A number of this year’s Cox Plate entries are out of mares familiar to Aussie racing fans

There will not be any bigger Cox Plate story from a bloodstock viewpoint than if Nepotism makes it to, let alone wins, the $6 million Group 1 at The Valley on October 25.

This year's Group 1 Champagne Stakes winner is by Brutal out of Casino Prince mare Brigite, who is not only a half-sister to Black Caviar but a sister to All Too Hard, the 2012 Cox Plate runner-up.

Nepotism is one of a number of horses nominated for this year's Cox Plate closely-related to horses well known to Australian racing fans, including a couple who butted heads with the most famous Cox Plate winner of all.

GENTLE GIANT (Maurice x Fenway): Gust Of Wind went down in history as the last horse to beat Winx, in the 2015 ATC Oaks, and that followed the last of only three races in which four-time Cox Plate winner Winx was unplaced.

That was the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes, when Winx finished fifth in the race won by Fenway.

That daughter of High Chaparral is the dam of ambitious entry Gentle Giant, an unraced three-year-old in the care of Chris Waller.

Gentle Giant is one of six named-foals from Fenway, the best of which has been Group 3 winner and two-time Group 1 placegetter Williamsburg.

CHIEF LITTLE ROCK (Galileo x Amicus): Immediately behind Winx in the 2015 Vinery Stud Stakes was Fastnet Rock mare Amicus, who finished a head behind her Chris Waller stablemate. Amicus beat Winx home at their only other meeting, in the Surround Stakes, when they finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Amicus went on to win the Group 1 Thousand Guineas and become a quality broodmare, after being purchased by Coolmore.

Chief Little Rock, who hasn't raced since finishing down the track behind Calandagan in last year's G2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and is now in the care of Anthony and Sam Freedman, is a son of Galileo, who is also the sire of Amicus's first foal, last year's Melbourne Cup third placegetter Okita Soushi.

CRUSADER VOYAGE (Camelot x Sea Siren): Amicus isn't the only Australian Group 1-winning daughter of Fastnet Rock who spent time in Ireland with an entry in this year's Cox Plate.

Sea Siren is the dam of Camelot colt Crusader Voyage, a lightly-raced Go Bloodstock colt in the care of Waller.

He's got big shoes to fill to be the best out of the three-time Group 1 winner, who won the Manikato Stakes on Cox Plate eve in 2012, who is the dam of Galileo mare Warm Heart, who won at the elite level in England, France and the United States.

COSMO KURANDA (Al Ain x Southern Speed): The Shizuya Kato-trained entire is Japan's hope at turning the tables on Via Sistina this year and while by a stallion yet to have a runner outside Japan, the 2017 Satsuki Sho winner Al Ain, he is from a mare well-known to Aussie fans.

Cosmo Kuranda is out of Southern Speed, the 2011 Caulfield Cup winner who made her final racetrack appearance in the 2012 Cox Plate, in which she finished sixth.

Southern Speed was sold Japan at the conclusion of her racing career and has had seven to race, the best of whom is Cosmo Kuranda, whose biggest win came in last year's Group 2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen (2000m), when he defeated subsequent Japan Cup runner-up Shin Emperor.

CENTRAL COAST (Wootton Basset x Sunlight): Coolmore invested heavily in triple Group 1 winner Sunlight when it paid a then-Magic Millions-record $4.2 million for the triple Group 1 winner.

It did so with a view to investing in their high-profile stallions, first sending her to Justify, who helped her produced Dawn Service, and then Wootton Bassett.

Central Coast, who is also trained by Waller, has had two starts for a second to unbeaten stablemate Autumn Boy and a win over last Saturday's Flemington winner Crossbow.