Peter & Paul Snowden’s in-form sprinter Russian Revolution has work to do after drawing wide in a capacity Moir Stakes 2017 field for Friday night under the lights at Moonee Valley Racecourse.

Russian Revolution has a wide barrier to overcome in the 2017 Moir Stakes field at Moonee Valley on Friday night. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The first of an incredible six elite level spring races taking place across the weekend in Sydney and Melbourne, this year’s Group 1 $500,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) has attracted a full 13 starters plus four emergencies in a star-studded edition of the short distance feature.

Drawn barrier 14 but coming into 11 if all the emergencies come out is one of the early favourites in Moir Stakes betting, Team Snowden’s four-year-old Snitzel stallion Russian Revolution.

The 2017 Moir Stakes field is the largest engaged for the race since Buffering won the race for a third time in 2014, while the last winner to jump from a double-digit barrier was Spartacus (11 of 15) back in 1996.

Russian Revolution comes off a nice win at the track and distance having carted 58.5kg to a one and a quarter-length victory on September 9 in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) and is out to frank that form in Friday evening’s Group 1.

If successful he will become a dual Group 1 winner having also saluted in Sydney’s The Galaxy (1100m) back in March.

The other best out of the McEwen Stakes backing-up in the Moir Stakes this weekend is the Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra-trained Lonhro mare Heatherly.

The five-year-old is a Moonee Valley specialist boasting three wins and five other minor placings from her eight runs at the notoriously tight circuit (8-3-3-2).

She too is drawn wide for the rematch with Russian Revolution however, drawn one on the inside of her last start conqueror in the Moir Stakes barriers.

Mares have a good recent strike rate in the Moir Stakes results winning three times since 2010, most recently in 2013 with Samaready.

This year’s edition of the Moir Stakes shapes-up as an early guide for punters looking towards the $10 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 14 with a number of confirmed horses for that restricted feature engaged in the Moonee Valley race on Friday.

One of those is the returning Gary Portelli-trained filly She Will Reign having her first start since taking out the Group 1 $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old in the autumn.

She Will Reign has Kerrin McEvoy aboard in the Moir Stakes, which will be her maiden run outside of Sydney.

She has had two good trials ahead of her resuming run and is out to retain her undefeated record first-up, and go back-to-back in the Moir Stakes for the three-year-olds following the success of Extreme last year.

Also running first-up in the Moir Stakes are the likes of second-placed Robert Sangster Stakes mare Viddora, reigning Darley Classic winner Malaguerra, the autumn’s Lighting Stakes winner over the 1000m Terravista and Perth raider Rock Magic.

Other notable Moir Stakes final acceptors include the Lindsay Park-trained Oakleigh Plate champ from the autumn Sheidel and Mick Bell’s mudlark Jungle Edge.

Check out the full Moir Stakes 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and weights below with markets to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Moir Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Moonee Valley Race 7 (9:30pm) – 29/09/2017