Samaready, Lucky Nine clash in Manikato

Samaready, winner of last year's Blue Diamond, has rewarded the patience of

her connections with two resounding victories this season, and she goes postward

as the heavy favorite in Friday's Group 1 Manikato at Moonee Valley in

Melbourne, Australia.

The four-year-old, who carries the silks of part owner Vinery Stud, went

undefeated through her first four outings as a juvenile, including the Blue

Diamond, Blue Diamond Prelude and Reisling before finishing third behind Pierro

in Australia's juvenile showpiece, the Golden Slipper. An injury later that year

put Samaready on the sidelines for more than a 12 months, but she showed no rust

when clinching Theshark.com.au Stakes at trainer Mick Price's Caulfield base

August 31, and devastated her rivals over this track and six-furlong trip in the

Moir Stakes September 27.

Second that day was the ever-consistent six-year-old gelding Buffering, who

has won or hit the board in 26 of 35 career outings including seven wins over

this trip -- and was racing off 111 days' rest in the Moir. An unlucky sixth in

the Moir was Bel Sprinter, who hit his best form last season when victorious in

the Galaxy and third behind Black Caviar in the T.J. Smith. The Jason Warren

charge was making his first start since finishing second in the KrisFlyer

International Sprint at Kranji in Singapore May 19.

That event was won by the globetrotting Lucky Nine, who makes his Australian

debut and his first start since that victory here. Winner of the Hong Kong

International Sprint in 2011, the seven-year-old last year added the Queen's

Silver Jubilee Cup and Jockey Club Sprint to his mantle, and has this year

indicated he is nowhere near finished, collecting Sha Tin's Chairman's Sprint

Prize February 17 prior to his Kranji victory. Seven of Lucky Nine's 12

victories have come over this trip, although he will have to buck a trend that

has seen him go 0-for-4 first up.

Shamexpress returns to the Australian turf off a failed British campaign

earlier this year. Victorious in the Newmarket Handicap when last seen Down

Under March 9, the Danny O'Brien charge could manage no better than ninth in the

King's Stand at Royal Ascot June 18, and seventh in the July Cup. The

six-year-old mare Arinosa seems to be improving with age, rising from the

handicap ranks to claim the Sapphire and the Park Stakes earlier this year. She

was a first-up winner of the Premiere at Randwick October 5, and looks to win a

Group 1 at the first attempt at a distance she enjoys.

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