The latest markets for the big one this weekend are obviously tipping a Winx Cox Plate 2017 win, but the only other runner the punters have given a tickle to is Royal Symphony.
Royal Symphony is tipped to run second to Winx in the 2017 Ladbrokes Cox Plate results at The Valley on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Dual defending champion Winx is a genuine freak and chases her 22nd straight victory in the Group 1 $3 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) on Saturday at Moonee Valley Racecourse.
She is unbeaten at The Valley track having gone back-to-back in the Cox Plate the past two years and thrives at the tight circuit in the big pressure event dubbed ‘the race where champions are made’.
Indeed this daughter of Street Cry is a champion, out to Kingston Town with the trio of Cox Plate wins and Black Caviar with the 15 Group 1 turf triumphs.
All the money in Cox Plate betting at Ladbrokes.com.au suggests Winx won’ just win, but she’ll do it with the same flawless ease she annihilated her rivals by six and a half-lengths in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) last time out.
She hasn’t lost since April of 2015, loves Moonee Valley, has beaten the best getting around in Australia like they were donkeys and gets things her way from barrier six with Hugh Bowman in the saddle this weekend.
The $1.16 Ladbrokes Cox Plate odds on Winx to continue the fairy tale for connections and to give the 30,000 strong crowd predicted to turn-up trackside on Saturday something to roar about are short.
The shortest in fact since Phar Lap won as $1.07 favourite for his second Cox Plate win in 1931.
They’re still generous though if you know this horse.
Earlier the Cox Plate markets had a trio of $18 second elects out to chase Winx home, but the punters have abandoned two of those.
The Darren Weir-trained Gailo Chop coming off the Group 1 Ladbrokes Stakes (2000m) win, which produced Winx for her second Cox Plate success last year, is out from $18 to $19.
The surprise inclusion in the race, Lindsay Park-trained Turnbull Stakes third placegetter to Winx two back, Humidor is also drifting out from $18 to $20 backing up from his fifth in last Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).
Royal Symphony now remains the tip to round out the 2017 Cox Plate quinella, Tony McEvoy’s Domesday colt getting the weight relief in the field of nine carrying only 49.5kg as a three-year-old at weight-for-age.
Dean Yendall rode the filly Yankee Rose into third in last season’s Cox Plate results and comes on Royal Symphony this weekend after Kerrin McEvoy opted to stick with the Charlie Appleby-trained Cranbourne Cup winning international Folkswood.
Folkswood is out from $18 to $21 to salute again this weekend, while Royal Symphony has firmed from $21 into $18 after drawing one outside of Winx with barrier seven.
Since 1983 five three-year-olds have won the Cox Plate, Shamus Award (2013) the most recent.
Royal Symphony was the picture of consistency early winning his opening four career starts, before suffering his maiden loss on October 1 when fourth in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude.
He was tipped to atone in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) last time out, but only managed to finish two and a quarter-lengths back fourth to the shock winner Mighty Boss ($101).
Still, McEvoy presses onto the Cox Plate with the youngster, hoping for a slice of that prize money and to say “we ran second to Winx.”
Check out the updated 2017 Ladbrokes Cox Plate betting odds and options online today through Ladbrokes.com.au.
