Sprinters competing in the Group 2 Mittys McEwen Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day will have an added incentive this year, with the winner earning a spot in Southside Racing’s slot race, The Meteorite (1200m), worth $1 million. 

Meteorite golden ticket up for grabs in Mittys McEwen Stakes

Sprinters competing in the Group 2 Mittys McEwen Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day will have an added incentive this year, with the winner earning a spot in Southside Racing’s slot race, The Meteorite (1200m), worth $1 million.&nbsp;This new race will be held on Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup Day, Saturday, 23 November.Moonee Valley Racing Club is one of 14 slot holders in the Southside Slot Series, providing a significant opportunity for sprinters competing in this year’s Mittys McEwen Stakes.&nbsp;Previously run earlier in the Spring Carnival over 1000m, the Mittys McEwen Stakes is now the feature sprint on the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival programme, with an increase in distance to 1200m.&nbsp;The race’s honour roll includes sprinting stars such as Miss Andretti, Hay List, Buffering, Chautauqua, Nature Strip, and 2023 winner Imperatriz.Moonee Valley Racing Club Head of Racing Charlotte Mills said the golden ticket incentive brought an exciting new dimension to a race that consistently attracts top-tier talent.“The Mittys McEwen Stakes is one of the Club’s premier sprint races and serves as a fitting replacement for the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes during the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival,” Mills said.“The added bonus of the winner earning entry into a $1 million race provides an outstanding opportunity for the sprinters lining up on Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day.”&nbsp;“The Mittys McEwen Stakes honour roll underscores the race's significance to the Club, and we’re eagerly anticipating this year’s edition.”Southside Racing General Manager of Racing Alastair Dwyer said it was fantastic to have a Win And You’re In race for The Meteorite on Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day.&nbsp;“Southside Racing is thrilled to have the Moonee Valley Racing Club take part in the Southside Slot Series through the purchase of a slot.”“To announce the time-honoured Group 2 Mittys McEwen Stakes on Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day as a Win And You’re In race to The Meteorite adds a great incentive to the runners in this year’s field and adds further intrigue ahead of the $1 million 1200m feature race on Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup Day.&nbsp;“We commend the MVRC for this exciting initiative and can’t wait to see who comes out victorious on what is one of Australia’s most prestigious racedays on the calendar.”The Mittys McEwen Stakes is run under Weight-For-Age conditions, while The Meteorite is conducted under Set Weights and Penalties.&nbsp;Connections of the horse running in the Club’s slot for The Meteorite will receive all stipulated prizemoney won in the race, with the MVRC contributing the slot entry cost on their behalf. Second and third placegetters will receive the next offer, respectively, in the event that the Winner does not accept the slot.&nbsp;Nominations for the Mittys McEwen Stakes will close at 12 pm on Monday, October 21.View full <a href="-/media/e90bf2bf6c4e42df9cf929fe0ec32ab5.ashx">Terms &amp; Conditions here.</a>

Gavin Bedggood will be hoping to strike while the iron is hot this Saturday when stable speedster Mornington Glory tackles the Listed Paramount Liquor Carlyon Stakes at The Valley.Mornington Glory was previously trained on the peninsula as his name suggests, but found his way to Gavin Bedggood as a package deal after the Cranbourne-based trainer acquired Shalaman, owned by the same group.“We purchased a horse called Shalaman. A lot of the ownership stayed involved, and when I went to pick him (Shalaman) up, they said do you want to have a go with this horse (Mornington Glory). He was retired, and I guess the rest is history,” Bedggood said.Mornington Glory was an impressive winner of a BM100 handicap over the same course and distance a fortnight ago, streaking away to stun his rivals by nearly four lengths. The soft nature of the victory was impressive enough to see his rating rise from 96 to 100, earning him another opportunity to break through at black-type level for the first time this Saturday.“Just the ease of it. He began well, he went to sleep. Sometimes he can get a little bit keen in running, but he just dropped his head, and he looked to have the race sewn up a long way out.”“He obviously has to take on a few horses on Saturday that are going to be advantaged at the weights, but hopefully he can replicate that win again.”Mornington Glory goes into the feature race this week as the fittest horse in the field being third up, and the stable are hoping that edge in condition can assist him in trying to beat a horse like three-year-old filly Bold Bastille, who has a 6.5kg weight advantage.“Some of those horses aren’t going to be at their peak on Saturday with Group 1 targets in mind later on down the path.“He’s a gelding, he’s not a colt, so if a Group 1 presented itself then great, but it’s not the be all end all for us. We just want to pick our mark and pick up as much prize money and wins as we can along the way.”Gavin Bedggood is yet to win a Group 1 himself, but the former high weight and jumps jockey came closest with Mornington Glory in February when running 3rd in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield. Should the son of Shalaa win impressively again this weekend, he could face the starter in a hot edition of the Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes at The Valley in two weeks, but Bedggood was his usual reserved self when speaking about the possibility of that eventuating.“We’ll just let him tell us. If he was to come out and win the Carlyon on Saturday in the fashion he did a fortnight ago then it’s something you have to consider.“But I’m a realest, and I’m more than happy to pick off the second-tier races if that’s what we have to do.”The ownership group of Mornington Glory features some very familiar names, including AFL heroines Shane Crawford, Brett Ratten and Fraser Brown, as well as Melbourne Storm chairman Matt Tripp. “They’ve been great. I don’t really hear from them,” Bedggood chuckled.“I’ve probably known Shane Crawford for 20 years. He raced horses where I worked as a teenager and it’s great to be training winners for him now.”Mornington Glory was ridden to perfection by Jamie Kah last start, but with Kah now booked on Bold Bastille, Ethan Brown will take the reins. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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