By Dane Squance
Carrying six and a half kilos less than her nearest rival and eight and a half to others, last season's G1 Golden Slipper S. winner She Will Reign (Aus) (Manhattan Rain {Aus}) is the lone 3-year-old filly in the G1 Moir S. (1000m) at Moonee Valley and will carry just 50 kilos on her back. With four wins and a second from five starts, Gary Portelli's speedy filly heads to the A$500,000 contest with two trial performances and clearly looks the one to beat. Using the Moir as a prep for the A$10-million The Everest (1200m) on Oct. 14, She Will Reign faces some tough opposition on Friday night, but her class should shine through.
Likely to start favourite, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Group 1 winner Russian Revolution (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), a last start winner of the G2 McEwen S. over the same track and distance as the Moir, certainly has the form on the board. As the only Group 1-winning entire in the race, another elite level victory would add significantly to the colt's prospects for his stallion career upon his racetrack retirement. Second to Russian Revolution in the McEwen, speedy mare Heatherly (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}) comes into the race off two second placed efforts and with eight starts at the track and distance, never finishing out of the top three, the 5-year-old looks primed third-up to once again run a great race.
A winner of the G1 Oakleigh Plate in February, the consistent Sheidel (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) will have the services of world class Joao Moreira in the saddle and although her first-up fourth as race favourite was slightly disappointing, her second up record suggest she is a player. Carrying the number one saddle cloth is Joe Pride's war horse Terravista (Aus) (Captain Rio {GB}), a dual Group 1 winner, including victory over Flemington's 1000m of the Lightning S. With six wins and three placed performance first-up, as he is here, the one downfall is his poor Moonee Valley record, where the 8-year-old has had two starts, finishing poorly both times.
Unable to get down to the weight required to partner his G1 Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign, Ben Melham takes the ride on Malaguerra (Aus) (Magnus {Aus}). Successful in the G2 Australia S. at the track in January, the dual Group 1 winner has shown he can handle the tight turning track and with any luck from his extremely wide barrier, the Peter Gelagotis-trained 6-year-old has claims.
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