Cox Plate 2026 - Barrier Draw & Final Field

Alex Marsh

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Last updated: Tue. 20 Oct. 2026 09:17

Alex Marsh 2 hours ago

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The 2026 Cox Plate will be staged at Flemington for the first time, with 12 runners contesting the $6 million Group 1 on October 24
Aeliana, Sir Delius, Ceolwulf and Caulfield Guineas winner Warwoven headline a competitive weight-for-age field
Ciaron Maher has four runners, while Chris Waller saddles up Aeliana and Birdman in pursuit of another Cox Plate victory

Sir Delius has drawn barrier five in the 2026 Cox Plate. (Getty)

The final field has been assembled for the 2026 Cox Plate, with 12 runners set to contest the $6 million Group 1 at Flemington on Saturday, October 24.

Cox Plate 2026 - Barriers & Final Field
Cox Plate History

The Cox Plate will be staged at Flemington for the first time as Moonee Valley undergoes redevelopment, with several established Group 1 winners and two leading three-year-olds among the acceptors for the 106th running of the weight-for-age championship.

Aeliana (barrier 10) is among the headline contenders for Chris Waller and James McDonald after finishing third behind Cosmic Crusader in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes over 2000m at Flemington, having previously chased home Autumn Glow at Randwick.

Sir Delius (barrier 5) represents Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott with Craig Williams aboard, with the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner looking to bounce back from a fourth-place finish in the Turnbull Stakes, where he finished just behind Aeliana.

Ceolwulf (barrier 3) lines up for Joseph Pride and Chad Schofield following consecutive runner-up finishes in the Epsom Handicap and Group 1 King Charles III Stakes, with the three-time Group 1 winner backing up just seven days after chasing home Autumn Glow at Randwick.

Ciaron Maher has the strongest representation with four runners, headed by Light Infantry Man (barrier 11), who will be partnered by Harry Coffey after finishing runner-up in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield.

Maher's other runners include Land Legend (barrier 12), who defeated Sheza Alibi and Birdman in the Group 1 Might And Power Stakes over 2000m, while Middle Earth (barrier 7) has Mark Zahra aboard and Saint George (barrier 6) will be partnered by Blake Shinn after finishing runner-up in the Caulfield Cup.

Waller also saddles up Birdman (barrier 1), with Ben Melham booked to ride the Group 1 Underwood Stakes winner, who followed that victory with a third-place finish behind Land Legend in the Might And Power Stakes.

The three-year-olds add another dimension to the contest, with Warwoven (barrier 2) chasing a fourth consecutive victory for Bjorn Baker and Rachel King after completing the Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas double, taking his record to six wins from nine starts.

Blind Raise (barrier 9) represents Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young with Jamie Melham aboard after finishing 1.75 lengths behind Warwoven in the Caulfield Guineas, where he was brave on the speed.

Both three-year-olds will carry just 49.5kg under the weight-for-age conditions, with Warwoven stepping beyond 1600m for the first time and Blind Raise also tackling 2040m for the first time.

Cosmic Crusader (barrier 8) will represent Andrea Leek and William Pike after finishing fourth in Saturday's Caulfield Cup, beaten just 1.5 lengths, having previously defeated Aeliana and Sir Delius in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.

Attrition (barrier 4) completes the field for Mitchell Freedman and Jamie Mott, with the 2023 Toorak Handicap winner returning to winning form at his latest appearance in the Hill Stakes.

With several established Group 1 performers, a strong hand from Ciaron Maher and two progressive three-year-olds in the field, the barrier draw adds another important element to what shapes as a competitive edition of the Cox Plate.

Cox Plate 2026 - Barriers & Final Field

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
1	Ceolwulf (NZ)	Joseph Pride	Chad Schofield	3	59kg
2	Light Infantry Man (FR)	Ciaron Maher	Harry Coffey	11	59kg
3	Sir Delius (GB)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Craig Williams	5	59kg
4	Attrition	Mitchell Freedman	Jamie Mott	4	59kg
5	Cosmic Crusader (NZ)	Andrea Leek	William Pike	8	59kg
6	Birdman (IRE)	Chris Waller	Ben Melham	1	59kg
7	Land Legend (FR)	Ciaron Maher	Ethan Brown	12	59kg
8	Middle Earth (GB)	Ciaron Maher	Mark Zahra	7	59kg
9	Saint George (GB)	Ciaron Maher	Blake Shinn	6	59kg
10	Aeliana (NZ)	Chris Waller	James McDonald	10	57kg
11	Warwoven	Bjorn Baker	Rachel King	2	49.5kg
12	Blind Raise (NZ)	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Jamie Melham	9	49.5kg

Cox Plate History

The Cox Plate is widely regarded as Australia's premier weight-for-age championship, traditionally producing two minutes of high drama over 2040m at Moonee Valley. However, with the famous circuit undergoing redevelopment, the 2026 edition will break new ground when Flemington hosts the race for the first time.

First contested in 1922 and won by Violoncello, the Cox Plate was named after Moonee Valley Racing Club founder William Samuel Cox and has grown into one of the most prestigious races on the Australian racing calendar.

The honour roll features some of the greatest names in Australian racing, including Winx, Kingston Town, Phar Lap, Northerly, Sunline, Tulloch, Makybe Diva and So You Think, while Bonecrusher's epic showdown with Our Waverley Star in 1986 remains one of the most memorable moments in the race's history.

Winx stands alone with four consecutive victories from 2015 to 2018, surpassing Kingston Town's remarkable three-peat between 1980 and 1982, while Phar Lap's back-to-back triumphs in 1930 and 1931 are another celebrated chapter in the race's rich history.

The most recent winners have added further international quality to the honour roll, with Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior victorious in 2023 before Chris Waller's champion mare Via Sistina completed successive triumphs in 2024 and 2025, including her extraordinary eight-length victory in 2024 and a farewell success at the original Moonee Valley circuit last year.