Glamour Sydney mare More Joyous (More Than Ready – Sunday Joy, by Sunday Silence) will need to overcome last season’s champion two-year-old Sepoy (Elusive Quality – Watchful, by Danehill) if she is to give her sire his first stakes win of the season in Friday’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
Vinery resident More Than Ready (Southern Halo – Woodman’s Girl, by Woodman) has sired the winners of 26 races this season but stakes success has eluded him so far.
Sepoy and More Joyous are the favoured runners in an eight-horse field. Mossman (Success Express – Lichen Lady, by Twig Moss) gelding Buffering (Mossman – Action Annie, by Anabaa) will provide another opportunity for a Vinery sire to win the $500,000 race.
Kulgrinda (Exceed And Excel – River Crossing, by Bellotto) will give Darley sires their second shot at claiming the Manikato Stakes.
Former Hong Kong sprinter Happy Zero (Danzero – Have Love, by Canny Lad) will represent the new Rosemont Stud stallion Danzero (Danehill – Confidentially, by Kaoru Star).
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Manikato Stakes (1200m) – Group 1 – Of $500,000 |
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| No | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Sire |
| 1 | HAPPY ZERO | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Darren Beadman | 2 | 58.5kg | Danzero |
| 2 | BUFFERING | Robert Heathcote | Damian Browne | 3 | 58.5kg | Mossman |
| 3 | ATOMIC FORCE | Darren Smith | Damien Oliver | 7 | 58.5kg | Danehill Dancer |
| 4 | MORE JOYOUS (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse | Nash Rawiller | 4 | 56.5kg | More Than Ready |
| 5 | SISTER MADLY | John Sadler | Craig Williams | 5 | 56.5kg | Redoute’s Choice |
| 6 | RUE MAPLE | Darren Weir | Ms Michelle Payne | 6 | 56.5kg | Choisir |
| 7 | KULGRINDA | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 8 | 56.5kg | Exceed And Excel |
| 8 | SEPOY | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 1 | 52kg | Elusive Quality |