The Chris Waller-trained multiple Group 1 winner Lady Shenandoah is the short-priced favorite to return to winning form in Friday night’s Group 1 $2 million Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Lady Shenandoah is favourite to salute for the punters in Friday night’s 2025 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes. Photo: © 2025 – Bradley Photos.
The star mare is one of a number of top-tier sprinters set to clash in the 1200m feature, which is the second of the spring’s elite level sprints.
Lady Shenandoah, a confirmed The Everest contender, was huge as a three-year-old last prep, winning five straight races including the Group 1 Coolmore Classic.
In her four-year-old debut, she was narrowly denied a win by a nose in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes.
She is now fitter for the run, proven up to a mile, and looks set to relish the step up in distance.
She is the $2.35 favourite in the latest 2025 Manikato Stakes betting markets at race sponsor Ladbrokes to become the first favourite to win the race since Imperatriz in 2023.
The main danger to Lady Shenandoah is the Moonee Valley specialist Baraqiel ($4.60).
The consistent sprinter has a flawless four-from-four record at The Valley and is coming off back-to-back wins, including the Group 1 Moir Stakes.
He has the credentials to repeat Imperatriz’s 2023 feat of completing the Moir Stakes – Manikato Stakes double.
Another Group 1 winner in the mix is the Mitchell Freedman-trained Skybird ($7.50).
The five-year-old mare, who won the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning in the autumn, resumed in the Moir Stakes but had a luckless run.
Her jockey, John Allen, said, “We were all dressed up with nowhere to go unfortunately. She felt like she had plenty to give but we never got any room in the home straight.”
An early market mover is the Grahame Begg-trained Magic Time ($7), who comes into the race off a lead-up win in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes.
Her form was franked when the runner-up finished a brave second in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last Saturday, and she’s drawn to get the run of the race from the inside alley.
The other single-figure hope is the consistent Kiwi raider Alabama Lass ($7.50) for trainers Ken & Bev Kelso.
The four-year-old mare was excellent in her two recent Melbourne assignments, including a huge run for second in the Moir only a half-length behind Baraqiel.
The 2025 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes is set to run as Moonee Valley Race 7 at 9:15 pm (AEST) on Friday night.
2025 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Field
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Barrier | Weight | Age | Sex | Last Starts | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rothfire | Nash Rawiller | Robert Heathcote | 8 | 58.5kg | 8 | G | 427×9 | $3,359,875 |
| 2 | Baraqiel | Ben Allen | L & T Corstens & W Larkin | 7 | 58.5kg | 7 | G | 63×11 | $1,128,025 |
| 3 | Payline | Justin Huxtable | Chris & Corey Munce | 9 | 58.5kg | 5 | G | 398×5 | $1,002,500 |
| 4 | Sir Sway | Lachlan Neindorf | Sue & Jason Jaensch | 3 | 58.5kg | 5 | G | 822×0 | $555,785 |
| 5 | Magic Time | Michael Dee | Grahame Begg | 1 | 56.5kg | 6 | M | 367×1 | $3,085,375 |
| 6 | Lady Shenandoah | James McDonald | Chris Waller | 10 | 56.5kg | 4 | M | 111×2 | $1,994,500 |
| 7 | Charm Stone | Blake Shinn | Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr | 2 | 56.5kg | 5 | M | 2x10x | $1,341,775 |
| 8 | Skybird | John Allen | Mitchell Freedman | 6 | 56.5kg | 5 | M | 0x1x6 | $1,290,125 |
| 9 | Alabama Lass | Craig Williams | Ken & Bev Kelso | 5 | 56.5kg | 4 | M | 211×2 | $962,155 |
| 10 | Ameena | Mark Zahra | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 4 | 56.5kg | 4 | M | x24x5 | $561,000 |
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