Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Bella Vella (Commands) and Pippie (Written Tycoon), both already Group 1 winners, are joined by fellow sprinting mares Diamond Effort (Mossman), Fabergino (Maschino) and Brooklyn Hustle (Starspangledbanner) in the weight-for age sprint, along with the lone filly left in the race, Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) after Away Game (Snitzel) was scratched due to a temperature spike.
Since the race was elevated to Group 1 level in 2013, there have been three mares/fillies win the race, all of which went on to be sold as very valuable broodmare prospects.
As one of just two 1000 metre Group 1 races on the Australian calendar, it has proven a very valuable page booster for top-level sprinting mares.
While 2013 winner Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}), 2017 victor She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain) and 2018 champion Viddora (I Am Invincible) all won other Group 1 races in their careers, the presence of a 1000 metre Group 1 win on their resume holds significant appeal in an Australian market enamoured with speed.
2018 winner Viddora sold for $2.55 million at the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale in foal to Lope De Vega (Ire)
Samaready, who won the race as a 4-year-old mare, would go on, after beginning her breeding career with Vinery, to be sold for $1.8 million at this year's Inglis Chairman's Sale, with Coolmore purchasing her to visit its US Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) this year.
Viddora was another former Moir S. winner to sell for seven figures this year fetching $2.55 million at the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale to Yulong, in foal to Lope De Vega (Ire).
She Will Reign was sold privately to Japan's Northern Farm and while a sum was never released, given she was a G1 Golden Slipper S. and Moir S. winner being purchased by Katsumi Yoshida, we are probably safe to assume the final amount was in excess of $1 million. She produced a colt by Heart's Cry (Jpn) earlier this year and is in foal to Satono Diamond (Jpn).
It was a champion mare who was arguably responsible for the upgrade of the race from the Group 2 status it had held since 1979. Black Caviar's (Bel Esprit) back-to-back successes in 2010 and 2011 editions of the race elevated its rating significantly. She rated 111 in winning it by 5.5l in 2010, and then 128 in winning by 6l 12 months' later.
In 2012, the race was switched from Cox Plate day to late September, with the G1 Manikato S. becoming the feature race on Cox Plate Eve. That set the scene for the Moir to jump to Group 1 status in 2013, something that seemed only fair when you consider that current or subsequent Group 1 winners had won nine of the past 11 editions.
Of course, Black Caviar never went back to the sales ring after her racing career, and it would be near impossible to calculate her worth given her extraordinary record.
Miss Andretti (Ihtiram {Ire}) won the Moir, then called the Schweppervessence S. in 2007. A five-time Group 1 winner, she was also retained to breed by her owners but would have fetched a huge price as a broodmare prospect.
A Fortune for Virage
The 2005 winner, Virage De Fortune (Anabaa {USA}) reached a massive price when she was offered as a broodmare prospect in 2007. Darley Australia paid $3.4 million, then a record for a thoroughbred at public auction in Australia, when she sold at the Inglis Broodmare Sale.
Virage De Fortune winning the G2 Moir S. in 2005
Of course, she had Group 1 wins to her credit in the Australia S. and QTC Sires' Produce S. plus an elite pedigree, being a granddaughter of Emancipation (Bletchingly), but her dominant win in the Moonee Valley 1000 metre race as a 3-year-old filly certainly did her prospects no harm.
In 2003, the race was won by Our Egyptian Raine (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}), in what was her best victory in Australia, having won the G1 Railway S. in New Zealand. On that day, she beat the defending champion, and another elite level mare Spinning Hill (Dolphin Street {Fr}).
Three years later, Our Egyptian Raine was sold for $900,000 at the Inglis Sale to Kieran Moore Bloodstock on behalf of Cressfield. Spinning Hill, incidentally, was retained to breed by the Nivison and Tait families.
That means that the four Moir S. winners since 2000 offered at public auction as broodmares have averaged an eye-popping $2.162 million.
Even before that time, it was a race which proved the source of some top-class mares.
Magic Music (Loosen Up {USA}) won it in 1999, With Me (Covetous) back-to-back in 1990 and 1991, Scarlet Bisque (Biscay) in 1988, Special (Habituate {Ire}) in 1986 and Victoria Peak (Showdown {GB}) in 1980. All five of those mares ended up being stakes producers in the breeding barn.
The flip side is of course the successful stallions which have emerged out of the race. The Judge, Clay Hero, Sequalo, Spartacus. Falvelon and California Dane are among the winners to have gone on to stud careers of note, along with 2016 winner Extreme Choice, who stands at Newgate, and whose first crop hit the track this season.
Godolphin colt Hanseatic (Street Boss {USA}), as the only potential future stallion in the race, is charged with continuing that tradition on Friday night.
