Best Bets For The Moir Stakes At Moonee Valley

It’s Moir Stakes Day at Moonee Valley this Saturday, the opening meeting of the Spring Racing Carnival at the racecourse. The highlight of the day is the Group One Moir Stakes, where some of the leading sprinters in Australia will be in action.

Here’s a look at the best bets for Moir Stakes Day, including a selection in the feature race of the afternoon.

BEST BET: ALABAMA LASS

Race number 9 (Moir Stakes)

The draw for this year’s renewal of the Moir Stakes could have a big impact on the outcome of the race. Baraqiel and Niance are two of the leading players, but both have been handed wide draws. In a contest of this quality, that is a big disadvantage, as the stats suggest. No horse drawn wider than barrier nine has won this race since 2003.

With a perfect draw in barrier three, Alabama Lass has no excuses from the gates. The New Zealand-based filly is unbeaten in Australia, where she has made a big impression so far. She is now stepping up to Group One, and she has the class to prevail at this level.

In her last appearance in Australia, she led from start to finish in the Listed HKJC World Pool Sprint Classic at Flemington. She appears in good form, as was evident in her final workout at Matamata on Tuesday. Her trainer, Ken Kelso, said afterwards, “it was all systems go” for the Moir Stakes.

Kelso is a trainer who is familiar with success at the highest level in Australia. He saddled Legarto to victory in the Australian Guineas in 2023. His latest filly has a great chance of getting his name on the honours board at Moonee Valley in the prestigious Moir Stakes.

SECOND BEST BET: DESERT LIGHTNING

Race number 8 (So You Think Stakes)

Desert Lightning has been well backed for the So You Think Stakes on Moir Stakes Day, and it’s easy to see why there is so much confidence behind the experienced gelding. The Group One winner ran an excellent race when he finished second on his latest appearance in the P B Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield (1400m). He was just two lengths behind Private Eye.

The six-year-old is now stepping back up to 1500m, and the extra distance here is in his favour. It also gives Luke Nolan plenty of time to get into a good position from his wide draw in barrier 10.

The dangers to Desert Lightning are Zardozi and Moira, but neither of those two horses has been in good form over the last 12 months, so they will need to bounce back to finish ahead of Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s runner.

BEST VALUE: STAY COSMIC

Race number 6 (McKenzie Stakes)

Stay Cosmic is a lightly raced horse who has had just three appearances so far, but he has done little wrong in those starts, finishing no worse than second place. He looked very professional when breaking his maiden at Cranbourne (1200m) on his first attempt, while at Sandown, he was unlucky not to take the first prize, going down by a short head.

With an excellent draw in barrier one, Phillip Stokes’ runner is a big player here to cause an upset. Expect to see further improvement, and that might be good enough to score at decent odds.