Chris Waller heads into Saturday’s Cox Plate at Flemington one win away from equalling TJ Smith’s record of seven victories in the race, with Aeliana and Birdman giving him two chances.
Waller has won six Cox Plates, four with Winx and two with Via Sistina, while the legendary Smith won seven, Racing.com reported.
Aeliana will jump from barrier 10 with James McDonald aboard, while Birdman drew the inside gate for Ben Melham. McDonald is chasing his own piece of history, a fifth consecutive Cox Plate after wins on Anamoe, Romantic Warrior and Via Sistina twice, according to Racing.com’s barrier draw report.
“Everyone wants to win a Cox Plate,” Waller told Racing.com. “It’s the weight-for-age champion race of Australia.”
Waller: ‘There’ll be no excuses’
Read more: Cox Plate 2026 Final Field: Saint George Among 12 Accepted
Waller is especially confident about Aeliana, a five-year-old mare, over the Flemington 2040m.
“There’ll be no excuses,” he said. “She’s a mature horse now, as a five-year-old. We’ve looked after her to some degree. She’ll get her chance, especially at Flemington in a tough 2000.”
Both Waller runners worked solo on the outside of the Flemington course proper on Tuesday morning before being accepted for the race, 7NEWS reported.
“Aeliana is ready to peak after a good semi-final run last start and Birdman, the same,” Waller said. He added that Birdman “has just been the big improver over the last six months, winning his Group 1 in Brisbane and here in Melbourne”.
Read more: Mark Zahra Misses Cox Plate, John Allen to Ride Middle Earth
From Winx to Via Sistina
Waller’s first Cox Plate came with Winx in 2015, when she won by four lengths, and the champion mare went on to win the next three as well. Via Sistina then added back-to-back wins, the second in the last Cox Plate run on the old Moonee Valley layout in 2025 in a tight finish with stablemate Buckaroo.
“Probably winning two Cox Plates really stamps yourself as something elite,” Waller said. Of the race itself, he added: “It’s just theatre. It’s just two minutes of pure adrenaline.”
Smith’s seven Cox Plates included Tulloch, Gunsynd, Red Anchor and Kingston Town. His daughter, Gai Waterhouse, is still chasing her first, and she co-trains Sir Delius with Adrian Bott in Saturday’s race.
A different Cox Plate
This year’s race is being run at Flemington while Moonee Valley is redeveloped, and Waller expects that to change how it is run.
“It’ll be a different type of 2000-metre weight-for-age race at Flemington,” he said. “It’ll be a different scenario to the Champions 2000-metre race on the last day, just because of pressure and what pressure brings to grand finals.”
The Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) is on Saturday 24 October, with 12 runners accepted.
More News
- Cox Plate 2026 Final Field: Saint George Among 12 Accepted
- Mark Zahra Misses Cox Plate, John Allen to Ride Middle Earth
- Cox Plate 2026 Likely Field: Ceolwulf Confirmed for Flemington
- Jamie Melham Booked for Blind Raise in Cox Plate Bid
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