This Saturday Queensland’s final Group 1 race of the season will take place when the esteemed Eagle Farm Racecourse hosts the $500,000 Group 1 Winter Stakes (1400m).

The 2010 Sky Racing Winter Stakes has attracted a top quality field of 13 fillies and mares including the pronounced favourite, Melito.

Gerald Ryan’s classy Redoute’s Choice filly Melito has had a very testing and impressive winter campaign that has included a number of Group placings. Most recently she missed out on a win in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) by just a short half-head to Black Piranha.

Melito has drawn the far outside barrier 13 on Saturday, but is still the hot favourite currently paying $2.90 for a win at [iasbet].

Other top chances in the 2010 Winter Stakes include Beaded, Set For Fame and Gold Water.

At $4.60 odds through [iasbet], the Peter Snowden-trained Lonhro mare Beaded is the current second favourite after drawing ideally with barrier two. The four-year-old ran a gallant fourth in the Stradbroke Handicap last start before which she took out the Group 3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben.

Following closely in the Winter Stakes betting is Peter Moody’s Reset filly Set For Fame. Paying $4.80 at [iasbet], the three-year-old is coming off a win in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) on June 5. A Blake Shinn mount, Set For Fame will jump from barrier four on Saturday.

Another excellent runner looking for Group 1 glory in the Winter Stakes is the Gai Waterhouse-trained Gold Water. The four-year-old Choisir mare is currently a $6.50 chance with [iasbet], and has drawn wide along with the favourite in barrier 12. Gold Water is coming off a succession of frustrating top three placings in the Group winter features including her last start second to Metal Bender in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2020m).

The 2010 Winter Stakes is scheduled to jump at 3:47pm on Saturday as the seventh race on the day’s bumper eight-event card.

Other features to run at Eagle Farm this Saturday include the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2200m) and the Group 3 WJ Healy Stakes (1200m). To get the latest odds for all these great Eagle Farm Races head to [iasbet] today!

2010 Winter Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Br	Weight (kg)	Odds*
1	GOLD WATER	Gai Waterhouse	Nash Rawiller	12	57	6.50
2	CULMINATE (NZ)	Stephen Mckee	Scott Seamer	6	57	21.00
3	BEADED	Peter Snowden	Larry Cassidy	2	57	4.60
4	PRIMA NOVA	Anthony Cummings	Shane Scriven	11	57	51.00
5	ACQUIRED (NZ)	Robert Heathcote	Bobby El-Issa	5	57	41.00
6	WEALTH PRINCESS (NZ)	Brent Gillovic	Michael Walker	10	57	7.00
7	MESSENGER	Anthony Cummings	Jim Byrne	7	57	51.00
8	MELITO	Gerald Ryan	Corey Brown	13	55.5	2.90
9	SET FOR FAME	Peter G Moody	Blake Shinn	4	55.5	4.80
10	SO ANYWAY	John P Thompson	Peter Robl	3	55.5	81.00
11	READYOR	John P Thompson	Dwayne Dunn	1	55.5	19.00
12	DEER VALLEY	Steele Ryan	Danny Nikolic	9	55.5	101.00
13	HAPPY HIPPY	John P Thompson	Stathi Katsidis	8	55.5	41.00

*Odds are provided by [iasbet] and are subject to change