Melito is the favourite in the 2011 Chipping Norton Stakes betting markets
Scheduled to run as Race 6 on Saturday at 4:26pm (AEDST), the $350,000 Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) features a quality field of 13 gallopers.
In the early 2011 Chipping Norton Stakes betting markets at Luxbet, Gerald Ryan’s talented Redoute’s Choice mare Melito is the clear $3.20 favourite despite having drawn the far outside barrier 13 for Saturday.
A winner of five of her 21 career starts to date for over $1.7 million in prize money, four-year-old Melito is coming off a first-up win in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 19 where she beat home star sprinter Hot Danish by nearly two lengths.
Melito opened at a quote of $3.30 in the Luxbet Chipping Norton Stakes odds yesterday and has swiftly been backed into $3.20 despite queries regarding her form and ability over the mile.
Last year’s Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday is the $5 second-favourite in the Chipping Norton betting as the proven stayer makes his return to racing after a brilliant spring preparation.
Maluckyday has come up with barrier seven and will be ridden by Jim Cassidy on Saturday as the Zabeel four-year-old has his first run since finishing second behind Americain in the 2010 Melbourne Cup.
The Chipping Norton will be Maluckyday’s second run over 1600m, his only other start at the distance was at Hawkesbury in March last year where he won at just his second career start.
In a wide-open Chipping Norton Stakes field full of depth, four other runners are at single-figure odds through Luxbet with Centennial Park ($6.50), the Gai Waterhouse-trained Once Were Wild ($7.50), Chris Waller’s seven-year-old gelding Danleigh ($7.50) and defending champ Theseo ($8).
The David Payne-trained Centennial Park drew ideally with barrier two for Saturday and is due to be ridden by Corey Brown who scored victory in the Chipping Norton aboard Tuesday Joy in 2009.
Resuming with a solid win in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on February 5, Centennial Park most recently ran a game third behind Melito in the Apollo beaten less than two lengths.
His run in the Apollo suggested he was looking for more ground and although yet to win over a distance greater than 1400m, Centennial Park should perform well over the mile third-up on Saturday.
Below are the current 2011 Chipping Norton Stakes odds at Luxbet, so to get onto these prices before markets firm visit Luxbet today!
2011 Chipping Norton Stakes Odds
| # | Horse (Barrier) | Odds* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THESEO (12) | 8.00 |
| 2 | DESCARADO (11) | 26.00 |
| 3 | DANLEIGH (8) | 7.50 |
| 4 | ZAVITE (1) | 101.00 |
| 5 | ILLUSTRIOUS BLUE (3) | 101.00 |
| 6 | CENTENNIAL PARK (2) | 6.50 |
| 7 | MALUCKYDAY (7) | 5.00 |
| 8 | VISION AND POWER (4) | 81.00 |
| 9 | LUEN YAT FOREVER (5) | 15.00 |
| 10 | LORNE DANCER (10) | 51.00 |
| 11 | MELITO (13) | 3.20 |
| 12 | SACRED CHOICE (6) | 21.00 |
| 13 | ONCE WERE WILD (9) | 7.50 |
*Fixed Win Odds Provided by Luxbet & Subject to Change
