The two best-supported sprinters in the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes 2017 field at Moonee Valley on Friday night this Cox Plate Eve have come up trumps with Vega Magic and In Her Time jumping from barriers three and two respectively.

2017 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes favourite Vega Magic is drawn well in barrier three for the Group 1 sprint at The Valley on Friday night. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Set to run as Moonee Valley Race 7 at the twilight meeting, this season’s Group 1 $1 million Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) attracted an 11 horse field.

Heading the updated Manikato Stakes odds at race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au paying $2.25 and firming is the Lindsay Park-trained Vega Magic.

Winner of the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield two back, the five-year-old was luckless running second to Redzel in Sydney’s The Everest (1200m) last time out and is tipped to atone.

Vega Magic has outstanding form over the distance (13-9-2-1) and has super hoop Craig Williams retaining the ride.

Two years ago Chautauqua won the Manikato Stakes from barrier two, a gate belonging this season to the flying Benjamin Smith-trained mare In Her Time.

Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown rides the in-form daughter of Time Thief on Friday night for the third time this season, her two opening spring runs producing back-to-back Randwick wins.

The latest was in the $500,000 Sydney Stakes (1200m) on October 14 after she missed out on a run in The Everest on the same day.

Chautauqua meanwhile is back in the Manikato Stakes field for the third straight year, the Hawkes Racing-trained champion having won in 2015 before finishing seventh when two lengths off the shock winner Rebel Dane in 2016.

Three-time champion of Sydney’s Group 1 TJ Smith (1200m) in the autumn and an elite level winner overseas, the seven-year-old ‘Grey Flash’ came from well back in The Everest flashing home for fourth.

He has barrier 10 to overcome on Friday night, Dwayne Dunn riding the horse for the first time since February.

The last mare to win the Manikato Stakes was Sea Siren (2012) and along with In Her Time there are three other standout female sprinters in the mix to beat home the boys this season.

The Andrew Noblet-trained Super Cash (barrier eight) is second-up coming off her narrow win in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

She returns to The Valley for the first time since her third in the Group 3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes (1200m) in February last year and is a livewire place chance.

Last start Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) runner-up at the track on September 29 Viddora returns to Moonee Valley second-up and has lots of form at the tight course.

The Moir Stakes, won by She Will Reign, was the five-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible’s fourth Moonee Valley run producing her third top three finish at the track.

Viddora hasn’t finished worse than second in her six runs over the past 12 months and jumps from barrier four with Joe Bowditch riding the Lloyd Kennewell-trained Adelaide raider.

The other gun mare is the Group 1 winner English (barrier six) for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott who ran sixth in The Everest following her second to In Her Time in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m).

See below for the full Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes 2017 field, barriers and jockeys before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for the best spring racing odds and offers.

2017 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Moonee Valley Race 7 – 27/10/2017