Moonee Valley Night Racing this evening is headlined by a class line-up of short-distance specialists facing off in the Group 1 $1 million Moir Stakes (1000m), and betting markets are a two-horse affair.

Paulele races first-up in Friday night’s 2022 Moir Stakes at The Valley. Photo: Steve Hart.

A dozen sprinters are engaged in this year’s Moir Stakes 2022 field with the favourites Paulele and Rothfire drawn alongside each other in barriers six and five respectively.

Narrow top elect in the latest Moir Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au is the resuming James Cummings-trained Paulele at $4.20 and firming.

Flying hoop James McDonald rode the country’s premier sprint star, Nature Strip, to victory in this race back in 2019.

He is back this spring aboard Godolphin’s four-year-old Dawn Approach entire Paulele who kicks off his campaign in the weight-for-age showdown.

A first-up specialist, Paulele has won three of his four previous runs resuming.

The classy chestnut was excellent last prep when third to Nature Strip in the TJ Smith Stakes back in April.

Three subsequent placings followed including back-to-back, devastatingly close Group 1 seconds at Eagle Farm in the Doomben 10,000 and Kingsford-Smith Cup.

Paulele was luckless not to pick up a Group 1 trophy, but gets his chance tonight with previous winning form at the track and distance.

The danger presenting fit second-up at a quote of $4.40 in Moir Stakes betting is the Robert Heathcote-trained Rothfire to be ridden by Damian Lane.

The five-year-old son of Rothesay is the genuine 1000m horse in this race having won all four of his previous starts at the distance.

He too ran in the Doomben 10,000 (5^th) and Kingsford-Smith Cup (4^th) at home in the winter, but also went on to run third in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

Rothesay resumed on September 3 here posting a nice win in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) and is now well-backed to do the double.

Outside the dominant duo a further three runners are also at single-figures for the win including the rails-drawn filly Coolangatta for Ciaron Maher & David Eustace.

The consistent daughter of Written Tycoon has won three of her five career starts, and the now three-year-old best known for her $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) victory at the Gold Coast bac in January.

Third to Fireburn in the $5 million Golden Slipper run on a Heavy (9) over the autumn, Coolangatta also resumed in the McEwen Stakes and was good fresh running third behind the older sprinters.

Maher & Eustace play a dominant hand in this year’s Moir saddling up a total of three runners with Coolangatta joined by stablemates Generation ($9) and Bella Nipotina ($15).

Four-year-old Snitzel entire, Generation, is drawn a treat in barrier three and was good at the track back in March when fourth only two lengths off September Run in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m).

He returned on August 27 at Caulfield when second by a narrow margin in the Group 3 The Heath (1100m), but will need to be good coming back in a sharp race.

As for Bella Nipotina, the stable’s Pride Of Dubai mare is well-proven at The Valley (6:1-4-0) and comes off a first-up win here in the Listed Norman Carlyon Stakes (1000m).

Rounding out the hopes under $10 are the McEwen Stakes runner-up Zoustyle prepared in Brisbane by Tony Gollan.

The veteran seven-year-old son of Zoustar remains lightly-raced having won nine of his 17 starts.

He was good fresh in the likely form race for the Moir, and he also has a strong second-up record (5:3-1-0).

The 2022 Moir Stakes is set to run as Moonee Valley Race 7 at 9:15pm (AEST) as the penultimate event on tonight’s eight-race card.

Click here for the latest betting markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2022 Moir Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.