Ten-time Group 1 winning Kiwi mare Melody Belle headlines the nominations for the 2020 Missile Stakes at Rosehill Gardens as Group racing for the 2020-21 season in Sydney gets underway on Saturday.

Melody Belle is the pre-field favourite for Saturday’s Group 2 Missile Stakes in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.

Sixteen classy gallopers make-up this season’s nominations for the Group 2 $200,000 Missile Stakes (1200m), won last year by the Godolphin-raced mare Alizee (2019).

Looking to go back-to-back for the female gallopers and the favourites – Alizee having saluted at $1.30 odds – is the Jamie Richards-trained daughter of Commands Melody Belle.

The pride of New Zealand, the now six-year-old has amassed just shy of $3.4 million in prize money and already leads all-in Missile Stakes betting at $3.70 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Her Group 1 wins are in double-figures, but her only elite level success in Australia to date was at Flemington in last November’s Empire Rose Stakes over the mile.

She has had five runs since without success but lost few admirers in her string of top-level placings in the: Mackinnon Stakes (2^nd), Futurity Stakes (3^rd), All-Star Mile (3^rd) and Doncaster Mile (4^th).

Melody Belle’s last run was in the wet at Randwick on the short back-up in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) back in April when sixth to Addeybb and the punters are keen to get their first look at her since on Saturday in Sydney.

Mares have an outstanding recent record in the Missile Stakes results having won three of the past four editions and four of the past six with: Alizee (2019), Invincible Gem (2018), Tycoon Tara (2017) and Sweet Idea (2015).

There are three other mares among the Missile Stakes nominations for 2020 including the James Cummings-trained Savatiano for last year’s winning stable.

The smart Street Cry six-year-old is at an all-in quote of $6 in Missile Stakes betting chasing her first victory since a nearly three length success in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill back in February.

Runner-up in Randwick’s Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) after that, she went on to finish out of the money in three other runs and is after atonement as a noted first-up performer in the Missile.

Triple-figure outsider Boom Queen and Flit are the other mares in the mix, the latter at much shorter Missile Stakes odds of $5 to get the job done in her four-year-old debut.

Also representing Cummings and the powerhouse Godolphin team, Flit was last seen running second in the Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) during ‘The Championships’.

Winner of the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) last October, her other recent success was in mid-February’s Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in an all-Godolphin trifecta defeating Lyre (2^nd) and Kiamichi (3^rd).

The other Missile Stakes nominee at single-figures to win in the pre-final acceptances markets is seven-year-old Eduardo ($6) for Joe Pride.

Pride chases his third Missile Stakes victory following his earlier success with Rain Affair (2012 and 2014) when the event only held Group 3 status.

Host gelding Eduardo debuted at the Rosehill track on July 25 and was impressive carrying 58.5kg to victory in the July Sprint (1100m) and so boasts a fitness edge over his rivals going up in class.

Click here for the all-in Missile Stakes 2020 markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au with final acceptances closing on Wednesday.

2020 Missile Stakes Nominations

Table Credit: Racing Australia.