Manikato Stakes 2023 Tips and Best Bets at Moonee Valley

Previously the feature event of Friday night's Moonee Valley meeting, the Manikato Stakes is now the co-main event on Saturday's Cox Plate Day card.

The Group 1 over 1200m lands in race 8, right before one of the biggest races of the year in the Cox Plate.

Superstar New Zealand mare Imperatriz is a raging hot favourite at $1.45 and based on what she has done in her two runs this preparation, it seems to be a fair price.

It is a race that has attracted runners from various form lines with ‘Uncommon James’ coming out of the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes, ‘Buenos Noches’ coming out of the Everest and ‘I Am Me’ coming out of the Group 3 Sydney Stakes, to name a few.

Will ‘Imperatriz’ add another Group 1 to her growing list or can a diamond in the rough knock her off?

Let’s take a look.

 

 

Track Conditions

The track currently reads as a Good 4 for Cox Plate Day and with no rain forecasted Friday or Saturday, should stay the way it is.

The running rail is in the True position and this will see it highly favourable to drawn inside-middle barriers, regardless of the position of settling.

 

Moonee Valley Race 8 – Manikato Stakes (1200m)

 

The Map

Expecting I Am Me (6) and Jigsaw (7) to fire out of the barriers and look to cross the field and find the front.

I Am War (1) and Uncommon James (2) will make them work to get across them and find the front, but will eventually tuck in behind the speed.

Red-hot favourite Imperatriz (4) will settle two pairs back with Buenos Noches (5) while The Inferno (3) will snag back to be the backmarker.

 

 

The Favourite

Can comfortably say Imperatriz is one of the World’s best sprinters, if not the best.

She’s an absolute superstar and can add another Group 1 to her growing list of accomplishments.

The star New Zealander has won 3 times from 3 runs at the Valley, she maps to get the perfect run in the race off a hot speed and the step-up in distance to the 1200m will only benefit her more.

She is at peak fitness here third-up and looks awfully hard to knock off.

 

Tips

I expect Imperatriz to win and win well.

Blake Shinn can make things very interesting aboard Buenos Noches.

He has the ability to sit outside Imperatriz and look to keep her in a pocket or he could follow her back into the race.

Expecting 4YO son of Supido to produce another top run and finish in 2^nd. The exacta bet of Imperatriz and Buenos Noches looks the bet to have in the race.

Uncommon James will run well off the back of the gun run in behind the pace and should add another placing to his two already this preparation while I Am Me will stick on from in front to round out the top 4.

 

1^st Imperatriz

2^nd Buenos Noches

3^rd Uncommon James

4^th I Am Me

 

There are loads of Moonee Valley tips for Saturday's racing in our Horse Racing Tips market at thegreattipoff.com.