Australian Racing: Bellatrix Star can dazzle at Moonee Valley

It’s Grand Final weekend in Melbourne and there’s Group 1 action at Moonee Valley with the 2024 running of the Manikato Stakes.

Race 7 Moonee Valley

Hayasugi @ 5.50

Race 5 Moonee Valley

Bellatrix Star @ 9.00

Race 8 Moonee Valley

Grinzinger Belle @ 2.80

Hayasugi for Manikato glory

The previously mentioned Manikato Stakes over 1200m comes up as the penultimate race on an eight-race card at Moonee Valley.

A field of 13 have been declared for the feature race, with Ciaron Maher’s Growing Empire bidding to emulate stablemate Loving Gaby (2019) as a three-year-old winner of this event.

The son of Zoustar is a course and distance winner having taken out the Listed Valley Pearl when racing on a good 4 track in March.

Growing Empire has won all three starts since then, including twice in Group 3 company, most recently when racing first up at Caulfield at the end of August.

Craig Williams’ mount gets in off a low weight here and, while he holds obvious claims following a win down the straight at Flemington, he looks opposable tackling older rivals.

Fellow three-year-old HAYASUGI has demonstrated good form, including when taking out two Blue Diamond prep races at Caulfield.

The filly went on to record a victory in the big one itself when jumping at $16 for the Group 1 feature which was held on a good 4 surface.

Hayasugi failed to shine when last of 16 in Rosehill’s Golden Slipper subsequently but she had issues at the start that day and that effort can be forgiven.

Clinton McDonald’s representative tackled older rivals for the first time when resuming with a half-length second in the 1000m Moir Stakes at this venue earlier this month.

A number of the Hayasugi’s rivals here finished behind her that day, including Estriella and I Wish I Win who both have to overcome double figure draws here.

The return to 1200m is a positive in this contest and she looks up to saluting under regular rider Jamie Kah.

Star to shine in Scarborough

Earlier on the Moonee Valley card the three-year-old fillies are in action in the 1200m Group 3 Scarborough Stakes.

Eneeza is expected to jump as favourite for the Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman stable.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel delivered a good fourth when contesting the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes over 1200m at Caulfield in February.

The filly’s best effort in three subsequent starts that prep saw her take out the Percy Sykes Stakes, a Group 2 contest over this distance at Randwick in April.

The youngster returns from a spell here having failed to shine when dropped to 1050m for a race in Brisbane in May and, while she rates highly, BELLATRIX STAR is the pick here.

Mark Walker’s filly demonstrated good form in New Zealand as a two-year-old where her wins included a Group 2 success on a wet track at Pukekohe Park.

Bellatrix Star registered a respectable effort when fifth over 1100m in the Group 3 Tile Importer Quezette Stakes over 1100m at Caulfield on her Australian debut last month.

The selection appeared to have improved for that effort, finishing strongly to take out the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes, when racing down the straight at Flemington earlier this month.

This daughter of Star Witness shaped as there would be more to come returning to this distance and she is selected to follow up under Michael Dee.

Belle for Stocks success

The finale at Moonee Valley is the 1514m Group 2 Stocks Stakes for older fillies and mares.

Danny O’Brien’s GRINZINGER BELLE has recorded good efforts in all three previous starts at this track, finishing second or third on each occasion.

The most recent of those efforts saw the filly beaten half-a-length in finishing second in the Group 3 Alexandra Stakes over 1600m in March.

Grinzinger Belle could finish only fifth in a Caulfield handicap when dropped to 1400m in early May on her final start last prep and she was spelled subsequently.

The four-year-old returned to action with an impressive four length victory in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes over 1400m at Flemington just under two weeks ago.

Grinzinger Belle raced on a heavy 9 track that day and switching to a forecast good 4 track she looks up to going in again.