Forty-eight horses remain in contention for the weight-for-age championship at The Valley on October 28th following this afternoon’s release of 2017 Ladbrokes Cox Plate second acceptances.
Winx leads 48 Ladbrokes Cox Plate second acceptances. Photo: Steve Hart
Equine superstar Winx has extended her unbeaten record to twenty races and she is on track towards claiming a third-consecutive win in the Spring Carnival feature after being confirmed in Ladbrokes Cox Plate second acceptances.
Unbeaten since her dominant win in the 2015 edition of the Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m), Winx resumed in autumn this year for several dominant wins, highlighted by her six-length win in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
Lucky to keep the streak alive when she pipped stable mate Foxplay on the line in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m), the Street Cry mare showed her class when she ran down Red Excitement in the final strides of the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and was last seen winning the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 16th.
Winx has been nothing short of dominant when racing at The Valley in the two most-recent editions of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate and she will take plenty of beating once more this time.
Five internationally-trained horses have been included in 2017 Ladbrokes Cox Plate second acceptances, including Kaspersky and Folkswood.
Beginning his career in Italy, Kaspersky has been a strong and consistent performer around Europe throughout his entire racing tenure and is a live chance of finishing in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate first three.
A five-time stakes winner in Italy, including a dominant performance in the Group 2 Aengevelt Meilen Trophy (1600m) in July last year, the Footstepsinthesand entire has performed well through his six starts for Jane Chapple-Hyam since transferring to Britain at the beginning of the year.
Running on for fifth in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (1609m) with Michelle Payne in the saddle on June 20th, Kaspersky has since finished second in the Group 2 Summer Mile Stakes (1602m), seventh in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes (1408m) and second in the Group 3 Superior Mile Stakes (1643m).
Folkswood has produced several outstanding performances and results through Europe and the Middle East this year and should relish the 2040m of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate.
Winner of an 1800m race in Dubai on February 9th, the Exceed And Excel gelding finished second in the Group 1 Emirates Airline Plate (1800m), before returning to the UK for second in the Group 3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes (1810m) on April 19th.
Third in the Group 3 Huxley Stakes 2075m) on May 11th, Folkswood was last seen finishing a luckless fifth in the Group 3 Diomed Stakes (1712m) on June 3rd.
A smart contingent of local runners also remain following Ladbrokes Cox Plate second acceptances, including Scales Of Justice.
The Perth raider has been outstanding throughout the last twelve months and will relish the distance and conditions of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate.
The Not A Single Doubt gelding won the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) during the Perth summer and finished an agonizingly-close second to Stratum Star in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) and made his east coast debut for a smart second in the Bobbie Lewis Quality.
Winx remains a clear $1.60 favourite in early Cox Plate betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.
