Group 1 William Reid Stakes Preview – Sat 13 Feb

The Group 1 $500,000 Pulse Pharmacy William Reid Stakes is a weight-for-age race over 1200 metres at Moonee Valley racecourse and is the main event on a nine race program that includes the Group 2 $200,000 Alister Clarke Stakes (1600m) for three-year-old colts and geldings as well as the Group 2 $200,000 Sunline Stakes (1600m) for mares.

There was a field of nine but early favourite Black Caviar, unbeaten in her 5 starts, was found to have an injury to her suspensory ligament following trackwork at Caulfield on Thursday.

William Reid Stakes Betting

With the scratching of Black Caviar the early betting at Centrebet has Nicconi as $3.25 favourite ahead of Peter Moody’s other runner Wanted at $3.75. Next in the betting is Shellscape at $5.50, Light Fantastic at $6, Sniper’s Bullet at $11, Turffontein at $14, Mentality at $21 and Master O’Reilly is outsider at $151 over the short distance.

Interesting Facts about the William Reid Stakes

The William Reid Stakes was first run in 1925 and had a name change in 1994 to the Australia Made Stakes. The name changed to Australia Stakes in 1996 and in 2010 it has reverted back to the William Reid Stakes. The mighty horse Manikato made this race his own by wining it an incredible 5 years in a row (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983). Since then the only horse to win even twice in a row has been Apache Cat (2008 and 2009).

Craig Williams Will Ride in William Reid

Leading Melbourne jockey Craig Williams has successfully appealed a careless riding suspension which will allow him to ride Sniper’s Bullet for Mudgee trainer Tracey Bartley in the William Reid Stakes.