The in-form Perfect Jewel is narrow favourite in a wide-open Strickland Stakes 2020 betting market in WA this weekend with the class Adam Durrant-trained mare chasing a hat-trick of winter feature race wins at the Belmont track.

The 2017 WA Guineas winner looks back to her best form this prep with the now five-year-old daughter of Redoute’s Choice having won the Group 3 Belmont Sprint (1400m) two back at $31.

She was forgotten by the punters again next-up when, a fortnight later, she took her Belmont track record up to three-from-three winning the Group 3 Hyperion Stakes (1600m) at double-figures.

Perfect Jewel won’t be found at that price again as she looks to retain her undefeated status at the track in Saturday’s Group 3 $160,000 Strickland Stakes (2000m).

The weight-for-age feature attracted a final field of just nine hopefuls this season with Perfect Jewel to be ridden from a wide barrier eight draw by Patrick Carbery.

Her Karnup-based trainer Durrant chases his third Strickland Stakes victory following his back-to-back wins with Mr Moet (2012) and Kincaple (2013).

Galaxy Star (2019) won as the odds-on favourite for the punters last year following her Belmont Sprint victory and a Hyperion Stakes second.

The season prior, Material Man (2018) completed the Belmont Sprint – Hyperion – Strickland Stakes treble Perfect Jewel chases this year.

The latest Strickland Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au list Perfect Jewel as the $3 favourite, but she is followed very closely in the markets by Mississippi Delta ($3.30) and The Velvet King ($3.40).

Also looking to go back-to-back for the mares, the Grant & Alana Williams-trained High Chaparral six-year-old Mississippi Delta is drawn barrier four with Perth’s leading jockey William Pike retaining the ride.

The mare is third-up on the weekend following her seventh in the Belmont Sprint and improving third in the Hyperion Stakes with Saturday’s step-up in distance to suit the Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) winner.

Mississippi Delta has an imposing record over the 2000m and presents fit on the weekend for last year’s winning trainer / jockey combination.

Darren McAuliffe meanwhile saddles-up The Velvet King from barrier seven, the Universal Ruler four-year-old having finished out of the money just once in nine starts at Belmont Racecourse (9:4-3-1).

He comes off a trio of devastatingly close second placings this campaign having been beaten by the barest of margins in the Group 3 Roma Cup (1200m) fresh before his narrow losses to Perfect Jewel in the Belmont Sprint and Hyperion Stakes.

Yet to win over a mile, the 2000m could be a stretch on Saturday, but the bookies are taking no chances and keeping the consistent The Velvet King safe in Strickland Stakes betting.

Rounding out the single-figure hopefuls in the markets at $8.50 is Group 1 winner Gatting out to atone for his disappointing 10^th in the Hyperion Stakes when unsuccessfully defending his title from 2019.

Stablemate to The Velvet King, the Hard Spun six-year-old was runner-up to Galaxy Star in last year’s race and franked the form that September winning Flemington’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) in a boilover at 100/1.

He chases his first win since, but will need to be at his best over the distance against this field.

Click here for the latest Strickland Stakes 2020 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Strickland Stakes Field & Barriers

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	0005496×08	HUMIDOR (NZ)	Lindsey Smith	Brad Parnham	6	59kg		109
2	502752×940	GATTING	Darren McAuliffe	Chris Parnham	3	59kg		110
3	900x600x90	MATERIAL MAN	Justin Warwick	Paul Harvey	2	59kg		103
4	x21360x222	THE VELVET KING	Darren McAuliffe	Mitchell Pateman	7	59kg		109
5	441213×609	TAXAGANO	Fred Kersley	Steven Parnham	9	59kg		97
6	x9x6926421	NOIR DE RUE	Justin Warwick	Jarrad Noske	5	59kg		85
7	930481×011	PERFECT JEWEL	Adam Durrant	Patrick Carbery	8	57kg		108
8	14x1941x73	MISSISSIPPI DELTA	Grant & Alana Williams	William Pike	4	57kg		103
9	55035×5604	MIZLECKI	Fred Kersley	Ms Jade McNaught	1	57kg		89

*Table Credit: Racing Australia.