While the Cox Plate has traditionally been a Group 1 with champion fields, Gerard Whateley couldn\u2019t sugar-coat that the 2025 edition \u201cis not a vintage Cox Plate field\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking to legendary sports broadcaster Bruce McAvaney<\/strong> on SEN\u2019s Whateley, Whateley exclaimed that the Group 1 King Charles III which took place in Sydney at Randwick last Saturday, is keeping top gallopers, such as Mr Brightside<\/strong>, away from the Cox Plate.<\/p>\n This led Whateley to question McAvaney: \u201cIs it a moment of pause for the modern Cox Plate?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not vintage,\u201d McAvaney agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the nine runners all are Group 1 winners.<\/p>\n \u201cThe move by Sydney to go deeper into the spring is hurting the Cox Plate and there\u2019s no question about that.<\/p>\n \u201cThose horses from the King Charles probably would\u2019ve run in the Cox Plate, so that would\u2019ve made a big difference.<\/p>\n \u201cSir Delius<\/strong> (being scratched) makes a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n McAvaney went on to admit that the field is actually extremely talented, but the problem is that none of the horses are in their peak form.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s unusual is that it\u2019s actually a very good field but it\u2019s a field of horses that aren\u2019t in very good form,\u201d McAvaney admitted.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not in their best form \u2013 there\u2019s only one last-start winner.<\/p>\n \u201cEight of the last 10 Cox Plate winners have been last-start winners.<\/p>\n \u201cGlobe<\/strong> is the only last-start winner and yet he may not run, and we didn\u2019t think about him until the Might And Power Stakes.<\/p>\n \u201cThese three mares that are all special (Via Sistina<\/strong>, Treasurethe Moment<\/strong> & Aeliana<\/strong>) \u2013 none of them are in what you would call their best form \u2013 they may be just building to it.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why this race feels a little less than it may be because we could look back at this race in three years and look at the names and think wow.<\/p>\n \u201cBut knowing that these horses are not in their cracking form makes a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n On a positive note, McAvaney is confident that the 2025 edition of the Cox Plate could still prove to be a \u201cspecial\u201d edition.<\/p>\n \u201cLast Saturday I was worried about this Cox Plate, I was thinking, \u2018Oh gee, we could only have six runners, and it could be really, really thin\u2019,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cBut now I\u2019m feeling much more optimistic \u2013 I do think that we could end up with a special one retrospectively, as much as on the day.<\/p>\n \u201cI just hope on the day it\u2019s a really exciting race and I think it could be \u2013 I think jockeys will be forced to make moves in this race and I think that will make the race an incredible spectacle \u2013 that\u2019s what I\u2019m hoping for, we all are.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked about which horse could win the $6 million Group 1, McAvaney admitted that he wasn\u2019t confident in his selection.<\/p>\n \u201cVia Sistina is still the obvious (winner),\u201d McAvaney revealed.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I think there are four very equal winning chances, they are Antino<\/strong>, Via Sistina, Treasurethe Moment and Aeliana.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think there is a lot between them.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a couple of others that could win \u2013 the three-year-old (Nepotism<\/strong>) is always the wild card, he might be good enough.<\/p>\n \u201cNail to the wall, I\u2019d say Via Sistina but I\u2019m not confident at all.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to be confident about this race.\u201d<\/p>\n Via Sistina is the current favourite for the Cox Plate at $2.05 with Sportsbet.<\/p>\n![\"eDM](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/eDM_SIGN_UP.png\")
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