The richest mile race in the world will be run and won on Saturday and the Wizard of Odds is all hands on deck as he runs through the nine-card from Moonee Valley.
The best bet comes up in race two and his All-Star-Mile tip is ready to rock ‘n’ roll first up from a spell.
Sit back and let our form analysis do the work to find you the winners!
Moonee Valley Race 1 - Grand handicap glassic
#9 Rising Archie
Loved the run of Rising Archie at Sandown last start when finishing second to Aurora Symphony.
He was beaten by half a length on that occasion and faces Aurora Symphony again, in this race, but he does get a big weight swing in his advantage that is sure to see him finish in front of his main rival here.
Michael Poy takes the ride from barrier six and only has to lug around 53kgs. Should settle midfield with some cover and be able to peel out to make his run as they go by the school at the 600 metre mark.
Looks a nice each-way bet to start the program.
Suggested Bet: Rising Archie each-way at $5.5 the win and $2.05 the place.
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 1, 9/ 1, 7, 9/ 1, 5, 7, 9
Moonee valley race 2 - Charter Keck Cramer Valley Pearl
#7 Scorched Earth
She broke her maiden status in impressive style by bolting in at Murray Bridge last start after being given a brilliant ride by in-form South Australian based jockey Jessica Eaton.
Trainer John Moloney has his two-year-old filly by Nicconi jumping out of the barriers very sharply this preparation after she was slowly away in her debut run, from which was subsequently spelled.
Damien Oliver takes the ride today and from barrier five he has plenty of options: he can either lead, sit outside the lead or take the sit in the behind if the speed gets too hot early.
She is clearly a filly on the rise and has a fitness edge and platform to run another strong 1200 metre race that some of her main rivals do not possess today.
Looks the best bet on the card!
Suggested Bet: Scorched Earth win at $2.9
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta 7/ 3, 8/ 3, 6, 8
Moonee valley race 3 - Xtreme Freight Handicap
#2 Too Close The Sun
A big drop in class from his last start run where he finished in seventh, some six lengths away from the two All-Star Mile favourites Probabeel and Arcadia Queen in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
That run, albeit being beaten by a fair way, was more than good enough to suggest he can win a race of this calibre, especially with the step up to his pet distance of 2000 metres.
He combines with apprentice jockey Lachlan Neindorf who has had success on him at the track and distance in the past.
From barrier six, the pair can settle very close to the lead, if not lead the race themselves and give a big kick at the 400 metre mark and hopefully prove too hard to catch.
He was runner-up in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) and then finished fourth in the Group 1 Kingston Town Stakes (1800m) and, to the eye, it seems he gets in very well at the weights for a handicap race.
Suggested Bet: Too Close The Sun at $3.6
Suggested Exotic: Quinella 2 & 5
moonee valley race 4 - Ranvet Abell Stakes
#7 Pandemic
Completely against the favourite Ancestry who looks vulnerable and as such we will side with Pandemic whose 1200 metre wins look to have much more depth.
Pandemic dropped back to the 1000 metre dash up the straight at Flemington last start and was brave in defeat behind speed machine Fabergino.
The James Cummings-trained four-year-old gelding has since enjoyed a seven week freshen up and a Rosehill trial over 900 metres to keep his legs fresh, fit and firing for this assignment.
Damien Oliver is booked to ride from barrier six.
There looks to be a fair bit of early speed in the race which should allow Oliver to slot in one off the fence with some cover.
If he travels well around the sharp Moonee Valley bends he should be able to reel off the late splits to catch the leaders and win.
Suggested Bet: Pandemic win at $3.7
Suggested exotic: Trifecta – 7/ 1, 2, 3/ 1, 2, 3
moonee valley race 5 - Dalton Consulting Engineers Alister Clark Stakes
#9 Parure
Since breaking her maiden status at Wangaratta on January 6 this year, she has progressed through the grades like a smart horse and capped it all off with a tough win in the Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield last start.
Her dam, Fontein Ruby, was a strong middle distance performer and the step up to 2000 metres should be of no concern for Parure.
Damian Lane has taken the saddle in her last starts and he will need to be at his absolute best from barrier nine if the pair want to make it three wins in a row.
Her main danger is the favourite Cherry Tortoni who ran an incredible race from near last on the turn in the Australian Guineas to flash home and run second.
The price differential between the two is swaying us in the direction of the Coolmore owned filly.
Suggested Bet: Parure each way at $5.5 the win and $1.65 the place
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 1, 9/ 1, 9/ 3, 5
moonee valley race 6 - Adapt Australia Country Mile Series Final
#17 La Falaise
La Falaise is really the only horse in this race with solid Saturday metropolitan credentials against a field that would, otherwise, not look out of place at a midweek meeting.
Her last start was at Ballarat over the mile where she was afforded very little room in the home straight and was climbing over the back of heels to get a run.
Once she saw daylight she knuckled down well to finish fifth but rider Michael Poy stopped urging her in the last 75 metres.
John Allen will take the ride on Saturday and having drawn barrier eight, he can hopefully settle her one off the fence and make an unimpeded run towards the finish line.
Suggested Bet: La Falaise each way at $12 the win and $3.8 the place
Suggested Exotic: First 4 – 2, 6, 14, 17/ 2, 6, 14, 17/ 2, 6, 14, 17/ Field
moonee valley race 7 - Powerflo Solutions VOBIS Gold Reef
#5 token spirit
Progressed through the grades very well in his first preparation and finished off his campaign with a brave sixth-placed finish in the VRC Derby.
He has since been gelded and comes into this race off the back of two solid Cranbourne jump outs where he was not asked to do too much under light riding.
Barrier 10 may make things a little awkward but we have ‘The GOAT’ Damien Oliver to navigate a passage into the race for Token Spirit as he targets races over further deeper into his preparation.
Happy to be with him on an each-way basis.
Suggested Bet: Token Spirit each way at $16 the win and $4.4 the place
Suggested Exotic: – Trifecta – 5, 10/ 4, 5, 10/ 2, 4, 5, 10
moonee valley race 8 - all-star mile
#9 russian camelot
The stable star for Danny O’Brien is almost the forgotten horse in this race.
He started favourite in every single race he competed in last campaign, all bar the Melbourne Cup.
Despite only managing one win – The Underwood Stakes (1800m) – he did not run a bad race throughout the spring and he technically did all that as a three-year-old.
His first-up run last preparation in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington was enormous.
He was vetted before the race and then had to contend with being posted four wide on the pace with no cover.
Incredibly, he kept surging to the line and actually looked the winner at the 150 metre mark only for his fitness and a tough run to take its toll on him late.
He only ended being beaten by a quarter of a length by Fierce Impact who is regarded as one of the best milers on Australian turf.
A Werribee trial over 1100 metres followed by a jumpout at Flemington and gallop around Moonee Valley should have him ready to launch his bid at the $5,000,000 prize pool.
Suggested Bet: Russian Camelot each way at $7.5 the win and $2.6 the place
Suggested Exotic: Boxed trifecta: 1, 9, 10
