Octagonal (NZ) in the past thirty years. Many 3-year-olds have placed in the Cox Plate with Broadsiding being the most recent when third in 2024. Prior to that, Anamoe ran a close second at three in 2021 and returned at four to win the Cox Plate.
This year, the 103 G1 Cox Plate nominations range including 16 3-year-olds. All of them raced at two, with only four being non-winners to date.
The Group 1 winners
Chris Waller-trained Group 1 winning trio of Tron Bolt (Toronado {Ire}), Campione D’Italia (Snitzel) and Fireball (Snitzel) are the headline acts among the sixteen 3-year-olds.
Campione D’Italia won the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes and this is the race Anamoe won on his way to finishing a tight second to State Of Rest (Ire) in the Cox Plate. Yankee Rose (All American) is another recent galloper who won the Sires’ Produce before placing in the Cox Plate.
Campione D’Italia | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Plenty of winners of the G1 JJ Atkins Plate have gone on to bigger success at three, like 2024 winner Broadsiding who ran third in the Cox Plate in the midst of two Group 1 wins at three. Tron Bolt could follow in his footsteps.
Fireball won the G1 Champagne Stakes, also won by Broadsiding. Castelvecchio is another who won the Champagne then ended up in the Cox Plate at three where he was second to Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}). Castelvecchio went on to win the G1 Rosehill Guineas in the autumn.
Stakes winning juveniles
Four of the nominated 3-year-olds won stakes races at two. Bjorn Baker-trained Warwoven (Sword Of State) won his first two starts either side of Christmas before returning to win the G3 Pago Pago Stakes in the autumn.
“He's definitely developed since the autumn, he's an athlete and his attitude is great for a colt, he's quite laid back. He'll be aimed at the Golden Rose first and foremost and then we'll work it out from there,” Baker said.
“He's definitely developed since the autumn, he's an athlete and his attitude is great for a colt, he's quite laid back. He'll be aimed at the Golden Rose first and foremost and then we'll work it out from there.” - Bjorn Baker
Godolphin-owned and Chris Waller-trained colt Diameter (Brazen Beau) won the Listed Fernhill Stakes before being part of a stable trifecta in the G1 Champagne Stakes behind Fireball and Campione D’Italia.
Warwoven | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Ken and Kasey Keys-trained colt Alibaba (Alabama Express) had five starts at three, all in black type company, winning the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (c&g).
Blind Raise (NZ) (Ace High), a colt trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, won on debut at Caulfield and followed it up with victory in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes. He went to Queensland for his third start, running ninth in the G2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes.
The big improvers?
As well as Blind Raise, Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have two other 3-year-olds nominated for the Cox Plate. Listed Taj Rossi Series Final Handicap-placed colt Ko Phangan (Ole Kirk) kept improving through his juvenile season ending with a win in the Byerley Handicap. He gets a ballot free entry to the G1 Victoria Derby. Their other stable nominee is dual 2-year-old winner Obambulate (Tiger Of Malay).
Ko Phangan | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Hermitage-owned colt Stormy Marco (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was a winner on debut and ended his three-start season at two with a third behind stablemate Tron Bolt in the G1 JJ Atkins Plate.
Chris Waller-trained colt Central Europe (Frankel {GB}) might not have won yet, but he’s shown himself to be above average. And remember it was Shamus Award who won his maiden in the G1 Cox Plate with seven stakes placings under his belt by then.
Central Europe’s two starts have been second in the G2 Skyline Stakes behind Group 1 winner Campione D’Italia and third in the G3 Pago Pago Stakes.
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
With a similar profile is Central Europe’s stablemate colt Klocke (Zoustar) who placed in the Listed Tattersall’s Stakes at his second start, having also run second on debut.
“I think there are about seven colts who are in a similar boat. Which one takes that next step remains to be seen,” jockey James McDonald said after riding St Gotthard (Snitzel) at the trials on July 31.
“What I liked about St Gotthard is how much improvement he made from his first start to his next at the Gold Coast. Central Europe is one that can do it, he is by Frankel, Confederation is another, so is Tron Bolt and Stormy Marco.”
Central Europe as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained colt American Eagle (Too Darn Hot {GB}) won on debut on July 15. It remains his only start to date.
Richard and Will Freedman train Yulong’s colt Genesis Runner (Gun Runner {USA}) who won at Newcastle in June at his second start.
Chris Waller’s eighth entry in this group is 3-year-old filly Sing Your Song (Snitzel). She placed at her only start at two behind Moscatel (Snitzel).
Perhaps the most left-field entrant is the unplaced Stitzer (NZ) (Maurice {Jpn}) nominated by the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton yard. He ran mid-field in the G3 TL Baillieu Stakes on debut, followed by fourth in the Listed Fernhill Stakes at his second start. He is the first foal of Group 1 winner Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Tivaci) who won the G1 Flight Stakes as a spring 3-year-old.
