The 100th running of the W.S. Cox Plate on Saturday 24 October at The Valley will remain at the record level of prizemoney of $5m as the elite weight-for-age horses both locally and internationally contest ‘The Race Where Legends Are Made’.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) is delighted to announce that the prizemoney for the 2020 Cox Plate will remain at the historic level of $5m.

“With prizemoney of $5m on offer, the Ladbrokes Cox Plate remains Australia’s richest Group 1 Weight-For-Age race and the richest turf 2,000 metre race in the world,” says Don Casboult, MVRC Chairman.

“It was of great importance that we were able to maintain the prizemoney of $5m for the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate given the significance this year as we celebrate the 100th running of our signature race”.

“The Ladbrokes Cox Plate is one of the world’s premier thoroughbred races and maintaining prizemoney at $5m will ensure we attract a world-class field again this year. The MVRC thanks Ladbrokes for their continued support of the W. S. Cox Plate and racing at The Valley”.

Racing Victoria announced earlier today that all prizemoney and VOBIS bonuses for all races will be restored to pre COVID-19 levels, effective from the new season starting on 1 August 2020. The MVRC congratulates Racing Victoria on their management of racing throughout Victoria throughout this difficult period and for their on-going support of the MVRC.

The $5M Cox Plate prizemoney will again be supported by the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Boost Series. The MVRC will partner with a number of leading middle-distance weight-for-age turf races, both locally and around the world, where the winners of these selected races will be eligible to win $AUD1m bonus should they then go on to win the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate.

In 2019, Lys Gracieux won the Takarazuka Kinen in Japan before travelling to Melbourne to win the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate. In completing the Takarazuka Kinen – Cox Plate double, Lys Gracieux collected $5m in prizemoney and bonuses. Chrono Genesis, the 2020 Takarazuka Kinen winner is now invited to participate in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate and is eligible for the Ladbrokes Boost Series bonus of $1m.

The 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Boost Series will feature the following races:

It is also pleasing to announce that the other key spring feature races at The Valley in the Group 1 Moir Stakes on Friday 25 September ($1,000,000) and the Group 1 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes on Friday 23 October ($1,000,000), along with the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup on Cox Plate Day ($500,000) all remain at the record prizemoney levels reached in 2019.

*For the first time in the Club’s history, the Group 2 Feehan Stakes ($250,000) on September 5 at The Valley will be the only race that carries a ballot exemption into the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate. Therefore the winner of this year’s race will win automatic selection into the final field, making the ‘golden ticket’ race an enticing option for many Cox Plate hopefuls.

First nominations for the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate close on Tuesday 4 August.