Manikato Stakes Preview and Tips 27/09/24

Night racing at The Valley. Does it get any better than this? I don’t think so! The Spring Racing Carnival is in full swing and we’ve got the Manikato Stakes on Friday and back that up with the Golden Rose Stakes on Saturday at Rosehill Racecourse. The final field has been announced and 13 runners line up.

It is a fairly open market, at the time of writing, with several genuine chances. I’m expecting a hotly contested race on Friday as many high-quality runners fight it out for the lion’s share of the $2 million in prize money on offer for the Manikato Stakes.

With so many quality runners, going through and finding my best bets wasn’t an easy task, that’s for sure. However, after much research, my Friday racing tips have arrived here at OnlyRacing. Just like all the other Group One races on the calendar, I’ve put together five tips for you, so let’s get cracking!

The tight turning corners at Moonee Valley Racecourse can be unforgiving, so the race tempo is critical. I think the Manikato Stakes will be run at a fast pace, with several runners looking to push forward and take a leading position, but not all of them will succeed.

Estriella, who is drawn out wide, will likely burn a lot of energy at the beginning of the race if she wants to cut across and take a leading position. I think Recommendation, Veight and Growing Empire will also look to push forward and dictate the pace, so watch for them in the early stages.

After a lot of back and forth, I’ve decided to go with I Wish I Win. I just think he has the class and despite needing to carry 58.5kg in his back (like pretty much half the field), he should be good enough to get the job done. I Wish I Win is currently on the second line of betting with PlayUp, at $5.00.

He put in work in the closing stages of the Moir Stakes, which I think he found a smidge too sharp at the 1,000m. He gets an additional 200m, which should be enough for him to make some more noise and get another Group 1 win under his belt. At 1,200m, he has three wins and six placings, from nine starts. Class trumps the poor barrier draw as well, I reckon.

It was between I Wish I Win and Hayasugi that I was tossing up but I still think she is a great bet for the Manikato Stakes. She is currently paying $5.50, thanks to Bet365, which puts her as one of the more favoured runners in the market. She also comes through the Moir Stakes, where she finished in second place.

I thought her closing sectionals in that one were almost as good as I Wish I Win, so she’ll like the extra 200m in this one as well. In fact, she is already a Group 1 winner over this distance. She comes in light in the WFA conditions, carrying just 50kg on her back and jumps from barrier two. There’s a lot to like.

I’m going with Veight as my value bet for the Manikato Stakes because I’m a little surprised we are still getting double digits for him. I really do think he can win this one and I’ll be placing a little each-way bet on the bloke. Thanks to our friends at Dabble, we know Veight is paying $10 for the win, which is well overs in my eyes.

I think people are just waiting to see him get a run under his belt, as he is tackling this first up. However, first up where he makes the magic happen. He currently has three wins from three attempts when first up. He has had two trials since his last run in March, which was a win in the George Ryder Stakes, so I think he is ready to rock.

If anyone is going to give my best bet and safe bet a run for his money, it’s going to be the current race favourite, Growing Empire. He’ll be right in the thick of it, I reckon and he is currently paying $5.00, with our friends at QuestBet. Gets in light at the weights as well, as he will only be carrying 52kg on his back.

So far, this colt has a career record of 5:4-1-0, so it’s no wonder he is right up there in the market. However, he is untested at both Group Two and Group One level. With that unknown hanging over his head, he presents a lot of danger potential but isn’t a known quantity. Jockey Craig Williams books the ride and should be flying in this one.

Another runner who comes through the Moir Stakes and he finished down in seventh, weakening late. I’m going to put a pencil through that run as the 1,000m wasn’t suitable for him and the $26 we are currently getting with Bet Right is just too good for me to pass up as I think he is in for a sharp improvement.

Can he win? No, I don’t think so. But a place is certainly within reach and he is paying $6.00 for a place, at the time of writing. The Manikato Stakes was always going to be his second-up target and he is good enough to be competing at this level. Case and point: his effort in the William Reid Stakes over the same track and distance, giving Imperatriz a massive scare.

All my Manikato Stakes horse racing tips and their odds can be found here:

Bookmaker	Tip	Odds
	I Wish I Win (win)	$5.00
	Hayasugi (each-way)	$5.50/$2.25
	Veight (each-way)	$10/$3.30
	Growing Empire (place)	$1.94
	Johnny Rocker (place)	$6.00