{"id":67279,"date":"2025-10-21T12:32:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T12:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/?p=67279"},"modified":"2025-10-21T12:32:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T12:32:20","slug":"cox-plate-runners-2025-via-sistina-heads-nine-moonee-valley-entries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/news\/cox-plate-runners-2025-via-sistina-heads-nine-moonee-valley-entries\/","title":{"rendered":"Cox Plate 2025: Why Hot Favourite Via Sistina Is Worth Taking On"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2025 Cox Plate runners will be headed by hot favourite Via Sistina, who romped away with the Moonee Valley race in 2024, but if you are looking to take on the Chris Waller-trained mare – there might be something to cling to.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Will Age Be Against Big Cox Plate Runner Via Sistina?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Last year, the classy mare Via Sistina made no mistake in the Cox Plate – winning by an impressive eight lengths – and the best horse racing betting sites are suggesting it will be more of the same.<\/p>\n

Most firms are making the former George Boughey-trained mare around 5\/4 in the market and well clear of the rest.<\/p>\n

It’s easy to see why too – since last year’s Moonee Valley win, she’s added five more Group One wins to her CV and will also be looking to give jockey James McDonald a fourth straight Cox Plate win.<\/p>\n

With McDonald having also won the race in on Anamoe (2022) and Romantic Warrior (2023).<\/p>\n

While the Waller barn, who train Via Sistina, have won the prize no fewer than five times – having also been responsible for the wonder mare Winx, who won four Cox Plates.<\/p>\n

However, anyone looking to take on Via Sistina might have something to cling to – HER AGE.<\/strong><\/p>\n

She’ll be back as a 2025 Cox Plate runner aged 8 – and since 1993 (32 runnings) there has only been ONE winner aged 8+.<\/p>\n

This was in 2006 when the 9 year-old Fields Of Omagh defied his age to win for trainer David Hayes.<\/p>\n

How Many Older Horses Have Run In The Last 10 Cox Plates?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Okay, so this could be a good reason to look elsewhere for the 2025 Cox Plate winner.<\/p>\n

But how many older horses have run in the race since 2015?<\/p>\n

You can see below that in the last ten runnings of the Cox Plate, there have been 16 runners aged 8+.<\/p>\n

Plus, of these 16 older Cox Plate runners – only one has finished in the top three.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/b><\/td>\nWinner<\/b><\/td>\nRunners Aged 8+<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\nVia Sistina<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\nRomantic Warrior<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\nAnamoe<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2021<\/td>\nState Of Rest<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\nSir Dragonet<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019<\/td>\nLys Gracieux<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\nWinx<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2017<\/td>\nWinx<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2016<\/td>\nWinx<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015<\/td>\nWinx<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TOTAL<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n16<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/div>\n

The Cox Plate carries a prize purse of AUS $6m – which is $4m less than the Melbourne Cup prize money<\/a> purse on offer this year.<\/p>\n

With the Melbourne Cup run ten days later on Tuesday 4th November.<\/p>\n

The last horse to win both these top Australian races in the same season was Makybe Diva in 2005.<\/p>\n

WATCH: Via Sistina Winning The 2024 Cox Plate\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n