Mick Price’s always honest mare Secret Agenda is the firming favourite in 2018 William Reid Stakes betting to make it back-to-back wins this campaign at The Valley on Friday night.

Secret Agenda is firming favourite in a wide open 2018 William Reid Stakes betting market for this Friday night at Moonee Valley. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
The final elite level of the Melbourne Festival of Racing lights up the Moonee Valley course on the eve of Golden Slipper Day in Sydney with a 10 sprinter field to face off in this year’s Group 1 $500,000 William Reid Stakes (1200m).
It is a wide open affair in the latest William Reid Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au with over half the field under $10 for the win.
Of the seven single-figure hopefuls the one the punters are coming for early is Not A Single Doubt mare Secret Agenda, the consistent five-year-old backed in from $5 to $4 after drawing barrier eight.
Jockey Damien Oliver partners the last start Listed Bob Hoysted Stakes (1000m) winner who should be fitter second-up and heading to a track she boasts a win and two seconds from three runs over.
Secret Agenda is proven in Group 1 company having beaten a field of her own kind in Adelaide’s Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) last May and she comes back from 60kg last start to 56.5kg at weight-for-age on the weekend.
No favourite has won the William Reid Stakes since the super sprinter Black Caviar (2013) meaning there could be value outside of Secret Agenda this season.
Occupying the second line of betting at an equal $6.50 each for the win are Hellbent and She Will Reign drawn at opposite ends of the William Reid Stakes field in barriers 10 and one respectively.
Internationally performed hoop Craig Williams partners the Darren Weir-trained Hellbent, the stable after a second win in the race following the success of Lucky Hussler in 2015.
A five-year-old son of I Am Invincible, Hellbent comes off a second-up third when beaten just a quarter length by the winner Russian Revolution in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield in late February.
He gets a month between runs having been kept fresh for this and presents as a genuine danger even from the outside barrier.
She Will Reign meanwhile chases her second elite level success at the Moonee Valley track, the Gary Portelli-trained Manhattan Rain filly having taken out the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) here first-up in the spring.
The three-year-old won last year’s Golden Slipper Stakes on the same weekend 12 months ago as a two-year-old in Sydney and is out to atone for her luckless wide run for 10th in the Oakleigh Plate last time out when still only two and a half-lengths beaten.
Following closely in the markets are eight-year-old Rock Magic ($7) who comes off a brave fourth in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) when under a length beaten down the ‘Straight Six’ at Flemington and Michael Kent’s Sebring entire Supido ($8) who ran fifth in the same lead-up.
Rounding out the hopes under $10 are Peter & Paul Snowden’s returning Redoute’s Choice colt Pariah ($8.50) who is undefeated first-up and Lindsay Park’s Snitzel four-year-old Thronum ($9) who won the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200M) at the track and distance three back.
See below for the latest William Reid Stakes 2018 betting odds, Moonee Valley racing markets open online now at Ladbrokes.com.au.