• Trainers: Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin
• Jockey: Ben Allen
• Last 5 Form: 163×1
• Key Notes: Unbeaten at Moonee Valley (3/3), won the Carlyon Stakes last start with a peak rating of 119. Strong late sectionals and proven over the distance.
• Odds: $6.50 at Ladbrokes – Each Way Value
• Verdict: Track specialist and top late mail pick.

• Trainers: Ben, Will & JD Hayes
• Jockey: Blake Shinn
• Last 5 Form: 21×15
• Key Notes: Had a messy run in the Carlyon but clocked the fastest final 400m. Suited by hot tempo.
• Odds: $19 at Ladbrokes – Genuine Top 3 chance at value price.
• Verdict: Massive overs if he gets a clean run.

• Trainer: Mitchell Freedman
• Jockey: John Allen
• Last 5 Form: 70x1x
• Key Notes: Group 1 winner of the Black Caviar Lightning. Two sharp trials in August.
• Odds: $7 at Ladbrokes – Our Top Value Pick to Win
• Verdict: Class runner resuming, watch market moves.

• Trainer: Grahame Begg
• Jockey: Jordan Childs
• Last 5 Form: 11x1x
• Odds: $6.50 at Ladbrokes – Drifting and makes Place Value.
• Key Notes: Lightly raced, won last three including a Group 3. Trialled well.
• Verdict: Untapped upside, but wide draw a concern.

• Trainer: Shane Nichols & Hayden Black
• Jockey: Jamie Melham
• Last 5 Form: 1×1
• Odds: $7 at Ladbrokes – Punters shying away from.
• Key Notes: Unbeaten filly, but only two starts.
• Verdict: X-factor, but experience and pressure a big question mark.

• Top 3 – No. 7 Baraqiel
• Top 3 – No. 11 Skybird
• Top 4 – No. 4 Golden Boom

We’re into the business end of the Moir Stakes market with BARAQIEL stepping out second-up, chasing consecutive wins this prep. Once favourite post-acceptances, the seven-year-old has eased, presenting genuine value for a proven performer with a strong affinity for The Valley. Trained by Leon & Troy Corstens in partnership with Will Larken, the Snitzel gelding is unbeaten in three starts at Moonee Valley, including a dominant win in last year’s Group 2 McEwen Stakes. He also ran a bold sixth in the Champions Sprint during the Cup Carnival, beaten just two lengths in elite company. He resumed with a sharp win in the Listed Norman Carlyon Stakes, and his second-up profile suggests he’s ready to peak. Ben Allen retains the ride from barrier 8 (after drawing 10), and with punters cooling on him in the last 24 hours, he shapes as a touch of overs and a strong top-three lock.

Mitchell Freedman’s Group 1-winning mare SKYBIRD is firming in the race day markets, and she looms as one of the standout Each-Way plays at Moonee Valley today. The five-year-old daughter of Exosphere had just one run in the autumn after sustaining a pectoral muscle injury during her shock 40/1 victory in the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington. Freedman has taken a cautious and patient approach to her recovery, and she signalled she’s back in business with a commanding three-length trial win over 800m in wet ground at Horsham on August 27. Already proven at The Valley—where she beat Grinzinger Belle in the 2023 Group 2 Fillies Classic and later finished runner-up in the Thousand Guineas behind Joliestar—Skybird’s versatility across distances is often overlooked. While her elite mile form is well known, Freedman has long believed she could handle the sharper 1000m trip, and she’s well placed to chase a rare sprinting double fresh. With John Allen aboard and a strong first-up record (2 wins and a placing from 4 starts), Skybird is more than capable of delivering a surprise in the feature.

Tony Gollan’s six-year-old GOLDEN BOOM looks set to be one of the likely pace-setters in today’s Group 1 Moir Stakes, and he’s flying under the radar at a generous price. Despite being overlooked by the market, the Spirit Of Boom gelding is no stranger to Moonee Valley. This will be his third visit to the track, where he’s already placed twice, and his overall 1000m record (10:3-3-2) suggests he’s capable of outperforming expectations. His only prior Group 1 outing—a 12th in the Oakleigh Plate—was underwhelming, but he had genuine excuses after burning early petrol to find the lead, leaving him exposed late. Second-up here, he looks ready to improve, especially off the back of a strong third in the Listed Norman Carlyon Stakes first-up—a race that should prove a solid form reference.
Barrier 15 (now 13 after scratchings) is a challenge, as wide draws are historically tough in the Moir, but his blistering early speed and short-course credentials make him a dangerous on-pace threat if the race shape favours front-runners.