The key support race on the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes Day program at Moonee Valley Racecourse this Saturday is the McEwen Stakes 2015, the final field and betting markets for which are now out.
Chautauqua is the headline final acceptor in the 2015 Mitty’s McEwen Stakes on the Moonee Valley card this weekend. Photo: Adrienne Bicknell.
Due to run as Moonee Valley Race 8 at 4:45pm (AEST), this year’s $200,000 Group 2 Mitty’s McEwen Stakes (1000m) features a quality final field of 15 sprinters led by the Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes-trained Chautauqua.
Drawn out wide in barrier 12 with Dwayne Dunn to ride, the ultra-consistent Encosta De Lago five-year-old runs first-up looking to add to his ace record when resuming (4-3-1-0).
He was last seen backing up from a Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) win at Randwick to finish third to Dissident in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at the same track in late April.
A winner of six of his 14 starts to date, the $2.39 million earner is yet to race at Moonee Valley or over 1000m but the bookies are taking no chance.
The latest McEwen Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Chautauqua installed as the $2.20 favourite even from the wide barrier.
There are four other single figure hopes in the latest McEwen Stakes betting including the market mover Furnaces.
Backed in early from $9.50 right into $6.50, the nicely drawn John O’Shea-trained colt jumps from barrier three with apprentice Patrick Moloney riding the youngster on 52kg.
The three-year-old improver was last seen winning Sydney’s Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) in the wet on April 6 after a Golden Slipper sixth, beaten only two lengths by Vancouver in the world’s richest race for juveniles.
A winner of his latest barrier trial, Furnaces makes his Melbourne debut this weekend and is well fancied to handle the notoriously tight Moonee Valley circuit.
The next best in betting are then Kuro ($7), Flamberge ($8) and Sistonic ($8).
Lee & Anthony Freedman’s Denman stallion Kuro makes his four-year-old debut from a gun gate two draw with Mark Zahra booked for the ride, the Group 1 placed galloper last seen running third to Ball Of Muscle in the Group 2 QTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben in late May.
The Peter Moody-trained Flamberge is also first-up, the Exceed And Excel six-year-old having enjoyed an elite level win in Adelaide last time out in mid-May taking out the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville.
Sistonic is only lightly-raced, the four-year-old Bel Esprit mare prepared by David Hayes & Tom Dabernig and is out to atone for an 11th of 12 runners in a Flemington black-type from the autumn.
The rest of the field are at $20 or longer to score an upset in the McEwen including Robbie Griffiths’ six-time winning Cranbourne galloper The Quarterback ($20), his seven-year-old stablemate It Is Written ($21) and the Team Hawkes-trained Group 2 winning colt Headwater ($21) out to atone for a first-up seventh in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) from mid-August.
See below for the full McEwen Stakes 2015 field, barriers, jockeys and latest fixed win odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on every Moonee Valley race just before jump this Saturday in Melbourne!
