A smart field of Victoria Derby bound three-year-olds take to the Moonee Valley track in the last on Cox Plate Day, betting tips and the latest odds on the Moonee Valley Vase 2016 found below.

Closing the card as Moonee Valley Race 10 at 5:45pm (AEDT), an 11-horse field of young stayers is engaged to face off in this year’s $200,000 Group 2 LUCFR Super Vase (2040m).

It is the first go at the distance for many of the runners who are hoping to extend out further if they back-up Saturday week in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m), or the fillies a few days later in the Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m).

A tight first-half of the Moonee Valley Vase betting market at Ladbrokes.com.au has five single-figure fancies, currently led by narrow favourite Prized Icon.

The James Cummings-trained Group 1 winner has firmed in from $5.50 to $4.60 after coming up trumps with barrier two.

He has run third in his two lead-up Sydney runs this prep, the latest a brave effort when only a half-length off Yankee Rose in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) on October 8.

The More Than Ready colt is one of the few in the mix to get out over these meters and is out to frank that Sydney form, as is Yankee Rose running in Saturday’s Cox Plate.

His biggest dangers according to the latest Moonee Valley Vase odds are the gun Kiwi Sacred Elixir ($5) who will eat up the meters after a luckless eighth in the Caulfield Guineas over a mile last time out and the Lindsay Park-trained Tavistock filly Harlow Gold ($5) who is bred to see out the distance.

So will the best in betting get the job done for the punters or will a double-figure hope such as the Chris Waller-trained Spring Champion Stakes fourth-placegetter Veladero ($11) or the lightly-raced Silvera ($13) be this year’s upset Moonee Valley Vase winner?

1^st

#1 Prized Icon ($4.60)

The favourite is firming fast and deserves his shot at this on the back of the strong Sydney form. He’ll get the run of the race from the barrier with Glyn Schofield staying on and doesn’t know how to run poorly. He’s a Group 1 winner over a mile from the autumn and the third to Yankee Rose over this distance at Randwick last time out was very good. He’ll handle the meters again here and can beat these at his best with many winding up for even further.

2^nd

#3 Veladero ($11)

Like the value offered for Waller’s consistent Medaglia D’Oro colt who beat Prized Icon (3^rd) two back in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m). Was fourth in the Spring Champion Stakes beaten 1.5 lengths last time out and think that Sydney form is the one to beat in Melbourne this weekend. Out wide, but at the Valley over this distance, that gives jockey Hugh Bowman options and the race could pan out in his favour.

3^rd

#2 Sacred Elixir ($5)

Think this Tony Pike-trained Pour Moi geldings is the one to get behind Saturday week in the Derby and he’ll get the ideal tune-up for that this weekend. He has winning form in Melbourne and won Brisbane’s JJ Atkins over the mile as a two-year-old. Strike rate is outstanding (50%) and the Guineas eighth when 2.7 lengths beaten can be forgiven. He looked dour in that and will be better suited to this trip.

Get behind our insider Moonee Valley Vase 2016 tips online now at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Enhanced Odds (T&Cs apply).

2016 Moonee Valley Vase Odds Update