Horse Racing

A star-studded list of Group winning mares have been accepted for the major support race on the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes Day card at Moonee Valley this Saturday, Peter Moody’s impressive former Kiwi sensation King’s Rose heading the 2011 Stocks Stakes field.

King's Rose is out to maintain her perfect race record in Australia in the 2011 Stocks Stakes this Saturday

While Whobegotyou will likely steal the show at the Valley on the weekend, the 2011 Cox Plate betting favourite at Luxbet vying for their third straight Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes win, there is plenty to like about the horses facing off in the $200,000 Group 2 Spotless Stocks Stakes (1600m).

Opting to avoid a clash with the ‘Whobe’ in the Dato, Moody accepted recent stable acquisition King’s Rose for the Stocks Stakes and is confident the New Zealand Group 1 1000 Guineas winner can go back-to-back after she won her Australian race debut last start.

In a gritty finish, Redoute’s Choice four-year-old King’s Rose tracked Heart Of Dreams and wore them down to claim a final-stride win in the Group 2 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 27.

Stepping up to the mile King’s Rose should be even more exciting, Moody looking to see whether to target the $2.5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 15 or the prestigious $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley a fortnight later with her.

In the latest 2011 Caulfield Cup betting markets at Luxbet King’s Rose is paying a generous $35 to upset race favourites that include stablemate Lights Of Heaven ($9.50).

For the Cox Plate 2011, Luxbet odds on King’s Rose are also juicy – $26 to Win and $7.25 to Place.

Moody has also paid up for Willow Creek in the Stocks Stakes 2011, the four-year-old roughie suffering an early blow drawing barrier 13 of 14.

Other headline entries in the Stocks Stakes this year include last Saturday’s Group 3 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) winner at Flemington Pinker Pinker (barrier 11) and the Michael Kent-trained AJC Oaks winner Absolutely (barrier 8), coming off a fifth to King’s Rose in the Memsie.

Also among the contenders is defending Stocks Stakes winner Avienus.

The Mark Webb-trained Reset six-year-old is being given the chance to return to form after a string of disappointing runs over the past season.

Avienus won the Stocks Stakes by an easy three lengths last year, but hasn’t finished better than fifth in her 10 runs since.

Lady Lynette is also back for another Stocks Stakes crack, the well-tried seven-year-old having run third to Avienus 12 months ago.

The David and Scott Brunton-trained mare’s last run at the Valley was a close second in the Listed Sunline Stakes (1600m) back on March 25, and she comes into the Stocks Stakes showdown on the back of a solid fourth to Pinker Pinker in the Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) last Saturday.

Meanwhile, Southern Australian raider Southern Speed will be raced in blinkers for the first time in the Stocks Stakes this weekend.

Southern Speed was a genuine force in the Morphettville autumn carnival which culminated with a third behind Lights Of Heaven in the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (2008m).

She has failed to impress in her two first-up runs as a four-year-old, however, finishing 13^th of 15^th in the Group 3 WW Cockram Stakes (1200m) and 11^th of 14^th at her latest run over 1400 metres at Caulfield.

Co-trainers Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas are hoping to see improvement from her on Saturday as she steps up to the mile.

“She might be looking for longer, she is not going as bad as her form reads,” Macdonald said.

“She’s got two duck eggs next to her name but she’s only been beaten five and a half lengths and five lengths after giving them big starts so I dont’ think she’s going that badly.

“The way she is bred, being out of a Zabeel mare (Golden Eagle), she ought to be running a trip so we’ll see what happens on Saturday.

“We are expecting improvement but having said that we are running into a decent race.”

If Southern Speed progresses exceptionally well, the 2011 Cox Plate could come into contention for her.

“We want her to start improving and see where we are going,” Macdonald said.

“I don’t know if she’s a Cox Plate horse.”

The bookies and punters don’t believe she is, Southern Speed sitting as a $151 roughie in the Cox Plate odds at Luxbet.

See below for the 2011 Stocks Stakes field, barriers, weights and jockeys.

Betting on all the Moonee Valley features will open shortly at Luxbet, so get ready for the action by signing up with Australia’s leading bookmaker today.

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2011 Stocks Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw