Gary Portelli’s Golden Slipper winning filly from 12 months ago races on the eve of her greatest turf triumph a year on with She Will Reign headlining the William Reid Stakes 2018 nominations for Friday night at The Valley.

Last year’s Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign races under the lights at The Valley on Friday night in the 2018 William Reid Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.
Last autumn the gun daughter of Manhattan Rain took out the world’s richest race for juveniles saluting in the Group 1 $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on a Heavy (10) track.
This weekend the now three-year-old is in Melbourne chasing her third elite level success in the Group 1 $500,000 William Reid Sakes (1200m).
The William Reid Stakes nominations attracted 15 sprinters and She Will Reign is the early $5 favourite in pre-field betting at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Third-up for the season, the six-time winner returns to Moonee Valley since her first-up Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) win last September.
She saluted first-up again this time in taking out the Inglis Sprint in Sydney before a disappointing last start 10th at Caulfield in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on Blue Diamond Day.
She Will Reign had a tough run from barrier 16 of 18 in the Oakleigh Plate on February 24 and was only beaten two and a half lengths, so gets the chance to atone this weekend chasing a William Reid Stakes win for the fillies for the first time since Virage De Fortune (2006).
There are a total of four three-year-old William Reid Stakes nominees this Melbourne Festival of Racing, all but one of which are fillies.
The Lindsay Park stable have nominated for Catchy and Tulip who are both also in the mix for Sydney’s Group 1 $700,000 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Peter & Paul Snowden’s Pierro colt Pariah is the other three-year-old entry and he too is a dual state nominee for the weekend also in 2018 The Galaxy contention.
The wet weather in Sydney could see Pariah head south for Friday’s William Reid Stakes under the lights and Blake Shinn is on standby to ride the Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up to Catchy from February in 2017.
“Racing here is our preferred option but if we get the rain they are forecasting mid-week, it might force our hand to come down,” co-trainer Peter Snowden told Racing Victoria on Monday.
“The rain is supposed to come from Tuesday so I’ll probably make the decision on Wednesday morning and if we do go down [to Melbourne] Blake Shinn will ride him at Moonee Valley.”
Following She Will Reign in futures William Reid Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au meanwhile are Hey Doc and Secret Agenda at $6.
The Tony McEvoy-trained Duporth four-year-old Hey Doc is undefeated at the notoriously tight Moonee Valley track boasting a flawless three-from-three record at the course.
His latest victory was in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) from October and he is out to improve on a first-up seventh in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington from February 17.
Secret Agenda meanwhile is also dually nominated for the William Reid Stakes and The Galaxy, Mick Price’s consistent mare coming off a Flemington win first-up from the start of the month.
See below for the official William Reid Stakes 2018 nominations before backing your early Group 1 Moonee Valley racing tips online at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2018 William Reid Stakes Nominations
Moonee Valley Racecourse – 23/03/2018
# | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | x121x10x10 | SHE WILL REIGN | F | 3 | Gary Portelli | 1 | 54kg | 111 |
2 | 196x1401x7 | HEY DOC | G | 4 | Tony McEvoy | 2 | 58.5kg | 112 |
3 | 6639x680x5 | FELL SWOOP | G | 6 | Matthew Dale | 3 | 58.5kg | 106 |
4 | 0x21330x60 | CATCHY | F | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 4 | 54kg | 102 |
5 | 167x5114x1 | SECRET AGENDA | M | 5 | Mick Price | 5 | 56.5kg | 112 |
6 | 1x43765x54 | ROCK MAGIC | G | 8 | Chris Gangemi | 6 | 58.5kg | 104 |
7 | 5x2450x415 | TULIP | F | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 7 | 54kg | 92 |
8 | 1368x008x9 | DERRYN | H | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 8 | 58.5kg | 102 |
9 | 21x78192x0 | FUHRYK | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 9 | 56.5kg | 103 |
10 | 423x654x53 | HELLBENT | H | 5 | Darren Weir | 10 | 58.5kg | 105 |
11 | 1220x129x | PARIAH | C | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 11 | 56kg | 91 |
12 | x930x15x45 | SUPIDO | H | 6 | Michael Kent | 12 | 58.5kg | 104 |
13 | 2121x11x22 | SNITTY KITTY | M | 4 | Henry Dwyer | 13 | 56.5kg | 106 |
14 | 306x13x140 | THRONUM | H | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 14 | 58.5kg | 104 |
15 | 32111140×5 | BONS AWAY | G | 4 | Aaron Purcell | 15 | 58.5kg | 99 |