Darren Weir’s Japanese import Tosen Stardom has opened early favourite as the headliner in a capacity field of milers and resuming stayers for Saturday’s Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes 2016 at Moonee Valley Racecourse.
Jockey John Allen rides Japanese import Tosen Stardom in Saturday’s 2016 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes field at Moonee Valley. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
Due to run as Moonee Valley Race 8 at 4:40pm (AEST) as the penultimate event on the 10 race program, this season’s $250,000 Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) features a full 14-starter field plus a sole emergency in Entirely Platinum (12).
To wear the number one saddlecloth and early favourite in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $5.50 is the now Weir-trained Deep Impact stallion Tosen Stardom.
The six-year-old is Group 1 performed and a Group 3 winner in his native Japan, but has also raced twice down under in the autumn of 2015.
His best result on the Aussie turf was a second to Contributer in that year’s Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill with a fifth to Criterion at Randwick in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) to follow.
Back in the country for a spring bid this season, Tosen Stardom kicks things off in the Dato’ with his main aim being the $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) back at the Valley on October 22.
While he leads the markets for his first-up run on the weekend with John Allen to ride the horse from gate five, Tosen Stardom is also rated a $17 hope to defeat the reigning champion Winx ($2.50) in the 2016 Cox Plate.
Weir has a total of four runners in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes field this weekend including the equal $6.50 second elect Mahuta drawn wide in barrier 14.
The Flying Spur stallion won a host of races during his three-year-old season including the Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) last November and January’s Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast.
His last win was at Caulfield in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) back in mid-February.
Mahuta has had two runs as a four-year-old including his third only last weekend in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) behind stablemate Black Heart Bart, and he is tipped to appreciate the step back up to a mile this Saturday.
Weir’s contingent is completed by Spring Cups-bound Signoff ($41) who is best known for his Melbourne Cup fourth to Protectionist in 2014 and former Perth Cup winning mare Real Love ($51) racing for the first time since a fourth in June’s Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) over the mile and a half.
Along with Mahuta the other two $6.50 hopes occupying the second line of Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes betting are The United States and the market mover Miss Rose De Lago in barriers eight and 15 respectively.
Robert Hickmott saddles-up Galileo seven-year-old The United States who won the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill in March before his last start second to Lucia Valentina at Randwick in this year’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
He has had five previous Moonee Valley runs for two wins, a second and a third with his last run at the track producing a victory in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) last October.
Early money is coming in for the Danny O’Brien-trained and Damien Oliver-ridden Encosta De Lago mare Miss Rose De Lago despite her wide alley.
The six-year-old comes off a weight-for-age win at Caulfield first-up from August 13 in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) and she too has previous winning form at the Valley having defeated a field of her own kind by nearly three lengths in March’s Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m).
The other two single-figure hopes are fellow mares Jameka ($7) and Suavito ($9.50).
The Ciaron Maher-trained Jameka is best known for her Crown Oaks win last Melbourne Cup Carnival and comes off a first-up fourth in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes, while the Nigel Blackiston-trained Group 1 champ Suavito is out to improve on her sixth in the same lead-up.
See below for the full Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes 2016 field, barriers, jockeys and latest Fixed Win odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au.
