To celebrate the 100th running of the W.S. Cox Plate, the Moonee Valley Racing Club is excited to announce that the Juddmonte International will be the only European leg to feature in the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Boost Series. The winner of the 2020 Juddmonte International will be eligible to win AUD$1m bonus should they travel to Melbourne and win the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate.

The 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate will be run at The Valley Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia on Saturday, October 24 over 2040m on turf. With prizemoney of AUD$5m on offer, the Ladbrokes Cox Plate is Australia’s richest Group 1 Weight-For-Age race and the richest turf 2,000 metre race in the world.

Last year, the MVRC launched the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Boost promotion, with the prestigious Takarazuka Kinen (Japan) and the Juddmonte International (England) forming the two international legs. A further 11 Australian races were included in this Series.

Champion Japanese mare Lys Gracieux collected AUD$5m by winning the 2019 Takarazuka Kinen and the 2019 Ladbrokes Cox Plate. Following her historic Ladbrokes Cox Plate win, Lys Gracieux returned to Japan and was victorious in the Arima Kinen at her final race.

The second international leg of the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate Boost Series will be the Group 1 Juddmonte International to be run at York Racecourse on Wednesday, August 19. The Juddmonte International is recognised as one of the world’s greatest thoroughbred races, with many champions victorious over the historic 2088 metre course at York.

Entry nominations for the Juddmonte International 2020 were revealed on Thursday 13 August and look set to be another stella renewal with the current world’s highest rated racehorse Ghaiyyath set to take on Royal Ascot hero Lord North and English 2,000 Guineas hero Kameko.

Under the conditions of the Ladbrokes Cox Boost Series, if the winner of the 2020 Juddmonte International wins the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate, they would win AUD$3m (£1,650,000) first prizemoney plus AUD$1m (£550,000) bonus (total prizemoney plus bonus AUD$4m or £2,200,000).

In addition to the prizemoney and bonus, the Moonee Valley Racing Club also offers the winner of the Juddmonte International return flights and accommodation and covers all expenses incurred in travelling to Melbourne to contest the Ladbrokes Cox Plate as well as waiving the nomination and acceptance/declaration fees.

MVRC Chairman Don Casboult is delighted to announce that the Group 1 Juddmonte International will again be included in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Boost Series. “The W.S. Cox Plate is the most prestigious race in the southern hemisphere, and we are honoured to partner with the Juddmonte International through our Boost Series in a year that we celebrate the 100th running of ‘The Race Where Legends Are Made’.

“The Ladbrokes Cox Plate Boost Series and this partnership with the Juddmonte International reinforces our commitment to promote the Ladbrokes Cox Plate around the world as we look to attract the best middle-distance turf horses to The Valley to contest our great race. I thank Ladbrokes for their continued support of the MVRC and this rich bonus that they have added to the 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate”.

York Racecourse Chairman Lord Teddy Grimthorpe said: “It was fantastic to welcome Don to York last year for the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival 2019 and we are delighted the Juddmonte International has been included as the European leg of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Boost Series. The Juddmonte International has consistently been rated in the top ten races in the world in the last decade and the link between our flagship race and the richest ten furlong turf race in the world adds an interesting dimension for connections and race fans.”