The country’s premiere weight-for-age championship will be contested at The Valley on Saturday, and to say that I am excited about the 2020 Cox Plate is an enormous understatement.
Russian Camelot and Arcadia Queen headline a classy local contingent that is set to take on an impressive list of international raiders in the 2020 Cox Plate, including Armory and Aspetar.
The field is confirmed, the barrier draw has been completed, and you can find my 2020 Cox Plate tips below.
Cox Plate – Winner
No. 12 Armory – Bet Now: $4.00
Aidan O’Brien has brought an outstanding group of horses to Australia this year and Armory is every chance of being crowned the Cox Plate winner.
The (northern hemisphere) three-year-old has returned some enormous efforts and recorded some terrific results in good Irish races since debuting last June, and arrives at The Valley with a record of four wins and five placings from eleven starts.
The Galileo entire has so far had four starts in 2020, finishing fourth in each of the Irish 2000 Guineas and the Curragh Gold Cup before winning the Group 3 Royal Whip (2012m) in August.
Before boarding his flight to Australia, he ran a credible third behind Magical and Ghaiyyath in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, and a repeat of that effort would find him extremely difficult to beat in the Cox Plate, particularly having drawn barrier 6.
Cox Plate – 2nd
No. 11 Russian Camelot – Bet Now: $6.00
He has hardly put a hoof wrong this preparation and Russian Camelot is up to winning the 2020 Cox Plate.
The Camelot entire proved to be a headcase during his three-year-old season, but he was still one of his age group’s best on raw talent alone, and comfortably won the South Australian Derby most notably.
There is absolutely no doubt that he has gone to another level this time, however, having just missed a fitter horse in Fierce Impact when fresh in the Makybe Diva before putting the writing on the wall in the Underwood.
His second placing behind Arcadia Queen in the Neds Stakes a couple of weeks ago really didn’t bother me, and I think he’ll only improve for that effort.
Cox Plate – 3rd
No. 6 Aspetar – Bet Now: $9.00
British raider Aspetar hardly knows how to run a bad race, and the Cox Plate looks a lovely target for him.
The six-year-old son of Al Kazeem has recorded some very impressive wins in some serious races throughout his career, highlighted by a Group 1 win in the Preis Von Europe in Germany last September.
He returned to the races in July this year for a close-up second behind Magny Cours in the Listed Coral Gala and was last seen winning the Group 2 York Stakes.
His fresh form is excellent, his overall record is obviously also terrific, he has drawn ideally in barrier 3 and he is up to winning the Cox Plate 2020.
Cox Plate – 4th
No. 3 Fierce Impact – Bet Now: $18.00
There is no doubt that Fierce Impact is one of the best middle-distance horses currently going around in Australia, and I think that he can and will run a bolter in the Cox Plate 2020.
The son of Deep Impact hinted at above-average talented as soon as he arrived in Australia and Matt Smith’s care, but he finally realised it last spring when he recorded consecutive wins in the Toorak Handicap and the Emirates Stakes.
He returned several typically impressive performances in autumn without returning to winning form, but has once again come back better in spring, and enters this race off a win in the Group 1 Makybe Diva, and a credible third placing in the Hill Stakes last time out.
He looks to be in absolute peak condition of the Cox Plate, he clearly loves the Victorian way of going, and he’ll just need even luck in running from barrier 12 to be in the finish.
Cox Plate Suggested Bets
- 4 Units straight out #12 Armory
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections above