Three smart three-year-olds are currently fighting for top spot in the Moonee Valley Vase 2015 odds on Cox Plate Day this Saturday in Melbourne with Tarzino the narrow favourite.

Tarzino is narrow favourite to break his Group duck with a 2015 Moonee Valley Vase victory on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

A lead-up to the $1.5 million Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) Saturday week at Flemington Racecourse, a race the Mick Price-trained Tarzino is also leading markets for, this year’s $200,000 Group 2 Dilmah Exceptional Teas Vase (2040m) features a final field of 12.

Top of the Moonee Valley Vase betting markets through Ladbrokes.com.au, who are offering an exclusive Best Tote or SP + 20% on the full Cox Plate Day program this weekend, Tavistock colt Tarzino pays $4 after being backed in early from $4.40.

He is drawn wide in gate 10 with Craig Newitt retaining the ride, the up-and-comer out to improve on a seventh in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) a fortnight ago ahead of his first run at Moonee Valley or 2000m this weekend.

His performance there suggested he was looking for further however, and from the draw Newitt is likely to take him back and hold off for a powerful late burst that will prove his staying quality ahead of the Victoria Derby.

The two most likely to score an upset Moonee Valley Vase result on the weekend according to the bookies are smart fillies Pasadena Girl ($4.40) and Jameka ($4.80) both drawn well in barriers one and five respectively.

Peter Moody’s daughter of Savabeel Pasadena Girl won the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) as a two-year-old in Sydney and was last seen running fourth in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).

Jockey Hugh Bowman will get it easy if she switches off from the inside alley, which will see Pasadena Girl save energy and shape up as one to beat in the finish.

Thousand Guineas runner-up Jameka hasn’t run worse than third since before her Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) win back in mid-March and is in flying form.

Her winning form only extends to 1400m so far but from her ideal draw she and jockey Damien Oliver will get the run of the race taking on the boys this weekend.

Also at single figures in the Moonee Valley Vase odds this season are Sovereign Nation ($6.50) and Tally ($7.50) in the outside alley.

Lindsay Park trainers David Hayes & Tom Dabernig are in ace form this Spring Carnival and saddle-up Encosta De Lago colt Sovereign Nation from barrier four, the recent Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) winner at the track returning to the Valley after a solid fourth in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) a fortnight ago.

Tally will need luck from barrier 12 of 12, the John O’Shea-trained Street Cry colt coming off a 1850m win at Kyneton with Godolphin’s internationally-retained hoop James Doyle booked for the ride having been bought over to partner Complacent in the $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) on Saturday.

Other promising three-year-olds in the Vase at longer odds include Shards ($12) and Hierarchal ($15).

Jumping from barrier three with Wednesday’s Geelong Cup winning hoop James McDonald in the saddle, O’Shea’s other runner Shards is looking to return to form after the Stan Fox runner-up finished 13^th of 16 runners in the Caulfield Guineas.

Hierarchal meanwhile heads towards the 2015 Victoria Derby on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Glen Boss riding the High Chaparral colt for the first time, the Sydney raider last seen finishing fourth to Vanbrugh in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick two weeks ago.

Check out the full Moonee Valley Vase 2015 betting odds below then visit Ladbrokes.com.au to enjoy Best Tote or SP + 20% on all 10 races on the card this Saturday at the Valley!

2015 Moonee Valley Vase Betting