- Memsie Stakes Day begins the carnival on August 30
Racegoers will flock to Flemington – not Moonee Valley – for the 2026 Cox Plate after the iconic Australian sporting venue won hosting rights for the time-honoured Group One race.
This year’s Cox Plate will be the last run on the current Moonee Valley track during Melbourne’s spring carnival before the course is closed to be rebuilt.
Racing Victoria, in consultation with the Moonee Valley Racing Club, confirmed the development on Wednesday following an Expression of Interest (EOI) process.
The 2026 Cox Plate at Flemington will be staged on Saturday, October 24, the week before the start of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
A nine-race card will be run and won, including the Moonee Valley Gold Cup over 2500m, which offers the winner direct entry into the Melbourne Cup.
Ultimately, Flemington was determined the best track to maximise attendance and turnover while Moonee Valley is upgraded.
Racegoers will flock to Flemington – not Moonee Valley – for the 2026 Cox Plate after the iconic venue won hosting rights (pictured, Collingwood star Josh Daicos trackside with his fiancée Annalise Dalins)
This year’s Cox Plate will be the last run on the current Moonee Valley track during Melbourne’s spring carnival before the facility is rebuilt (pictured, ex-footy WAG Brodie Ryan)
Via Sistina won the 2024 Cox Plate in emphatic fashion last October, blitzing the quality field by eight lengths (pictured, champion jockey James McDonald)
Victoria Racing Club chief executive Kylie Rogers said it was an ‘honour’ for Flemington to snare hosting rights for the 2026 Cox Plate.
‘This will be an historic occasion, bringing tens of thousands of Australians together to enjoy the day,’ she said.
‘We thank Racing Victoria, the Moonee Valley Racing Club and our commercial partners for their collaboration and we can’t wait to see a Cox Plate at Flemington come to life.
‘It sets the scene for an unforgettable spring at Flemington, where the world’s best come together.’
It comes after Via Sistina won the Cox Plate in emphatic fashion last October, blitzing the quality field by eight lengths.
The Irish star was so dominant she smashed Winx’s 2017 track record of 2:02.94 by nearly two seconds in the demolition job over 2040 metres.
‘It is the stuff of legends,’ commentator Bruce McAvaney said post-race on Channel Seven at the time.
‘(For me) that was Winx-like, you don’t get any better. Just remarkable, that is as good as it gets.’
