- Update: No. 13 Tiger Shark (9) and No. 6 Jedibeel (6) have been scratched from the Moir Stakes 2025 field in favour of a run in Sydney’s Concorde Stakes this Saturday.
The first Group 1 sprint of the season, the $750,000 Moir Stakes, is set to light up Moonee Valley this Saturday with the track specialist Baraqiel currently heading the markets.
The Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin-trained seven-year-old is a perfect three-for-three at Moonee Valley and is looking to add a Group 1 victory to his resume.
Baraqiel, who sits as the narrow $4.20 favourite in the latest Moir Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes, is a genuine course specialist. The son of Snitzel was a huge winner here over 1200m in last year’s Group 2 McEwen Stakes and returns to the track and distance where he won last start in the Norman Carlyon Stakes. He will be looking to overcome a wide draw in barrier 10. No horse has won the Moir from a double-digit gate in over two decades, which makes his task a difficult one.
Baraqiel is narrow favourite to keep his perfect Moonee Valley in Saturday’s Moir Stakes 2025. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
However, the field is loaded with class, with several other challengers under $5 for the win. The Ken & Bev Kelso-trained Kiwi raider Alabama Lass ($4.60) is looking to extend her winning streak to three. The daughter of Alabama Express has a solid record in New Zealand and has already won in Australia, with her victory in the Listed Moomba Plate at Flemington.
Another top contender is the Grahame Begg-trained Niance ($4.80), who is looking to kick off her spring with a Group 1 victory. The six-year-old mare won her last four starts of her previous campaign, including the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes. Her two recent trials have her primed for a strong first-up run.
Another key contender is the Mitchell Freedman-trained Skybird ($7.50), a proven Group 1 winner after her upset victory in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes in February. Freedman has taken a conservative approach to her return, and Skybird looked sharp in a recent trial, suggesting she is ready to fire fresh.
The final horse at single-figure odds is the progressive filly Esha ($5), who is undefeated in two career starts, including a dominant win over the 1000m at Moonee Valley. She needs an early scratching to make the field but will carry just 50kg if she gets a run, a significant advantage over her more seasoned rivals.
The 2025 Moir Stakes is set to run as Moonee Valley Race 9 at 4:50 pm (AEST) on Saturday’s 10-race card.
2025 Moir Stakes Field & Barriers
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4x864x427x | ROTHFIRE | Robert Heathcote | Luke Nolen | 7 | 58.5kg | 110 | ||
| 2 | 9261319322 | MIDWEST | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Jamie Mott | 2 | 58.5kg | 98 | ||
| 3 | 151x69398x | PAYLINE | Chris & Corey Munce | Justin Huxtable | 8 | 58.5kg | 104 | ||
| 4 | 42x31210x3 | GOLDEN BOOM | Tony Gollan | Ryan Maloney | 15 | 58.5kg | 104 | ||
| 5 | 117x1170x1 | QUEMAN | Shane & Cassie Oxlade | Luke Currie | 14 | 58.5kg | 105 | ||
| 7 | 11331163×1 | BARAQIEL | Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin | Ben Allen | 10 | 58.5kg | 107 | ||
| 8 | 411x12822x | SIR SWAY | Sue & Jason Jaensch | Lachlan Neindorf | 16 | 58.5kg | 101 | ||
| 9 | x121821x15 | OAK HILL (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Blake Shinn | 13 | 58.5kg | 96 | ||
| 10 | 5x1x13159x | ARABIAN SUMMER | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Harry Coffey | 1 | 56.5kg | 97 | ||
| 11 | 19x2370x1x | SKYBIRD | Mitchell Freedman | John Allen | 5 | 56.5kg | 112 | ||
| 12 | x1112x211x | ALABAMA LASS | Ken & Bev Kelso | Craig Williams | 3 | 56.5kg | 104 | ||
| 14 | 1151x11x1x | NIANCE (NZ) | Grahame Begg | Jordan Childs | 12 | 56.5kg | 103 | ||
| 15 | 12111x | LA DORADA (NZ) | Mark Walker | Luke Cartwright (a) | 11 | 50kg | 102 | ||
| 16e | 1×1 | ESHA | Shane Nichols & Hayden Black | Ms Jamie Melham | 4 | 50kg | 72 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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