While the number of international nominations for this year’s Cox Plate is down compared to 2024, the Moonee Valley Racing Club remains optimistic that global talent will feature prominently in the historic edition of the $6 million race.
Connections of 11 Northern Hemisphere-trained horses were among the 108 entries received before nominations closed on Tuesday at noon. That figure is lower than the 20 internationals nominated last year, but includes a strong lineup from some of the world’s most respected stables.
Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien has nominated four horses — Bedtime Story, Whirl, Diego Velazquez, and Mount Kilimanjaro — while his son Joseph O’Brien has two runners: Al Riffa and Galen. There are four UK-trained entries and a Japanese hopeful, Cosmo Kuranda, trained by Shizuya Kato.
Moonee Valley Racing Club’s head of racing, Charlotte Mills, said she is encouraged by the spread and calibre of international representation, led by defending local champion Via Sistina.
“I think the quality of nominations is good and I think there’s also a really strong awareness this year of the quality and depth of our Australian runners in that middle-distance category,” Mills said.
“The Cox Plate itself is certainly still very much on the international radar and I’d like to think that the $1 million increase to the winner’s purse has had an impact.”
Recent history supports that view. In the past six years, international-trained runners have taken out the Cox Plate three times: Lys Gracieux (2019), State Of Rest (2021), and Romantic Warrior (2023). Sir Dragonet also won the 2020 edition on debut for his new Australian stable.
Japan’s Prognosis was runner-up to Via Sistina in 2024, having used the Group 2 Sapporo Kinen (2000m) as his lead-up run. That same August 17 race will determine whether Cosmo Kuranda will travel to Australia this spring.
Among other European entries, Richard Hannon has dual Guineas placegetter Haatem and Diomed Stakes winner Persica nominated, Brian Meehan has entered Coventry Stakes winner Rashabar, and Jessica Harrington has Group 2 winner Hotazhell, who recently ran third in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby.
Yulong has also acquired French Group 1 runner-up Trinity College, who will now be trained in Australia by Chris Waller.
Both Al Riffa and Galen are also among 12 international nominations for the Caulfield Cup, which received 146 entries this year. They join Mount Kilimanjaro, O’Brien’s lone Caulfield Cup contender, as well as runners from leading international stables including Willie Mullins (Absurde, Hipop De Loire), Simon Crisford (Meydaan), Alessandro Botti (Presage Nocturne), and three Japanese entrants: Golden Snap, Struve, and Meiner Chrysola.
For punters keeping an eye on international form lines, both the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup markets are now live on major betting sites.