Moonee Valley Racecourse will come to life this Friday night for the opening meeting of the two-day Cox Plate Carnival with Manikato Stakes night’s major support race being the 2013 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic featuring Gregers.

Thousand Guineas third placed Gregers backs up in the 2013 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic on Friday night. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

The David Hayes-trained Commands filly is one of just eight three-year-old females nominated for this year’s $220,000 Group 2 Jeep Don’t Hold Back Fillies Classic (1600m).

Nominations then have been extended for the race, the only other Group-rated event on the eight-race Manikato Stakes night program, until 10:00am (AEST) on Tuesday.

At this stage it is the in-form Gregers who looks the filly to beat in the Classic as she shoots for her fourth win from six starts.

Two back she enjoyed a Group 2 win in the Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on a Slow (6) track.

Handling a firmer track on October 16, Gregers was last seen running a brave third behind Peter Snowden’s superstar miler Guelph in the $500,000 Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).

Prelude runner-up Marianne is also nominated for the Fillies Classic this weekend, Michael Kent’s promising daughter of Darci Brahma having won two ton the trot before her last start second to Gregers.

There are three last start winners nominated meanwhile with Marianne’s stablemate Scratchy Bottom coming off a winning debut at Moonee Valley from October 4, the Leon Corstens-trained So Bella Arella and Peter Moody’s Duke Of Marmalade filly Lady Tatia.

Rounding out the current Moonee Valley Fillies Classic nominees are then Adelaide raider Murtle Turtle, John O’Shea’s Gypsy Diamond and the Anthony Cummings-trained Federica.

See below for the full list of entries and stay tuned for any late nominations before they close tomorrow morning.

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2013 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic Nominations

Moonee Valley Racecourse – 25/10/2013