Night racing returns to Moonee Valley on Friday evening and is highlighted by a star-studded field of sprinters facing off in the 2017 Moir Stakes, a comprehensive form guide analysis and betting preview for which is detailed below.

Heatherly is the proven Moonee Valley specialist in Friday night’s Moir Stakes 2017 field. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

It is a capacity field of short-distance specialists engaged in this year’s Group 1 $500,000 A.J. Moir Stakes (1000m), but just three sit under double-figures for the win in the latest markets.

Leading the Moir Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $3.30 to go back-to-back at The Valley is the widely-drawn Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Russian Revolution.

Rarely does the Moir Stakes draw a full field as it has this spring, giving Team Snowden’s in-form Snitzel stallion a tough assignment at the tight track.

The four-year-old, winner of the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) in the wet at Rosehill during the autumn, had his first start at Moonee Valley first-up on September 9.

There Russian Revolution took out the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m), defeating his five rivals with 58.5kg.

It is a much tricker affair for the horse on Friday night, but with Hugh Bowman in the saddle the bookies are tipping Russian Revolution to cross early and sit up on the speed.

While his Group 1 win was on a rain-affected track, the gun sprinter has only been defeated once on dry ground when two lengths fourth to Flying Artie in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) down the Flemington straight last Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Plenty to suggest that if Bowman can get the favourite in the right position, over the 1000m second-up Russian Revolution could be hard to beat.

The dangers looking at the Moir Stakes betting markets shape-up as returning Golden Slipper winning filly She Will Reign ($4) and the Lindsay Park-trained Oakleigh Plate winner from February Sheidel who reunites with her winning hoop in that race Joao Moreira on Friday night.

Below we take a look at the full 2017 Moir Stakes Form Guide, betting history and statistics to uncover where the value is at in the Group 1 spring sprint.

2017 Moir Stakes Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Moir Stakes winner was Mick Price’s then three-year-old Flying Artie who won first-up out of the Golden Slipper, jumped from barrier 9 (of 9) with Craig Newitt aboard
• Flying Artie was the first three-year-old Moir Stakes winner since the filly Virage De Fortune (2005)
• This year #13 She Will Reign ($4) is the only three-year-old in the Moir Stakes field and her last start was a win in the Golden Slipper Stakes

• Robert Smerdon with the fourth emergency #17e Ability is the only previous Moir Stakes winning trainer with a possible runner this year
• The only previous Moir Stakes winning jockey with a ride this year is Hugh Bowman on the favourite #5 Russian Revolution ($3.30)
• Favourites in Moir Stakes betting have a strong recent record with five saluting in the past decade including most recently Buffering for his first in 2012
• #5 Russian Revolution leads Moir Stakes betting in 2017

• No Moir Stakes winner has saluted at double-digit odds since Our Egyptian Raine ($13 in 2003)
• Along with #5 Russian Revolution the other single-figure chances in the Moir Stakes odds this year are: #13 She Will Reign ($4) and #9 Sheidel ($8)
• Mares have a good record in the Moir Stakes results with four wins in the past 10 years most recently Samaready (2013)
• Along with the filly #13 She Will Reign the other female sprinters in this year’s Moir Stakes field are: #9 Sheidel ($8), #10 Viddora $21), #11 Heatherly ($12), #12 Sweet Sherry ($34) and the third emergency #16 Super Cash ($19)
• In the past seven years three Moir Stakes winners came off a lead-up win including most recently Samaready (2013)
• The last start winners guaranteed a run this year are: #4 Rock Magic (Group 3 Belmont Sprint, 1400m, Belmont, 03/06/2017), #5 Russian Revolution (Group 2 McEwen Stakes, 1000m, Moonee Valley, 09/09/2017) and #13 She Will Reign (Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes, 1200m, Rosehill, 18/04/2017)
• #5 Russian Revolution is out to be the first Moir Stakes winner to come off a lead-up run at Moonee Valley since Special (1986)
• The horse with the highest Win Rate in the race is #13 She Will Reign (80%) followed by #5 Russian Revolution (67%)
• The best Place Rate of the field belongs to #13 She Will Reign (100%) who is yet to finish out of the money followed by #3 Voodoo Lad (83%) and #11 Heatherly (82%)
• Last year’s winning Moir Stakes barrier (9) belongs this year to second emergency #15e Supido (9) but if all the spares come out it will be #12 Heatherly (13) in the gate
• Barriers 1 – 3 have produced the most Moir Stakes winners over the past 30 years
• #8 Faatinah ($26) jumps from the inside alley, barrier 2 will belong to #6 Derryn (3) if the emergencies come out and gate three will have #12 Sweet Sherry (5) in it if #16e Super Cash (2) and #17e Ability (4) fail to gain a start
• The confirmed runners with the best winning Moonee Valley track record are: #11 Heatherly (8-3-3-2), #3 Voodoo Lad (2-2-0-0), #12 Sweet Sherry (4-2-0-1), #2 Malaguerra (2-1-0-0) and #5 Russian Revolution (1-1-0-0),

• #7 Jungle Edge ($41) is yet to win at Moonee Valley but is a dual runner-up from three starts at the track
• The horses with the best record over the distance (1000m) are: #9 Sheidel (12-6-2-1), #10 Viddora (11-5-2-1), #7 Jungle Edge (14-4-2-1), #11 Heatherly (12-4-5-2), #4 Rock Magic (7-3-1-1), #1 Terravista (4-2-2-0), #13 She Will Reign (2-2-0-0), #14 Hellbent (5-2-0-2) and #2 Malaguerra (3-2-0-0)

Stay tuned for our insider Moir Stakes 2017 tips, checking out the full race form guide below in the meantime courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.