The W. S. Cox Plate, held annually at Melbourne's Moonee Valley Racecourse, is one of the most significant races on the Australian calendar.
The race had been won by some of the great thoroughbreds of Australasian turf since its inception in 1922, including Phar Lap, Tulloch and Kingston Town.
In turn, Our Waverley Star had been winning almost all his races in New Zealand in the lead-up to the Cox Plate.
As they entered wide into the short home straight at the Moonee Valley Racecourse, Bonecrusher had a slender lead.
Two lengths to Drought running up to third from Society Bay they were followed then by Drawn at the head of the others Dinky Flyer.