Racing: All you need to know about the Cox Plate

Winx ridden by Hugh Bowman. Photo / Getty Images.

The Melbourne Cup may be the race that stops a nation but it is the Cox Plate that is regarded as Australia's best race.

The roll call of honour reads as a list of Australia and New Zealand's finest racehorses: Phar Lap, Tulloch, Kingston Town, Octagonal, Sunline, Northerly, Makybe Diva.

Racing over the famed 2040m journey at the stadium-esque Moonee Valley in Melbourne, the Cox Plate is known as Australasia's weight-for-age championship.

This year the incomparable mare Winx looks to create history by becoming just the second horse after Kingston Town to win three straight.

Winx, trained by New Zealander Chris Waller, is chasing an incredible 22nd straight victory as she looks to further solidify her standing as the world's best horse.

The other Kiwi connection to Winx is her mother, Vegas Showgirl, who did most of her racing in New Zealand.

Former New Zealand trained gelding Humidor will also line-up in the $3million affair.

What you need to know:

Group One, $3 million, weight-for-age, 2040m, to be run at Moonee Valley on Saturday, October 28, 2017

GROUP 1 COX PLATE
HISTORY

* First run in 1922 when the Moonee Valley Racing Club committee voted for a high-quality, weight-for-age race.

* British seven-year-old stallion Violoncello won the first Cox Plate a year after winning the 44th Caulfield Cup.

* Named after William Samuel Cox, founder of Moonee Valley racecourse in 1883, who died in 1892 aged 64.

* A tight turning, StrathAyr (turf with sand base) track with 1805m circumference and 173m home straight.

NOTABLE WINNERS
Phar Lap (1930, -31), Ajax (1938), Rising Fast (1954), Tulloch (1960), Tobin Bronze (1966, -67), Dulcify (1979), Kingston Town (1980, -81, -82), Bonecrusher (1986), Might And Power (1998), Sunline (1999, 2000), Northerly (2001, -02), Makybe Diva (2005), So You Think (2009, -10), Adelaide (2014) and Winx (2015, -16)

* Late trainer TJ Smith won a record seven times with Redcraze (1957), Tulloch (1960), Gunsynd (1972), Kingston Town (1980, -81, -82) and Red Anchor (1984)

* Late jockey Darby Munro won a record five times with Rogilla (1933), Young Idea (1937), Mosaic (1939), Beau Vite (1941) and Hydrogen (1952)

TALKING POINTS

* The Chris Waller-trained mare Winx is the favourite, chasing her 22nd straight win and 26th overall from 32 starts.

* Kingston Town has won the most Cox Plates with three victories and Winx is trying to equal that.

* Kingston Town was ridden by a different jockey each time whereas Hugh Bowman will ride Winx for her third.

* Winx blitzed margin records to win by eight lengths last year, with Sunline (2000) and Dulcify (1979) by seven.

* Winx has won more prize money ($13,777,925) than her eight Cox Plate contenders combined ($10,072,942).

* Rising Fast (1954) is the only horse to win the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in the same year.

* Shortest-priced winner: Phar Lap (1-14 or $1.07 in 1931)

WHAT THE KEY PLAYERS ARE SAYING

"I, like most sporting enthusiasts, have heroes in sport and heroes in racing. To think that Winx is held in that high regard by people it's certainly a privilege and I'd feel pretty good if she can make it a third Cox Plate" - Winx's trainer Chris Waller.

"For me, it's not trying to emulate history, it's about providing her with the opportunity to go down in the history books as one of the greatest we've ever seen. She's already there. But it would certainly be icing on the cake if she could" - Winx's jockey Hugh Bowman.

"You don't really want to go out there with that mindset of riding to run second. You still want to believe you can win otherwise you're defeated already" - Jockey Damien Oliver who'll ride Group One winner Happy Clapper.

"I don't think it will be me. Realistically, I would feel a winner if I finished fourth" - Trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam on whether Kaspersky can cause a boilover.

For more information visit the TAB here.