The 2014 Cox Plate Carnival is a two-day racing carnival held at Moonee Valley during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
The first day of the Cox Plate Carnival kicks off on a Friday night a week out from the end of October. Friday night racing at Moonee Valley is always exciting, and it’s even more so when the Group 1 Manikato Stakes is one of the feature events. Raced over a thrilling 1200m, the Manikato Stakes showcases some of the best weight-for-age sprinters in Victoria for the spring racing carnival. With a wealthy purse of $1 million, this is certainly an event not to be missed. The Manikato Stakes is certainly the main focus of the evening, with the listed William Crockett Stakes (1200m) the only other black type event.
The second day of the Cox Plate Carnival boasts the most prestigious racing, along with the feature itself, the Group 1 Sportingbet Cox Plate. Run under weight for age conditions with entry restricted to horses aged three years and older, the Cox Plate is one of the most exciting and highly anticipated horse races in the world. It is often claimed to be the truest test of horse racing quality offered in Australia. The Cox Plate field races over 2040m for a total prize pool of $3 million. Six other black-type events complement the Cox Plate. These include:
- Group 2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic (1600m) 3YO F SW – $200,000
- Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) 4YO+ SWP – $250,000
- Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) 3YO SW – $200,000
- Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) 3YO+ WFA – $200,000
- Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes (1200m) 3YO SWP – $150,000
- Group 3 Tesio Stakes (1600m) 4YO+ M Hcp – $150,000
Following the Cox Plate Carnival, the next major racing event is the following weekend at Flemington with Victoria Derby Day.
