Charm Stone causes Group 1 Manikato Stakes boilover
Charm Stone turned a deep Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) into a rout, stalking a brutal speed before bursting clear to collect her second Group 1 at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
From barrier two, Blake Shinn had the mare smoking the pipe behind the leaders, angled off the rail on the bend, and the five-year-old did the rest—lengthening away to defeat Moir winner Baraqiel by two lengths, with Cockram heroine Magic Time a further neck away in third; favourite Lady Shenandoah was close-up in fourth.
The performance landed a tactical masterclass.
Shinn, celebrating his birthday, rode with intent from the gates, then waited for clean air before unleashing a sustained 300-metre sprint that broke the race open.
Post-race he called the win “pretty special,” noting the mare “pinged the lids” and “put the race to bed” once clear—apt shorthand for a display that looked every inch a high-class 1200-metre performance at The Valley.
Co-trainer Mick Price praised the preparation and execution, highlighting a tweak to routine—keeping Charm Stone at home rather than using a pre-trainer—and the mare’s preference for a little “edge” in conditions.
The stable’s plan to jump cleanly, park handy and expose her late proved spot-on against a field featuring recent Group 1 winners and The Everest (1200m) aspirants.
The form stacked up everywhere you looked. Baraqiel, unbeaten at the track before the race, had his chance after striking the front but was simply outgunned late; Magic Time launched strongly to grab third; and Lady Shenandoah’s honest fourth keeps her spring aims intact.
Times and margins matched the optics: this was decisive, professional, and transferable to the bigger sprints to come.
By I Am Invincible out of dual Group 3 winner Najoom, Charm Stone already owned a top-level success in the Robert Sangster.
A 10% share sold mid-week for $310,000—valuing her north of AU$3 million—and that figure only firmed after Friday night’s demolition.
2025 Group 1 Manikato Stakes Replay – Charm Stone
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