Undefeated galloper Globe for Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr is firm favourite to retain his flawless record when stepping-up in grade for a shot at the 2023 John F. Feehan Stakes at The Valley on Saturday.

The undefeated Globe is favourite to make it a flawless five-from-five start to his career in The Valley’s Group 2 Feehan Stakes on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The lucrative Group 2 $500,000 John F. Feehan Stakes (1600m) is a key early spring lead-up to the Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) held back at Moonee Valley on October 28.

This year’s Feehan Stakes field features 15 Cox Plate hopefuls with markets at Ladbrokes.com.au led by the untapped Charm Spirit five-year-old Globe ($3.30).

Jamie Kah has the ride on the top elect from barrier 12 with Globe racing first-up and making his black-type debut on the weekend.

Lightly-raced having just his fifth start on Saturday the progressive galloper has won his opening four starts by a combined 14 lengths.

He was last seen dominating a Benchmark 100 over 1800m at Sandown Hillside by four lengths back in May, but carried only 51kg that run.

Prior to that he was equally as dominant with bigger weights carting 58.5kg to a four-length success at Sandown in a Benchmark 64 in April, and 59.5kg over the mile at Pakenham to salute by 3.5 lengths off a winning debut there in mid-May.

This is tougher, but the markets suggest he can make the grade.

If not Globe, the next best fancied in Feehan Stakes betting this spring at $5 and firming is the Lindsey Smith-trained Tuvalu with the fitness edge.

The reigning Group 1 Toorak Handicap champ was good first-up when fourth to Mr Brightside in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 19.

Mr Brightside franked the form out of the Lawrence winning the Group 1 Memsie Stakes last weekend, and now it is Tuvalu’s chance to do the same heading to Moonee Valley.

A further two weight-for-age gallopers are under double-figure Feehan Stakes odds for this weekend with the Mitchell Freedman-trained Churchill four-year-old Attrition ($7.50) and Pinstriped ($8.50) for Enver Jusufovic.

Attrition was good as a three-year-old when a narrow second in Flemington’s Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) and was only two lengths beaten when fifth fresh in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes.

Street Boss five-year-old Pinstriped is also second-up on Saturday having run second in the same lead-up race that looks the form to follow into this weekend’s Melbourne feature.

At longer odds chasing an upset are the likes of the Michael Kent-trained Pride Of Dubai mare Deny Knowledge ($10) coming off a first-up win by two-lengths here over 1519m on August 26, the autumn’s Group 1 Australian Cup third place-getter Pounding ($12) for Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman, and Chris Waller’s Melbourne Cup-bound Francesco Guardi ($16).

The John F. Feehan Stakes 2023 is set to run as Moonee Valley Race 9 at 4:50pm (AEST) as the penultimate event on Saturday’s big race card.

Click here for the latest 2023 Feehan Stakes odds online courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2023 John F. Feehan Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.