Moonee Valley racing tips & best odds | Friday, September 24
| What | Moir Stakes Night 2021 |
| Where | Moonee Valley Racing Club – 1 McPherson St, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 |
| When | Friday, September 24, 2021 |
| First Race | 5:15pm AEST |
| Feature Race | Group 1 Moir Stakes – Race 7 |
| Watch Live | |
The night racing season in Victoria gets underway at Moonee Valley on Friday night, and HorseBetting’s Victorian horse racing expert presents his race-by-race preview, best bets and free quaddie numbers for the Moir Stakes meeting. The track is rated a Good 4, the rail is out 4m for the entire circuit, and racing will commence at 5:15pm AEST.
Race 1: 3YO C&G Plate (1200m)
The opening race on Moir Stakes Night looks to be a cracker. A field of 10 three-year-old colts and geldings are set to go around over 1200m, and we have sided with last-start winner Fire from the Hawkes yard. Having chased home Aeecee Express at Randwick the start prior, the son of Fastnet Rock came out and put 2.75 lengths on his rivals in arrogant fashion at Bendigo. From barrier four on Friday, Fred Kersley will look to hunt the rail and dictate terms throughout, which should prove no disadvantage given the track conditions. Fire comes up against plenty of capable types, but we expect his untapped ability to be the difference.
Selections: 6-1-2-5
Race 2: BM84 Handicap (1200m)
One of the better bets of the night comes when the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr-trained Lombardo steps out over 1200m. Having destroyed a BM78 field at Morphettville on September 11 by 5.5 lengths in a dominant all-the-way victory, the five-year-old son of I Am Invincible comes to The Valley in fine form. He gains the services of Alana Kelly, who claims 3kg to get him in with a mere 52.5kg. From barrier two, Kelly should have no issue in finding the rail and leading throughout as Lombardo makes it three wins from five starts this campaign.
Selections: 9-10-4-7
Race 3: Stutt Stakes (1600m)
Our best bet at Moonee Valley comes up in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes when last-start winner Forgot You renews his rivalry with Sandy Prince. Our guy got the better of his rival over 1500m on September 4, finishing over the top of the field on the back of a genuine speed, and we expect it to be a similar story on Friday night. The predicted hot tempo should suit Forgot You, and if he brings the turn of foot he showed last time, he should prove too hard to hold out.
Selections: 3-4-1-6
Race 4: Scarborough Stakes (1200m)
The Group 3 Scarborough Stakes pits a field of 11 three-year-old fillies against one another, but we expect the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Flying Evelyn to be too good. Having been a good thing licked in the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes at Flemington on September 11, we expect she will right those wrongs here. She showed a lightning turn of foot on that day, and if she replicates it here, she should prove simply too good in what does not look to be the deepest Group 3 event going around.
Selections: 4-6-7-1
Race 5: BM84 Hcp (955m)
The first 955m dash of the night racing season sees the smart Starry Legend return from a five-month spell. The three-year-old Zoustar colt put together two impressive wins during his two-year-old campaign and is set to go onto bigger and bigger things than this BM84. We expect Michael Dee to go forward from barrier 13 and settle outside the leader, and if Starry Legend is primed first-up, he should be simply too good for this field in the opening leg of the quaddie.
Selections: 11-5-6-4
Race 6 – JRA Cup (2040m)
The Group 3 JRA Cup looks to be a nice race with Homesman, Defibrillate and Mount Popa all going up against one another over 2040m. We have settled on the Caulfield Cup-bound Mount Popa, who finished midfield in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on September 11. Having booked his spot in the Caulfield Cup with a win in the Mornington Cup earlier in the year, this is set to be his final tune-up run leading into one of the major spring races. He draws barrier 11, so Fred Kersley will likely settle him in the first four, and if the race is run to his liking, he should be simply too good in what looks to be a perfect hitout ahead of the Caulfield Cup.
Selections: 4-3-1-11
Race 7 – Moir Stakes (1000m)
The Group 1 Moir Stakes is the feature event on the Moonee Valley card, and it is shaping up to be a red-hot 1000m dash. Portland Sky was left vulnerable late on in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes over this track and distance on September 4 when The Inferno got the better of him late. He meets The Inferno again, but it might be the likes of Profiteer and Brooklyn Hustle who prove the dangers this time round. However, Portland Sky has a Group 1 win in the Oakleigh Plate under his belt, and that was run at breakneck speed, so with that type of tempo expected on Friday night, it could be he who finishes better once again.
Selections: 4-11-7-3
Race 8 – Stocks Stakes (1600m)
We will be hoping the Grahame Begg-trained Butter Chicken can send us home a winner as she looks to make it two wins from two second-up runs in her career. Having been beaten by 2.5 lengths first-up at Flemington behind Turaath in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes, we expect she will appreciate the drop back to the Group 3 Stocks Stakes. There doesn’t look to be any handy types like Turaath in this race, and with a genuine tempo expected from So You Assume, Butter Chicken should be able to start her run 500m out from home and finish over the top of her rivals to claim her first black-type race.
Selections: 12-9-2-1
Moonee Valley quaddie tips for Moir Stakes Night
| Mooney Valley quadrella selections | |
|---|---|
| Leg 1: | 5-6-11 |
| Leg 2: | 1-3-4 |
| Leg 3: | 3-4-7-11 |
| Leg 4: | 1-2-9-12 |
| Investment | $144 for 100% |