A big weekend of racing will get underway at Moonee Valley on Friday night when six Group One winners clash in the Manikato Stakes.

In-form sprinter Chautauqua is the even money favourite in the $1 million race, ahead of Sydney speedster Terravista with veteran Buffering and Stradbroke Handicap winner Srikandi also at single-figure odds.

Tommy Berry has picked up the prized mount on Chautauqua, replacing Dwayne Dunn who is suspended.

The top Sydney jockey will be chasing his first Group One win in Victoria and his 20th overall having tasted top-level success in Sydney, Brisbane, Hong Kong and Singapore.

He has come close with four Group One placings in Victoria including a second aboard Trip To Paris in last week's Caulfield Cup.

The Manikato Stakes meeting opens the Moonee Valley racing carnival which continues on Saturday with a 10-race program, eight of them stakes races highlighted by the Cox Plate.

European raider Highland Reel is the $5 favourite for the $3 million weight-for-age race with Winx and Criterion sharing the second line of betting at $6.

Winx will bid to become the fifth mare to win in the past 20 years and first since Pinker Pinker in 2011.