Mark Walker‘s champion mare Imperatriz headlines the field for the 2024 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley this Saturday.
Imperatriz is out to become a 10-time Group 1 winning mare in the William Reid Stakes 2024 this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The I Am Invincible mare is a short-priced favourite at $1.85 at Ladbrokes to defend her title and notch her tenth career Group 1 victory.
Imperatriz boasts an unblemished record (4 wins from 4 starts) at the tight Moonee Valley circuit.
Following a narrow second in the Newmarket Handicap while carrying top weight, she returns to the weight-for-age conditions that favour her.
A victory on Saturday would see Imperatriz join elite company: becoming the first back-to-back William Reid Stakes winner since Apache Cat (2008-09) and the first to achieve consecutive wins since Black Caviar (2011, 2013).
Godolphin‘s Cylinder, fresh off his Newmarket Handicap victory, presents the main threat to Imperatriz’s dominance.
Drawn barrier 1, the Exceed And Excel colt boasts a strong record over the 1200m distance but has yet to race at Moonee Valley.
He’s currently priced at $4.60 at Ladbrokes to cause another upset.
Last year’s runner-up Bella Nipotina ($7) and the fellow Ciaron Maher-trained mare I Am Me ($10) are the other notable contenders.
Bella Nipotina, a Moonee Valley specialist, is drawn well and has a consistent record at the track.
I Am Me, resuming from a break, has an impressive first-up record and finished second to Imperatriz in last year’s Manikato Stakes.
See below for the complete 2024 William Reid Stakes final field and barrier draw with markets available through Ladbrokes here.
2024 William Reid Stakes Field
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 62725×9573 | THE ASTROLOGIST | Leon & Troy Corstens | Declan Bates | 9 | 58.5kg | 104 | ||
| 2 | x9275x440x | THE INFERNO | Cliff Brown | Jake Noonan | 8 | 58.5kg | 101 | ||
| 3 | 631x117x11 | QUEMAN | Shane & Cassie Oxlade | Harry Coffey | 4 | 58.5kg | 105 | ||
| 4 | 17x244x271 | JOHNNY ROCKER | Nick Ryan | Rhys McLeod | 11 | 58.5kg | 75 | ||
| 5 | 21x1111x12 | IMPERATRIZ | Mark Walker | Opie Bosson | 10 | 56.5kg | 119 | ||
| 6 | 6x33315x45 | BELLA NIPOTINA | Ciaron Maher | John Allen | 3 | 56.5kg | 114 | ||
| 7 | 117x16122x | I AM ME | Ciaron Maher | Ben Melham | 2 | 56.5kg | 110 | ||
| 8 | 8x27415x07 | QUEEN OF THE BALL | Michael Freedman | Billy Egan | 7 | 56.5kg | 96 | ||
| 9 | 3x24221x42 | HYPOTHETICAL | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Michael Dee | 6 | 56.5kg | 104 | ||
| 10 | 7x11350x61 | CYLINDER | James Cummings | 1 | 56kg | 113 | |||
| 11 | 1x233x31x8 | KING’S GAMBIT | Peter & Paul Snowden | Jamie Mott | 5 | 56kg | 95 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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