The feature race of the Friday night program at Melbourne’s Moonee Valley this evening is of course the Moir Stakes 2014, tips and betting selections for the sprint showdown found below.

Held at Group 1 level for just the second time tonight, the $450,000 City Jeep Moir Stakes (1200m) field is half the size of last year with only five horses in the mix for the 2014 edition.

The low number of final acceptors is likely due to the presence of the world’s highest-rated sprinter Lankan Rupee, Mick Price’s triple Group 1 winning gelding out to atone for a shock first-up loss three weeks ago.

On September 6 the son of Redoute’s Choice returned to racing in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley but was run down in the dying seconds by Robbie Griffiths’ honest mare Angelic Light.

Angelic Light returns tonight looking to upset Lankan Rupee once more and add to her nice record over the 1200m at Moonee Valley where she’s won two, and finished second in the other, of her three runs at the track and distance.

She pays $7 through Ladbrokes.com.au in their latest Moir Stakes odds while Lankan Rupee is the hot pick according to the bookies that have him safe at $1.50, only slightly longer than the $1.22 price he got rolled at last time.

Sandwiched in between the McEwen Stakes top two is then 2012 Moir Stakes winner Buffering at $5.50 back to win the race on non-consecutive years, this time at Group 1 level.

The race was first run at elite level 12 months ago and the Robert Heathcote-trained Buffering ran a first-up second to Samaready, prepared by Lankan Rupee’s trainer Price, which he’ll be looking to go one better than in 2014.

So are these top three the ones to lock into your Moir Stakes trifecta selections? And if so, in what order?

1^st

#2 Lankan Rupee ($1.50)

Top rated sprinter in this field and deserves the favourite tag. $1.50 might be a bit short for some punters that took him last time only for the five-year-old to go down in the final stride. He was vulnerable first-up over 1000m at a track he hadn’t seen in a while but and Price is confident he’ll be back in the winners’ stall here. We agree with the 1200m to suit far better and fitness on his side now. Small field also suits so won’t have to do too much work to win.

2^nd

#1 Buffering ($5.50)

Think the bookies have the order spot on with last year’s runner-up to finish second best again. He’s first-up and not many have won resuming off a spell in this. Still, Heathcote and jockey Damian Browne have been really pleased with his lead-up work so if he’s got some sneaky fitness he could surprise. He’ll likely go to the front so it will be a matter of if he’s got the capacity to hold them off in the final stages.

3^rd

#5 Angelic Light ($7)

She beat Lankan Rupee last time out and is no dill but things really went her way in the McEwen so she’ll need a lot more luck here. Don’t think she can go back-to-back but she’s classy and in-form, plus there are only five in it so top three run is more statistically probable than anything else.

Whether you’re backing or sacking our Moir Stakes 2014 tips, make sure you lock in the right price online now at Ladbrokes.com.au where you can also get paid Best Tote or SP + 20% on your winnings for Melbourne’s other Group 1 race this weekend – Sunday’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield!

*All odds quoted are Fixed Win from Ladbrokes.com.au and subject to change