Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes 2023

Ladbrokes Tip: Backing the favourite to salute is a good Manikato Stakes betting tip.

The Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes is a feature Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival sprint run at Moonee Valley Racecourse in late October.

2022 Manikato Stakes winner Bella Nipotina. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The popular sprint showdown has recently taken place on the Friday night under the lights at The Valley on the eve of the Cox Plate.

The 2022 Manikato Stakes ran on Cox Plate Day after being moved from the abandoned Friday night meeting at Moonee Valley, and in 2023 the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes remains part of the Cox Plate Day race card.

Conducted over 1200m the weight-for-age feature holds Group 1 status and runs on the notoriously tight Valley circuit as part of the Cox Plate Carnival.

Worth $2 million in prize money as of 2022 it is named after dual winner of the race Manikato who also won five straight editions of the William Reid Stakes at the same track from 1979 – 1983.

Upgraded to a Group 1 race in 1989 the Manikato was previously known as the Freeway Stakes (1968 – 1983). It has been won by many top-line sprinters including Lankan Rupee (2014), Sepoy (2011), Hay List (2010), Miss Andretti, Sunline (2000m), and Dane Ripper (1998).

This season the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes ran on Saturday October 28, 2023 as part of Moonee Valley’s Cox Plate Day card and was won by Mark Walker’s track specialist Imperatriz ($1.40F) by over three lengths.  

2023 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Results

The official Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes 2023 Results & Finishing Order will be available below once the race is run and won at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Saturday October 28, 2023.

2023 Manikato Stakes winner Imperatriz was too good again at her pet track. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #6 Imperatriz 
• 2nd: #7 I Am Me
• 3rd: #3 Uncommon James

Mark Walker’s Moonee Valley specialist, former New Zealand-trained mare Imperatriz ($1.40F), saluted in the style of her odds-on price with a dominant three length success to make it four-from-four on the trot at the course when taking out another Group 1 at The Valley in the 2023 Manikato Stakes results.

2023 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Odds

The latest Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes 2023 betting odds will be available across the season below so you can back your early Moonee Valley Group 1 racing tips online at the right price this Cox Plate Carnival.

2023 Manikato Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday October 28, 2023
• Track: Moonee Valley Racecourse
• Distance: 1200m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $2 million
• First Run: 1968

Manikato Stakes Betting

Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes betting odds are traditionally led by the best Moir Stakes graduates who are proven in Group 1 company over the 1200m at Moonee Valley.

Recent Manikato Stakes winners that ran second in the Moir Stakes in their final lead-up include Buffering (2013), Lankan Rupee (2014) and Bella Nipotina (2022).

Imperatriz (2023) was the last to complete the Moir Stakes – Manikato Stakes double.

The 2018 Manikato Stakes winner Brave Smash also finished runner-up in that spring’s Moir Stakes, but also finished eighth to dual champ Redzel in Sydney’s The Everest race in between the Melbourne spring features at The Valley.

Horses at the top of the Manikato Stakes markets have recently fared well with six favourites saluting in the race from 2007 – 2023 most recently Imperatriz ($1.40 in 2023). There have been two notable upsets with Rebel Dane ($61 in 2016) and Hey Doc ($21 in 2017).

Hey Doc returned in 2020 to  first dual champion on non-successive years since the race’s now namesake Manikato (1979, 1982) but did so as a $10 shot.

Horses coming off a top two run have dominated recent Manikato Stakes results, so the in-form sprinters of the spring usually sit highest up the Manikato Stakes odds.

Manikato Stakes Tips

Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes tips are most often dominated by that season’s Moir Stakes winner, but a host of other lead-up races have produced winners of the sprint showdown in recent years including Brisbane’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap during the winter that both Sea Siren (9th in 2012) and Danleigh (2nd in 2009) contested before their spring win in the Manikato in Melbourne.

Some gallopers kick off their spring campaigns in the race, so looking at the runners with good fresh form is a good Manikato Stakes betting tip as is looking for the horses drawn near the inside as the tight circuit favours barriers 1 – 5.

2023 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Tips

Our insider Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes 2023 betting tips and exotic Moonee Valley race selections will be detailed below the week of the race so bookmark this page to see what sprint horses to back at the right price this Cox Plate eve.

• To Win: #6 Imperatriz ($1.45 at time of publish) – BET NOW

There’s zero value in this year’s Manikato but it is impossible to tip against the odds-on favourite here. This super mare is flying and chases her fourth win not only on the trot but at the track. She is a genuine Moonee Valley specialist and two of her past three here have been in Group 1 company including over the 1200m in the William Reid over the autumn. Fresh she was outstanding in the McEwen and then her Moir Stakes success in race record time put the writing on the wall for the Manikato. She is fit, she’ll relish the six furlongs now, and with just six rivals it is not hard to see why she is being backed as if unbeatable.

Manikato Stakes Field

The Manikato Stakes race field has a capacity of 14 starters and has been run at that capacity eight times since 1983 most recently in 2008 when Typhoon Zed saluted and 2018 when Brave Smash got the job done as an $8.50 shot.

Four times since 2009 the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes race field has attracted under double figures with just eight lining up in both 2010 and 2011, only nine in the 2017 edition and nine again in 2020. Both in 2017 and 2020, Hey Doc won the race.

There were only six official starters in the 2023 Manikato Stakes field with Buenos Noches scratched at the barriers.

The Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes final acceptances close the week of the race usually feature horses that contested the Group 1 Moir Stakes over the same track and distance the month before.

Previously a nice early lead-up race into the Manikato Stakes field was the Listed Chautauqua Stakes (1200m) run at the track and distance on John F. Feehan Stakes Day in early September, however in 2023 the Chautauqua Stakes will take place on the Friday night prior to the Manikato Stakes.

Recent Manikato Stakes winners to have had their final lead-up in the A.J. Moir Stakes include Lankan Rupee (2nd in 2014), Buffering (2nd in 2013), Bella Nipotina (2nd in 2022) who also finished second in the previous year’s Manikato results, and Imperatriz (1st of 2023) who did the double.

Rebel Dane (2016) scored a huge upset as a $61 roughie in Manikato Stakes betting. Photo Credit: Ultimate Racing Photos.

2023 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Field

The 2023 Manikato Stakes Field & Barriers are set for release the Tuesday of race week and will be published in full below so stay tuned to see the sprinters that make the cut for the $2 million dollar Cox Plate Eve racing feature.

The Manikato Stakes 2023 final field features just seven final acceptors with Moir Stakes winning mare Imperatriz chasing her fourth straight win at the track from a gun barrier four draw as the odds-on favourite.

2023 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Nominations

The 2023 Manikato Stakes Nominations close at midday on Friday October 20, 2023 a week out from the race and will be listed in full below once confirmed.

The 2023 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes nominations drew just 16 entries with all-in betting led by the odds-on favourite Imperatriz who has won her past three starts at the track consecutively including the Group 1 Moir Stakes last time out.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Manikato Stakes Form Guide

The Manikato Stakes form guide has all the facts and stats on the horses in the race including the jockeys, trainers, lead-up form, age and track / distance records. Previous form at Moonee Valley is important while the spread of Manikato Stakes winning ages is wide.

The form guide also shows which barriers the hopefuls are drawn and barrier one produced four winners from 2009-23 with Danleigh (2009), Hay List (2010), Sepoy (2011) and Bella Nipotina (2022) all saluting from the inside alley.

The 2021 Manikato Stakes form was franked with the second placed mare Bella Nipotina finishing third next race behind Nature Strip in Flemington’s VRC Sprint Classic. She returned in 2022 and won the Manikato by over four lengths for her first Group 1 victory.

Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Form Facts

• Barrier one has produced four Manikato Stakes winners from 2009 – 2023 most recently Bella Nipotina (2022).
• In that time just one winner jumped from wider than barrier nine in the Manikato Stakes field.
• Horses that ran first or second in their lead-up have dominated the Manikato Stakes results over the past 30 years.
• Favourites in Manikato Stakes betting saluted seven times from 2007-23.

2023 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Manikato Stakes 2023 Form Guide will be made available for punters the week of the race.

Manikato Stakes Results

The Manikato Stakes race results are known on Cox Plate Day in late October each spring. Punters can see the exact finishing order of all the starters, the margins separating each galloper, the winning time and see how much the Quinella and Trifecta exotics paid.

Loving Gaby (2019) was the last Manikato Stakes winning filly as well as the latest three-year-old Manikato Stakes winner.

Imperatriz (2023) was the last Manikato Stakes winning mare.

Hey Doc holds the current Manikato Stakes race record winning in 2020 in a time of 1 minute 08:76 seconds.

Past Manikato Stakes Winners

Recent Manikato Stakes winners and place-getters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.