Sir Delius given all clear for 2026 Cox Plate bid
Racing Victoria has confirmed Sir Delius won’t have to undergo any specialist vet checks or scans if he is to contest October’s Cox Plate at Flemington, news which saw him shorten into a clear favourite for the weight-for-age race.
Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Sir Delius has been cleared to target the Group 1 Cox Plate at Flemington in the spring without having to go through the same scans that ruled him out of the 2025 edition.
Sir Delius established himself as the benchmark 2000-metre weight-for-age horse in the country with a dominant win at Randwick on Saturday, ending the 11-race winning streak of Autumn Glow.
But while the Cox Plate would seem a logical spring target, it had yet to be confirmed whether he would need to undergo scans, test or a vet clearance before competing in Victoria again.
This was because scans conducted in October last year had determined he presented with “a heightened risk injury”. At that point, he was the favourite for both the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, but that scan result meant he was stood down for the rest of the Melbourne spring carnival.
Plans were hatched for him to contest a spring race in Sydney, but they were abandoned and the Frankel entire was spelled.
He has since had three starts in Sydney, running third in both the Verry Elleegant and Ranvet Stakes before his win in the Queen Elizabeth.
Discussions have been taking place at Racing Victoria after that win to determine the process for the five-year-old to run in Melbourne in the spring.
“We are advised by Racing NSW that Sir Delius underwent all the necessary requirements, in accordance with the Rules of Racing and his veterinary embargo, to be cleared to resume racing,” an RV statement said.
“On that basis, the horse will be permitted to start in Victoria without the need for a further scan, unless of course the horse is seeking to compete in the Lexus Melbourne Cup.”
If he were to contest the Melbourne Cup, trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott would likely delay the mandatory scan until after the Cox Plate, given that an adverse finding there would also rule him out of the weight-for-age feature, as it did last year.
Bookmakers reacted to the news by tightening Sir Delius’ odds further. He is now a clear $3.50 favourite, having been as much as $5.50 in the aftermath of Saturday’s race.
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