This Friday night under the lights at Moonee Valley Racecourse Cox Plate Eve will host the Manikato Stakes 2015 sprint classic, a detailed form guide analysis and betting preview for which is found below.

Buffering boasts the best record at Moonee Valley and over 1200m of any of the 2015 Manikato Stakes runners this Friday night. Photo: Daniel Costello.

A star-studded field of 10 line-up in this year’s edition of the $1 million Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) that runs as Moonee Valley Race 7 at 9:45pm (AEST).

Leading the latest Manikato Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au, who are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on the race this Friday evening, is the Team Hawkes-trained Chautauqua.

He has eased out from an odds-on price of $1.95 to $2.05, the TJ Smith Stakes winner in Sydney from the autumn shooting for his third win from as many starts this time in.

His record over the distance is top notch with four wins and five seconds from 10 starts, and even though barrier two is far from ideal for the Encosta De Lago gelding, he is the one to beat.

Chautauqua’s biggest dangers looking at the Manikato Stakes betting markets are the rails-drawn Joe Pride-trained Terravista ($6) who also needs luck from the alley in a fast-paced affair, the returning dual Group 1 winning Ciaron Maher-trained mare Srikandi ($7) and 2013 winner Buffering ($7.50) in his fifth straight appearance in the race.

That’s the story told by the bookies but what about the Manikato Stakes form guide, betting history and statistics?

2015 Manikato Stakes Form Guide & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Manikato Stakes winner was the Mick Price-trained Lankan Rupee (2014) who came off a second in the Moir Stakes and jumped from barrier 9 (of 12) with Craig Newitt aboard the 3/1 favourite
• Barrier nine has produced just the one winner (since 1983) and belongs this year to #5 Tiger Tees ($71)
• The most successful Manikato Stakes barriers in that time with five winners each are 10 and 11
• There are only 10 runners this spring and the outside alley is drawn by #8 Srikandi ($7)
• No Manikato Stakes winner has jumped form barrier 2 or 3 (since 1983) and this weekend #2 Chautauqua (2) and #6 Fast ‘N’ Rocking (3) are out to break the hoodoo of those gates
• The previous Manikato Stakes winning trainers with a runner this year are Robert Heathcote (4-1-0-0) with #1 Buffering ($7.50) and John Hawkes (9-1-1-1) who trains #2 Chautauqua ($2.05) in partnership with sons Michael & Wayne
• The previous Manikato Stakes winning jockeys with a ride on Friday are Damian Browne (3-1-0-0) aboard #1 Buffering, Damien Oliver (17-2-5-4) who shoots for his third win on #5 Tiger Tees and fellow dual winner Kerrin McEvoy (5-2-1-1) on #8 Srikandi  

• The past two winners came off a second in the Moir Stakes and this year the Moir Stakes graduates backing up in the Manikato are the winner Buffering and fifth-placed Griante who was beaten only 1.6 lengths as a $31 outsider
• #1 Buffering runs in the Manikato Stakes for the fifth time on Friday and won the race in 2013
• Along with #1 Buffering (Group 1 Moir Stakes, 1000m, Moonee Valley, 02/10/2015) the other last start winners in the race are #2 Chautauqua (Group 2 Gilgai Stakes, 1200m Flemington, 04/10/2015), #3 Terravista (Group 2 Premiere Stakes, 1200m, Randwick, 03/10/2015), #6 Fast ‘N’ Rocking (Listed Caulfield Village Stakes, 1200m, Caulfield, 14/10/2015), #8 Srikandi (Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara, 1400m, Gold Coast, 20/06/2015) and #10 Alpha Miss (Group 2 Schillaci Stakes, 1100m, Caulfield, 10/10/2015)
• The last Manikato Stakes winner to come off a last start victory was Sepoy (2011) who came off success in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington
• Mares have won three of the past 10 editions and the female gallopers in the mix this season are #8 Srikandi, #9 Girante ($41) and #10 Alpha Miss ($12)
• Favourites have a 50% strike rate in the past decade with five winners including Lankan Rupee last year with #2 Chautauqua out to be the next

• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #8 Srikandi (69%) followed by #3 Terravista (59%) and #2 Chautauqua (50%)
• The best Place Rate belongs to #2 Chautauqua (88%) followed by #8 Srikandi (85%), #3 Terravista (76%) and #1 Buffering (72%)
• Over the distance (1200m) those with the best winning form are: #1 Buffering (31-11-6-5), #8 Srikandi (6-5-0-0), #3 Terravista (8-5-0-2), #2 Chautauqua (10-4-5-0), #5 Tiger Tees (13-4-0-1) and #4 Rebel Dane (13-3-2-2)

• At Moonee Valley the horses with the best form are: #1 Buffering (10-5-1-1), #2 Chautauqua (1-1-0-0), #6 Fast ‘N’ Rocking (3-1-0-1) and #7 Rich Enuff (2-1-0-1)

Stay tuned to Races.com.au for our insider Manikato Stakes tips to be published shortly.

In the meantime lock in your early selections online at Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on the Manikato on Friday night as well as the entire Moonee Valley race card on Saturday for Cox Plate Day!

2015 Manikato Stakes Form Guide