MVRC to announce Cox Plate invitees

The Moonee Valley Racing Club is set to announce which international horses will receive invitations to contest the Cox Plate.

The club will invite some of the leading weight-for-age middle distance horses from around the globe to contest this year’s race in October, with those chosen announced during Thursday.

This year’s Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley has had a significant prize money boost of $2 million to $5 million.

Champion Winx has won the race for the past three years and is expected to chase a record fourth win this spring.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Adelaide, who won in 2014, is the only northern hemisphere-trained horse to have won the race.

“Over the coming years the club will continue to develop the international profile of the Cox Plate and we believe that prize money of $5 million will be very tempting to connections of those horses,” MVRC chairman Don Casboult said last week.