Horse Racing 2023: Cox Plate 2023, spring carnival, who will win, odds, favourite, barrier draw, The Valley, what time is the Cox Plate, live blog

Saturday’s $5 million Cox Plate promises to be a mouth-watering clash between some of this country’s best horses and a couple of intriguing international raiders.

Often referred to as the ‘best two minutes in sport’, the Cox Plate is Australia’s greatest weight-for-age race, run each year at Melbourne’s Moonee Valley racecourse.

The 2023 edition is set to be an epic battle and one of the deeper fields seen in recent memory with no clear standout.

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The favourite is Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior (1), who was ok when running fourth in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes last start. He is set to improve significantly into his second up run with the added fitness.

The Ben, Will and JD Hayes stable would love to win their first Cox Plate, and they have the horse to do it in Mr Brightside (3).

A four-time Group 1 winner, Mr Brightside ran seventh in this race last year and has yet to win beyond 1600m, however he’s won some of our best races.

He had his colours lowered by Chris Waller’s star mare Fangirl (8) who bolted in last start in the King Charles III Stakes. Fangirl loves a firm track and has leading jockey Zac Purton taking the reins.

“If you take out her wet track form, she is a superstar in the making,” Waller told Racenet.

“She gets her chance in the Cox Plate to prove she is a superstar.’’

Cult hero Alligator Blood (4), a winner of seven Group 1 races, is coming off a dominant last start victory in the Neds Might and Power (formerly Caulfield Stakes) and has drawn perfectly here.

Victoria Road (10) is a UK visitor who has been well backed in the past week. He’s got the in-form Blake Shinn engaged and is prepared by arguably the world’s best trainer in Aidan O’Brien.

Gold Trip (5) is last year’s Melbourne Cup winner who is dropping back to 2040m here after a third in last week’s Caulfield Cup. He’s got plenty of class and has to be respected.

Militarize (11) is the only other horse with a chance in this. He carries the featherweight of 49.5kg being a three-year-old. He’s already a triple Group 1 winner and is bred to relish this distance.

Selections

8. Fangirl

4. Alligator Blood

11. Militarize

1. Romantic Warrior

2023 COX PLATE FIELD

Saddlecloth - Horse’s Name - Jockey - Weight - Barrier

1. ROMANTIC WARRIOR – James McDonald – 59kg (7)

2. ZAAKI – Damian Lane – 59kg (12)

3. MR BRIGHTSIDE – Craig Williams – 59kg (2)

4. ALLIGATOR BLOOD – Tim Clark – 59kg (5)

5. GOLD TRIP – Mark Zahra – 59kg (8)

6. MY OBERON – Jamie Mott – 59kg (4)

7. PINSTRIPED – Ben Allen – 59kg (11)

8. FANGIRL – Zac Purton – 57kg (9)

9. DUAIS – Damien Oliver – 57kg (1)

10. VICTORIA ROAD – Blake Shinn – 56.5kg (6)

11. MILITARIZE – Zac Lloyd (a) – 49.5kg (3)

12. KING COLORADO – Michael Dee – 49.5kg (10)