The mares face off at Moonee Valley Racecourse this Cox Plate Day in the Tesio Stakes 2016, running as the Merlin Garage Door Openers Stakes, and below are the insider betting tips and latest odds on the showdown.
Antelucan is a top three chance in the 2016 Tesio Stakes on Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley on Saturday for John O’Shea and Godolphin. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
A final field of 12 hopefuls is engaged for Moonee Valley Race 5 when the $150,000 Group 3 Tesio Stakes (1600m) jumps at 2:25pm (AEDT) as part of a bumper 10-race Cox Plate Day card.
Heading the latest Tesio Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au at $2.40 is the Chris Waller-trained Lady Le Fay, drawn to get the run of the race from barrier two with the in-form Hugh Bowman replacing Tommy Berry in the saddle.
The six-year-old daughter of Thorn Park is unraced at Moonee Valley, but the mile is her go and from seven runs at the distance she boasts three wins, a second and two thirds.
This is her third-up run of the season and last time out she jumped from the inside alley at Randwick to cross second behind Dixie Blossoms in the Group 3 Angst Stakes (1600m).
If she brings that form south she’ll be hard to hold out in the Tesio Stakes.
Four other mares in the field are also at single-figures in the Tesio Stakes betting markets paying between $9 – $9.50 including the Matthew Dale-trained Rocket Commander.
She comes off a second in the Group 3 Ladies Day Vase (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12 as a $21 roughie, and out wide in barrier 11 this weekend could prove the right place to be.
So will Lady Le Fay get the job done for the punters or is there value tipping an upset Tesio Stakes result from a longer-priced chance such as the rails-drawn Antelucan ($9) coming off a third in the Ladies Day Vase over the distance, early market mover Alaskan Rose ($9.50) who ran fifth in the same lead-up or even the Ciaron Maher-trained recent Bendigo winner St Swithuns ($20) at the blowout odds stepping up in grade?
1st
#9 Alaskan Rose ($9.50)
Going for the value and following the market mover with this Michael Moroney-trained Encosta De Lago four-year-old backed in from double-figures. She won over 1400m at Caulfield two back from a wide gate, is Group 1 performed and was far from disgraced when fifth in the Ladies’ Day Vase. Beaten under three lengths and will be firing fit third-up here from the gun gate (three), just needs to handle the circuit.
2nd
#1 Lady Le Fay ($2.40)
Plenty of boxes ticked by the deserving favourite in the ideal alley with the best of the best Bowman in the saddle. All eyes are on Waller’s No. 1 mare Winx in the Cox Plate later on the card, but he’s in with a livewire chance of an earlier win for the punters in this with the proven miler looking to frank the Sydney form including that good Angst Stakes second.
3rd
#7 Antelucan ($9)
The rails aren’t always the place to draw at the Valley, but still fancy the top three chances of this Godolphin-raced daughter of Domesday. She’s had two goes around the Valley without a run in the money, but the Ladies Day Vase third was solid and that form-line could hold-up here.
Like the look of our Cox Plate Day tips? Head to Ladbrokes.com.au and access the best odds on all the runners in every race including the Tesio Stakes and the day’s feature – the Cox Plate – online now!
