Winx vs Hartnell – or is it?

Winx has cemented herself as one of the best horses in the world since her dominant victory in the Cox Plate 12 months ago and until less than a month ago it would have been almost inconceivable that she would not start the Cox Plate as an odds-on favourites.

The daughter of Street Cry has shown just remarkable consistency in 2016 and since her win in the Cox Plate she has added victories at the highest level of racing in the Chipping Norton Stakes, George Ryder Stakes, Doncaster Mile, George Main Stakes and Ladbrokes Stakes.

The only knock you can have on Winx is the fact that she had such a soft run in the Ladbrokes Stakes, but that has not hindered her in the past and she maps to get an absolutely dream run into this race with Hugh Bowman in the saddle.

Hartnell is the reason that Winx is now available at such a juicy price in the 2016 Cox Plate betting market.

Winx gave Hartnell a three and a half lengths touch-up in the Warwick Stakes, but the Godolphin-owned galloper has been nothing short of outstanding since he has been stepped up in trip this preparation.

He took advantage of the absence of Winx to record a dominant eight lengths victory in the Chelmsford Stakes at Royal Randwick on September 3 and he followed that up with another dominant performance in the Hill Stakes at the same venue on September 17.

There were question marks over whether Hartnell was as effective the Melbourne way of going, but he proved that was not an issue when he romped home in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October 2 – form that was franked in emphatic fashion by Jameka in the Caulfield Cup on Saturday.

It is obvious that Winx and Hartnell are the two horses to beat in the Cox Plate, but the quality of some of the other horses in this field have been vastly understated.

Vadamos is the only international runner in the 2016 Cox Plate field and he is a serious racehorse.

The Monsun entire has been a very busy horse in 2016 – he has already had seven race starts in two different countries – but he has consistently produced high-rating performances outside of his disappointing effort in the Dubai World Cup.

Vadamos beat a high-quality field to take out the Prix Du Muguet at Saint Cloud in May and he won again in the Prix Messidor at Maisons-Laffitte in July.

He was only narrowly denied by the talented Ribchester in a Group 1 at Deauville in August and he goes into the Cox Plate on the back of his maiden win at Group 1 level in the Prix Du Moulin De Longchamp at Chantilly on September 11.

Lucia Valentina is another horse that is capable of absolute brilliance on her day and we saw the explosive turn-of-foot that she possesses in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the autumn.

Trainer Kris Lees has kept Lucia Valentina fresh for the Cox Plate and her Underwood Stakes run was the perfect tune-up for the Australasian Weight-For-Age Championship.

Yankee Rose has the benefit of just 47.5 kilograms on her back and will likely press forward in the Cox Plate, while Hauraki, Black Heart Bart and Happy Trails are all Group 1 winners in their own right.

It truly will be the highlight of the 2016 Spring Racing Carnival and we are in for a potential classic!