A line-up of potential Thousand Guineas fillies for Saturday week are set to face off at Flemington this weekend in the Edward Manifold Stakes 2017 field for Turnbull Stakes Day.
Leather’n’lace is the filly to beat in Saturday’s 2017 Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Commanding Jewel (3rd in 2012) was the last Thousand Guineas winner to come off a lead-up run in the Group 2 $200,000 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m), which takes place as Flemington Race 6 at 3:50pm (AEDT) on Saturday afternoon.
Turnbull Stakes Day is headlined by the Group 1 run of Winx who chases her 21st consecutive turf triumph, but also features a host of other important spring lead-ups including the Edward Manifold Stakes.
This year’s edition has drawn a capacity line-up of three-year-old fillies, many of which also hold entries for a return to racing next weekend at Caulfield in the Group 1 $500,000 Thousand Guineas (1600m).
That includes the clear favourite in early Edward Manifold Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au, the Darren Weir-trained Leather’n’Lace.
Despite a wide barrier 13 draw in the 16-starter field, the flying Street Cry filly remains top of the Edward Manifold Stakes odds at $2.70 and firming.
She is also being kept safe in all-in Thousand Guineas betting paying $10 to win the Group 1 on the seven day back-up.
Leather’n’Lace has won her latest three starts on the trot, including over 1400m at Caulfield on September 23 by over two lengths, but is yet to be tested in black-type company.
Weir is also represented in this year’s Edward Manifold Stakes field by one-time Crown Oaks favourite Anchor Bid drawn a treat in gate four with Mark Zahra to ride.
The High Chaparral filly has winning form up to 1800m at Flemington and was a key early contender for the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) after a first-up Bendigo win over the mile on September 14.
She jumped odds-on favourite at Flemington on September 27 in an 1800m handicap for the fillies, but only managed to finish five lengths back sixth to Pinot.
That performance saw her ease out to $13 in futures VRC Oaks betting, while Pinot on the back of the Kennedy Oaks Trial win is the $7 equal favourite with Aloisia.
Despite the bumper size of the Edward Manifold Stakes line-up, Anchor Bid ($7) is the only other filly currently under $10 for the win along with the favourite as the bookies tip an all-Weir quinella.
The next best in betting at an attractive price for the upset is the rails-drawn Temple Of Bel ($10) who saluted by two and a half lengths at Bendigo over 1400m on September 28 followed by the Godolphin-raced Lonhro filly Banish ($12) coming off a third to Leather’n’Lace.
Other key Edward Manifold Stakes runners this year include Lindsay Park’s Purrelist filly Pure Scot ($13), Group 3 winner I’ll Have A Bit ($14) and the in-form Robbie Laing-trained Uptown Gal ($16).
Check out the full Edward Manifold Stakes 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and current Fixed Win odds below courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
