| What | William Reid Stakes Day 2025 |
| Where | Moonee Valley Racecourse – Gate 2 Feehan Ave, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 |
| When | Saturday, March 22, 2025 |
| First Race | 12:15pm AEDT |
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Group 1 racing returns to Moonee Valley on Saturday afternoon, with the William Reid Stakes (1200m) headlining a stacked 11-race meeting that also includes the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) and Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m). With rain forecast on Thursday and conditions unlikely to improve much before race day, the Soft 5 rating will likely hold. The rail will be in its true position, with the action set to get underway at 12:15pm AEDT.
Race 1: BM78 Handicap (2500m)
Dschingis Prestige caught the eye when finishing second, beaten by 1.3 lengths, behind Inevitable Award over 2040m on February 21. The son of Dschingis Secret was only grabbed late on that night, but with the step up to 2500m set to benefit this bloke, he looks hard to go past in the opener. Daniel Stackhouse will stalk the speed from barrier two, and barring any bad luck, Dschingis Prestige should prove too hard to hold out.
10
DSCHINGIS PRESTIGE
7
BUR DUBAI
6
STEEL RUN
9
MI ROCK ALY
Race 2: Valley Pearl (1200m)
Pure Passion produced some of the best closing sectionals of the day when finishing third behind Military Tycoon in the Group 3 Ottawa Stakes (1000m) at Flemington. The Snitzel filly was seemingly run off her feet early but flew home down the outside rail. The step up to 1200m suits, and with a fair bit of speed engaged, the race sets up perfectly for Linda Meech to have Pure Passion in clear air and flying home down the heart of the track.
6
PURE PASSION
2
PRESTIGE FOREVER
1
CHERGUI
7
JENNI MOO MOO
Race 3: BM84 Handicap (1200m)
Top Calibre tasted defeat for the first time in his career when resuming from a spell over 1200m at Flemington on March 1. The four-year-old gelding did not receive much luck throughout the run, and when building through his gears, he was crucially held up for a run. Once clear, he exploded late to be beaten less than a length, which suggested he should have finished closer than he did. Craig Williams will look to land in a forward position from barrier 12, and with even luck, Top Calibre looks hard to beat.
13
TOP CALIBRE
6
ELOUYOU
5
PIVOT CITY
8
PRANCING SPIRIT
Best Bet
Race 3 – #13 Top Calibre (12)
4yo Gelding | T: Alex Rae | J: Craig Williams (57.5kg)
Race 4: BM84 Handicap (1500m)
Verdad brought up a long-overdue second career victory when saluting at Flemington last time out at start 16. Having placed on nine prior outings, the son of Justify was a frustrating commodity for punters, but hopefully the penny has dropped and he can start stringing wins together. He needs to carry 61kg, but the four-year-old gelding is arguably the best horse in the field and should prove hard to run down from an on-pace role.
1
VERDAD
9
PORTER
7
CAPPER THIRTYNINE
14
STAY FOCUSED
Next Best
Race 4 – #1 Verdad (4)
4yo Gelding | T: Robbie Griffiths | J: Billy Egan (61kg)
Race 5: Yarra Valley Cup (2040m)
Dashing Duchess was far from disgraced in the Australian Cup Prelude (2000m) at Flemington on March 8, and form suggests she should be more than good enough to account for this Yarra Valley Cup field. She was beaten 3.7 lengths first-up behind Duke De Sessa when hitting the line strongly over 1600m, before going down to some top-tier weight-for-age horses last time out. This is a significant drop in class, and with a strong affiliation for soft tracks, the race sets up perfectly for Dashing Duchess to find her way back into the winner’s stall.
2
DASHING DUCHESS
9
FORTUNE
7
ZIRYAB
6
BASILINNA
Race 6: Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m)
The Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes seems to be a race in two, with Emphasize getting the verdict as he looks to turn the tables on Shanwah from when they last met. The son of Embellish went forward in a race that lacked much speed, and it seemingly brought him undone as he faded out to finish fourth, beaten three lengths. With more speed engaged in this, Craig Williams will likely have Emphasize towards the rear of the field, and if he produces anything like he did two runs back when defeating the older horses over 2000m, he will take a power of beating.
8
EMPHASIZE
2
SHANWAH
3
OPENING ADDRESS
6
STATUARIO
Alister Clark Stakes
Race 6 – #8 Emphasize (6)
3yo Gelding | T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | J: Craig Williams (57kg)
Race 7: Group 3 Alexandra Stakes (1600m)
Sneaky Sunrise has not done much wrong in two runs this campaign, and with just 56kg on her back in the Group 3 Alexandra Stakes, she is going to take some beating. She ran into the classy Treasurethe Moment last time out and finished 1.8 lengths off Too Darn Lizzie in second, but now this girl has a weight advantage on that runner and comes into this ready to peak third-up. She will need a touch of luck from barrier seven to not get caught wide, but if Luke Currie can find a bum to follow, Sneaky Sunrise will prove hard to hold out.
- 4
SNEAKY SUNRISE
3
GALA QUEEN
1
TOO DARN LIZZIE
2
CILACAP
Sunline Stakes
Race 7 – #4 Sneaky Sunrise (7)
3yo Filly | T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes | J: Luke Currie (56kg)
Race 8: Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m)
So Glamorous has been massive in defeat through three starts this campaign, but she gets her chance in the Group 2 Sunline Stakes. She was the best of the beaten brigade behind the smart Coeur Volante two back and then was only beaten 1.5 lengths in similar company to this in the Matron Stakes on March 8. With Grinzinger Belle set to make this a genuinely run affair, So Glamorous will be hitting the line powerfully from the rear of the field.
9
SO GLAMOROUS
2
WROTE TO ARATAKI
5
GRINZINGER BELLE
1
QUINTESSA
Sunline Stakes
Race 8 – #9 So Glamorous (9)
4yo Mare | T: Grahame Begg | J: Jordan Childs (57kg)
Race 9: Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m)
She’s Bulletproof looked to have had the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) sewn up with 100m to go before Jimmysstar came from nowhere in breathtaking fashion. However, when the pair clash on Saturday, the Charlotte Littlefield-trained mare has the form on the board to turn the tables on her key rival. She was an emphatic winner two runs back over 1200m, and with a strong record at the trip (9: 4-4-0), she clearly will appreciate the step back up to the 1200m. Drawn out in barrier eight, if Craig Williams can land in the one-one upon settling, She’s Bulletproof could have too much momentum on her side late in the 2025 William Reid Stakes.
7
SHE’S BULLETPROOF
4
SCHWARZ
1
JIMMYSSTAR
5
BENEDETTA
William Reid Stakes
Race 9 – #7 She’s Bulletproof (8)
4yo Mare | T: Charlotte Littlefield | J: Craig Williams (56.5kg)
Race 10: Group 3 Don Casboult Stakes (1200m)
Scillato will put her undefeated start to her career on the line in the 2025 Don Casboult Stakes, but she has every right to push that winning streak to four. The three-year-old filly held off Rich Dottie and Clean Energy down the Flemington straight over 1100m when doing plenty wrong, and it looks like she will appreciate getting back around a bend and up to 1200m. Drawn in barrier six, Cory Parish will likely have her settled midfield with cover, and as long as she doesn’t encounter traffic issues in running, Scillato has the finish under the hood to be winning.
8
SCILLATO
7
CLEAN ENERGY
- 6
CERTAIN RISE
10
JUST LIKE GABY
Don Casboult Stakes
Race 10 – #8 Scillato (6)
3yo Filly | T: Lee & Shannon Hope | J: Cory Parish (57kg)
Race 11: BM96 Handicap (1200m)
If Moby Dick brings his best form to The Valley fresh from a spell, he simply blows his rivals away in the finale — and at a nice price with horse betting sites. The son of Toronado resumes from a 17-week layoff, and with two wins from as many starts when first-up, he clearly benefits from having freshness in his legs. Armed with a blistering turn of foot, Jye McNeil only needs to have the son of Toronado within a few lengths of the leaders on the home turn, with Moby Dick likely to be charging home down the heart of the track.
12
MOBY DICK
8
MAJOR SHARE
3
HEDGED
6
EXTRATWO
Saturday quaddie tips for Moonee Valley
Moonee Valley quadrella selections
Saturday, March 22, 2025
- 1-2-3-4-5-9-13
- 1-4-5-7
- 6-7-8
- 3-6-8-10-12
| Copy this bet straight to your betslip
Horse racing tips
