Race Preview
The Melbourne Mail: Moonee Valley – 6th of September 2025
Moir Stakes day at Moonee Valley with best bets across the card.
The Group One racing continues with Moonee Valley hosting the first of their Spring feature sprints with the Moir Stakes headlining the card.
It's an open race and probably lacking top end talent, but the same can be said of most of our sprints at the moment.
Regardless of that fact, seeing three-year-old filly Esha jostling for favouritism at her third ever start off beating a fairly limited field is insane to me.
As Brad Bishop highlighted in A Closer Look, only the great Redoute's Choice has won an open age group one at their third start- the majority (in a limited sample size) finish near last.
Regardless of her rating, which is close to four lengths (over 1000m!) off what will be required to win, the level of race craft and experience required to absorb a much higher pressure and bustling from faster horses can't be underestimated.
For that reason, I have to be against and the ratings of Baraqiel leap off the page having run to his equal peak of 119 at Racing & Sports first up over the course and distance first up in the Carlyon Stakes.
He had the right run along the inside there but came away late and I can't see anything in this field running to 119 to win this.
Oak Hill started favourite there and just had a messy race. He won in fast time prior and with pace to burn up front, I think he'll be the one slicing through late with the sharpness to get over the top.
That said, we have to wait until the last for our best bet of the day where King Zephyr resumes with an attractive profile having gone through the grades beautifully last time in.
He improved his rating every time he stepped out last preparation until he got to Flemington and struck a deteriorating track, starting $1.80 at Listed level and flopping.
Happy to forgive that given he was at the end of his campaign, and I love the intent here with three solid jumpouts/trials.
I think connections will be hoping to sneak into a Rupert Clarke Stakes and they'll need to be winning this and winning well to have any hope of getting his rating up high enough.
He already boasts the highest peak rating in the field and has the profile to go on to much better things whereas most of these have hit their mark.
The Melbourne Mail
Bet of the day: Race 10 #3 King Zephyr at $2.60
Each-way play: Race 9 #7 Baraqiel at $6.00 and #9 Oak Hill at $23
Check out the latest South African News