Wild Rain Tops 2016 Kensington Stakes Field & Odds

Mark Kavanagh’s ultra-consistent mare Wild Rain is early favourite to keep the good form going at Flemington Racecourse this Saturday in the Kensington Stakes 2016.

In-form mare Wild Rain is favourite to win Flemington’s 2016 Kensington Stakes this weekend in Melbourne. Photo: Adrienne Bicknell.

The latest feature race of the Melbourne Summer Racing Carnival, this weekend’s $120,000 Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) field features 11 hopefuls.

Sitting top of the Kensington Stakes odds at $4 for the win through Ladbrokes.com.au is flying Manhattan Rain four-year-old Wild Rain who comes off seven straight runs in the top two.

She has won three of those dating back to last June including the Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) two back at Sandown-Hillside in December.

Last start she travelled to the Gold Coast in Queensland on January 9 for the Magic Millions Sprint (1100m) where she crossed just a length off the winner Husson Eagle.

Champion hoop Glen Boss retains the ride this weekend from the inside barrier one draw, Wild Rain only needing to handle the rise from 54kg last start to 56.5kg this weekend to return to winning form up on the pace.

She is followed in the Kensington Stakes betting markets at $5.50 by the 60kg top weight The Quarterback drawn in gate eight.

Robbie Griffiths’ Cranbourne-trained Street Boss five-year-old returns to racing this weekend and was last seen beating home Wild Rain by three quarters of a length to win a black-type sprint at the track and distance during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

That was his third win from five starts over the 1000m at Flemington that he returns to for the Kensington with jockey Matthew Allen back aboard again.

The next best fancied are the returning Team Hawkes-trained Exceed And Excel colt Headwater ($6.50) and five-year-old Yesterday’s Songs ($7) prepared locally by Michael Moroney.

Three-year-old Headwater takes on an older field of rivals first-up and is out to atone for his last when eighth behind Lumosty last time out in the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m) back in October.

That followed the promising young sprinter’s fourth to Buffering in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) when beaten only one and a half lengths in the elite level at Moonee Valley.

Yesterday’s Song is drawn in gate nine for jockey Damien Oliver this weekend and is also first-up after a ninth over 1400m at the track back in early October.

Rounding out the Kensington Stakes hopes under $10 this summer are the Tony McEvoy-trained straight track specialist Iconic ($8) and Peter Moody’s in-form Mossman mare Pink Perfection ($9).

Four-year-old Pink Perfection won on Boxing Day over 1100m at Caulfield before her brave second last time out over Saturday’s track and distance behind Bullpit on January 16.

The early Kensington Stakes market mover meanwhile is Craig Williams’ mount, the aforementioned Bullpit ($10) drawn in gate two and getting in on the 54kg minimum.

The Danny O’Brien-trained four-year-old carried the same weight with the same jockey aboard to victory here last time out and shoots for his sixth win over the distance this Saturday.

Check out the full Kensington Stakes 2016 field, barriers, jockeys, weights and current Fixed Win odds below – prices provided by our preferred bookmaker Ladbrokes.com.au.