Gary Portelli’s Golden Slipper Stakes winner She Will Reign makes her much awaited return to racing at Moonee Valley under the lights on Friday night and is one of the key Moir Stakes 2017 nominations for the Group 1.

Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign kicks off her three-year-old campaign in Friday night’s 2017 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo: Steve Hart.

Held as the first of six elite level spring races spread across the AFL Grand Final long weekend, this year’s Group 1 $500,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) has attracted a bumper 24 early entries.

The sole three-year-old in the mix looking to emulate Extreme Choice (2016) who beat home the older horses in last year’s Moir Stakes result is Manhattan Rain filly She Will Reign.

No filly has won the short-distance sprint since Virage De Fortune (2005), but there’s plenty of early support for Portelli’s young champion with She Will Reign occupying the second line of all-in Moir Stakes odds at $3.20 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Undefeated in her two previous first-up runs, She Will Reign was last seen saluting by over two lengths on a Heavy (10) Rosehill track to win the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) back in March.

She has trialled twice since in Sydney ahead of her maiden Melbourne run in the Moir Stakes, which serves as a lead-up into the $10 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 14.

Last Tuesday She Will Reign blitzed a Rosehill 900m trial with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle and McEvoy retains the ride in the Moir Stakes on Friday night.

She Will Reign currently pays $8 in futures The Everest betting markets.

Early Moir Stakes betting favourite in the all-in markets meanwhile is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Russian Revolution ($3.20).

The four-year-old Snitzel stallion took out Sydney’s Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) during the autumn and was last seen winning the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) over the Moir Stakes track / distance first-up on September 9.

Russian Revolution could prove hard to beat again proven at the tight Moonee Valley track and is out to hand Team Snowden their first Moir Stakes win.

Despite the large number of early Moir Stakes entries, the only other hope currently under double-figures to win the weight-for-age clash is Malaguerra ($7).

A first-up flyer, the Magnus six-year-old has won five of his six resuming runs to date and placed second in his only first-up loss to date.

The gelding resumes on Friday night looking to atone for the luckless 16^th behind subsequent Memsie Stakes winner Vega Magic in Adelaide’s Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) back in May.

He has trialled well since and looks for his first victory since defeating Black Heart Bart in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at the Moonee Valley track in late January.

Other key Moir Stakes nominees include the flying Robert Smerdon-trained Ability chasing a fifth win on the trot, Joe Pride’s last start The Shorts runner-up Ball Of Muscle and the Darren Weir-trained Voodoo Lad out to improve on a fourth to Redkirk Warrior in the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality at Flemington on September 16.

Check out the full Moir Stakes 2017 nominations below, futures markets open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Moir Stakes Nominations

Moonee Valley Racecourse – 29/09/2017