Cox Plate date unconfirmed

THE future of the Ballarat Cup’s clear day on the racing calendar is still uncertain after Racing Victoria confirmed a decision on the relocation of the Cox Plate had not yet been made.

As part of an annual Spring Racing Carnival review, it’s been proposed the Cox Plate could move from Saturday, 28 October to Saturday, 25 November, and the 2023 Sportsbet Ballarat Cup would have to be scheduled for another day.

Racing Victoria members met this week to discuss the potential date change for the major Moonee Valley race, but further consultation with groups involved is still to come, which could include Country Racing Victoria and the Ballarat Turf Club.

A timeline on this consultation period has not been made available by Racing Victoria.

Last Friday, the Herald Sun reported the Cox Plate move “will not happen” in 2023, but Racing Victoria correspondence with the Ballarat Times this week said meetings continue and a decision has not been made.

In January, the CEOs of Country Racing Victoria and the Ballarat Turf Club, Scott Whiteman and Belinda Glass, said they had provided feedback, and their preference was that the Ballarat Cup remain unimpacted.