It's a Valley of Stars on Saturday

Thursday, 15 August 2002 00:00

Quality abounds at Moonee Valley on Saturday as the Melbourne Spring Carnival approaches with the running of three classy stakes races.

Bel Esprit, Titanic Jack, Rubitano, Shaye Spice, De Gaulle Lane, Innovation Girl, British Lion, Flashed, Yell, Able Choice, Mistegic and The Big Chill are all set to step out one of the features.

The first of the stakes events on the weekend is the listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes for the three-year-old colts and geldings over 1000 metres.

Bel Esprit, last season's champion Melbourne based juvenile, is primed to run a huge race first up provided the track is no worse than dead.

His major opposition is likely to come from the Tommy Hughes Jnr trained unbeaten performer Titanic Jack. Along with Bel Esprit he was the star of Tuesday morning's track gallops at Moonee Valley, running fast time and looking very impressive.

Yell, a stakes performer in nearly every state as a two-year-old, also makes his return in the Mitchell McKenzie for John Hawkes. Darren Gauci will be aboard the youngster who will jump from the outside barrier in the field of seven.

The fillies get their chance to split up some black type in the William Crockett Stakes, also over the 1000 metres. A field of 12 has accepted for the listed event.

Innovation Girl, a member of the in form Brian Mayfield-Smith stable, comes off an impressive first up win in the Group Three Dermody Stakes in Adelaide, and she is a proven performer at Moonee Valley. She will be the one to beat from barrier eleven.

Flashed, a daughter of Fuji Kiseki, and the unbeaten stakes winner British Lion, both have strong winning chances from better barriers.

Meanwhile, the proven sprinters go head to head in the listed Rosemount Estate McEwen Trophy (1000m).

Rubitano and Mistegic look set to dominate the market in a field which includes the rising talents like Moonee Valley specialist Shaye Spice and Aragonce and The Big Chill, who are both trained by Russell Cameron.

The rest of the Valley card also hold plenty of quality. Horses the calibre of Bush Padre, Court of Jewels, Ugachaka, Mr. Prudent, Touch the Groom, Make Mine Magic and Chimu are also among the fields.

PICS - Quentin Lang.