Horse Racing

Mark Kavanagh’s boom filly Atlantic Jewel headlines a list of class three-year-olds entered for the 2011 Wakeful Stakes at Flemington’s Victoria Derby Day this Saturday, the undefeated Thousand Guineas winner out to improve her already tremendous claims for Thursday week’s Crown Oaks.

Thousand Guineas winner Atlantic Jewel will vie for her fifth career win from as many starts in the 2011 Wakeful Stakes on Saturday

Atlantic Jewel hit the big time when racing away with her fourth career win from as many starts at Caulfield on October 12 when putting an easy three lengths on her closest rival Mosheen in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).

With an eleventh-hour Cox Plate bid abandoned, a smart play by Kavanagh having seen what crack three-year-old Helmet could only manage in the $3 million showdown last Saturday, Atlantic Jewel is being prepared for glory in the $1 million Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on November 3 for which she is the pronounced $1.90 favourite for already through Luxbet.

She is being taken down the traditional Crown Oaks path, first contesting this Saturday’s $300,000 Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m), the same race last year’s Crown Oaks winner Brazilian Pulse won on way to her success in the Melbourne Cup Carnival classic 12 months ago.

There were 17 fillies nominated for the Wakeful Stakes 2011 on Monday, Atlantic Jewel the 58kg of the entries, and word is the favourite is in top form ready for her fifth win on the trot.

“All reports from the trainer (Kavanagh) are that she has progressed well since the Thousand Guineas and appears to be on track,” Coolmore racing manager Tom Magnier said.

Kavanagh has also entered two of Atlantic Jewel’s stablemates in the race with Makybe Diva’s daughter La Dolce Diva and Quench The Thirst, the later of which who may be kept for a 1700 m race on Crown Oaks Day instead with the distance a query.

Following Atlantic Jewel in the Crown Oaks odds are fellow Wakeful Stakes Entries:

• Dowager Queen ($4.40 Luxbet) – Smart Kiwi filly from the stables of Grahame Rogerson, ran third in the Flight Stakes two starts back before her last-start second to Gliding in the Listed Ethereal Stakes (2000m) on Caulfield Cup Day where she got caught in traffic before finishing strongly in a run that suggested she would appreciate more distance

• Gliding ($8.50 Luxbet) – Bart Cummings’ impressive Ethereal Stakes winner, took six starts to break her maiden status but once she found the right distance she hit all the right notes and should continue to do so getting up to the 2500m for the Oaks

• Mosheen ($13 Luxbet) – One of the best-tried and best-performing three-year-old fillies getting around, trainer Robert Smerdon should be all smiles with the effort she has put in lately including her Edward Manifold Stakes win over the mile at Flemington and her last-start second to Atlantic Jewel in the Guineas where she battled on bravely, has also been nominated for the $500,000 Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) on Derby Day

• Vittoria ($13 Luxbet) – Michael Kent-trained filly bounced back from some disappointing runs with a credible fourth in the Ethereal, is bred to stay and will appreciate this and then the Oaks distance, could run a sneaky place in one or both

View the full list of Wakeful Stakes nominees below, then head to Luxbet and open your online betting account to get in on the elite spring racing action, enjoying a $500 bonus bet as a first-time depositing customer that quotes the code BONUSBET.

Now is also the time to back Atlantic Jewel to win the Crown Oaks through Luxbet before her price firms further with a win in the Wakeful on Saturday!

2011 Wakeful Stakes Nominations & Weights