William Reid Stakes preview & betting strategy | March 24, 2022

The William Reid Stakes will be the penultimate Group 1 of the 2022/23 Victorian racing season, with a field of 14 set to do battle over 1200m at Moonee Valley on Friday night. The 2023 edition of the William Reid will see two runners from New Zealand and a European import having their first look at The Valley. Nine of the 14 runners are Group 1 winners, making it one of the best editions of the race that we have seen in recent times.

2023 William Reid Stakes betting odds

Four-time Group 1 winner in New Zealand and last start Group 1 Canterbury Stakes runner-up Imperatriz has opened as the $3.20 favourite with online bookmakers for the William Reid Stakes on Friday night. There are only three runners in the race that are under double figures, with the Cindy Alderson-trained Jigsaw opening at $7 and the lone three-year-old in the race Benedetta at $9.50.

2023 William Reid Stakes speed map

The 2023 edition of the William Reid Stakes looks to have an abundance of speed, with the likes of In The Congo, Front Page, Jigsaw and Babylon Berlin all drawing inside to middle barriers. All four of those runners like to either lead or sit in the first two or three, so the speed could be hot from the very start. We have one unknown runner in this year’s William Reid with the import from the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr yard A Case Of You having his first start in Australia for his new trainers. With so many speed influences in this race, we expect them to set it up for swoopers and runners from the mid-field, therefore, we like the chances of Imperatriz, King Of Sparta and Bella Nipotina, who will all be flying home down the outside.

Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2023 William Reid Stakes.

2023 William Reid Stakes preview & form

The current race favourite Imperatriz has the best form for this Group 1 William Reid Stakes on Friday night, coming off three consecutive Group 1 and Group 2 wins in New Zealand and a runner-up finish in the Canterbury Stakes last start at Randwick. This four-year-old mare has won 12 of her 18 career starts, with four of those wins coming at the very top level. The daughter of I Am Invincible has won over $1.1 million in prize money and with Opie Bosson making the trip across the ditch to take the ride, it shows intent from the Mark Walker stable. Bosson has ridden this star mare at eight of her last nine starts, winning six of those starts, so with him getting back on board this Friday night, it can only be seen as a positive for this girl. With only 56.5kg on her back and jumping from barrier seven, we expect to see Imperatriz settle a couple of pairs back from the leaders off the rail, and Bosson will be looking to make his move at the 400m mark to put her into the race.

One of the more intriguing runners in the 2023 William Reid Stakes is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained King Of Sparta who is still searching for his maiden Group 1 victory of his career. Even though the son of I Am Invincible has won over $2.2 million in prize money, most of that has come from winning the Magic Millions Sprint and Magic Millions 3YO Guineas. At his most recent starts, this four-year-old gelding finished fourth in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate, running home in very slick sectionals over the final 600m (33.13 seconds) which was the fastest last 600m sectional of the entire meeting at Sandown on February 25. After such a strong performance first-up, he looks primed and ready to give the William Reid a big shake, going into the race second-up, as he looks to keep his very good record intact (5:3-0-0). John Allen will stick after riding him last start and from barrier 12 we expect Allen to take King Of Sparta to the back of the field and look to run home strong.

After finishing third in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning over 1000m when first-up, Bella Nipotina was very underwhelming at her second start this preparation in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap on March 11. Last preparation this five-year-old daughter of Pride Of Dubai won the Group 1 Manikato Stakes by a massive 4.75 lengths on a heavy track on Cox Plate Day before running ninth in the Champions Sprint on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. There is no doubt in our mind that this mare has the ability and form to win the 2023 William Reid Stakes, but our query is whether she is going well enough this time in.

The second of the New Zealand raiders in the race is the Ben Foote-trained Babylon Berlin, who looks to have the best form of the speed influences after running second behind Imperatriz in the consecutive Group 1’s before winning the Group 3 Kings Plate last start at Te Rapa before making the trip over to Australia. This five-year-old mare has won multiple Group 3’s, but is yet to win a Group 1, and considering the quality of this field, it doesn’t look like she will be winning her first on Friday night.

2023 William Reid Stakes selections & best bets

• 11

  IMPERATRIZ

• 3

  KING OF SPARTA

• 8

  BELLA NIPOTINA

• 13

  BABYLON BERLIN

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