Nick Olive’s Golden Slipper graduate Sizzling Belle is tipped to relish a drop in grade this weekend heading to Brisbane as favourite in the Champagne Classic 2018 field and betting markets.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy has the ride on the Chris Waller-trained Zousain in Saturday’s 2018 Champagne Classic field at Doomben. Photo: Daniel Costello.
A key support act on Doomben 10,000 Day, this year’s Group 2 $175,000 Moet & Chandon Champagne Classic (1200m) field has drawn 11 two-year-old hopefuls.
It is a tight affair in Champagne Classic betting at Ladbrokes.com.au with five of the juveniles in the mix under $10 for the win including $3.70 favourite Sizzling Belle drawn the outside barrier (11).
Kathy O’Hara retains the ride on the Canberra-trained daughter of Sizzling who was last seen running just over four lengths back ninth to Estijaab in the Group 1 $3.5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) on March 24 as a $61 roughie.
She’s had a freshen-up since and is a noted fresh performer, the three-time winning filly sure to get up on the speed early and give the field something to chase.
Occupying the second line of the markets at $4.20 is Dynamited, the lightly-raced Godolphin galloper having just his second career start.
The James Cummings-trained Exceed And Excel colt won at Rosehill on debut last November defeating Secret Lady and has trialled twice since.
His latest hit out produced an eye-catching second at Warwick Farm on May 4 and the bookies are taking no chances with Dynamited first-up from barrier seven.
The better-tried Mishani Hustler follows in the Champagne Classic odds at $5 looking for a fourth win on the trot.
Ben Currie’s Toowoomba-based colt has suffered just the one loss in his five career starts and comes off a three-quarter length win at the Doomben track in the Listed Dalrello Stakes (1200m).
Mishani Hustler gets the run of the race from barrier four with apprentice Taylor Marshall continuing associations and is the form youngster in the mix who could prove hard to beat again.
Rounding out the up-and-coming Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival hopefuls under $10 for the win this weekend are early market mover Zousain ($7) and the flying Pennino ($9.50) coming off a hat-trick of wins.
Sydney’s top trainer Chris Waller saddles-up well-bred Zoustar colt Zousain from barrier eight with Kerrin McEvoy aboard, the bay having his first start since a midfield finish in the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) back on March 17 in Sydney.
Pennino is Sunshine Coast-trained in Queensland by Darryl Hansen, the Easy Rocking filly having her second start at Doomben.
She has won three of her four starts to date including her narrow lead-up victory at the track on April 21 over 1050m in the wet and is unbeaten over the 1200m so will relish the step-up in distance on Saturday.
Other promising runners in the early JJ Atkins lead-up race include Toby Edmond’s Sizzling filly Sizzling Ace ($11) and the rails-drawn Only Wanna Sing ($14) looking to improve on a lead-up fourth when narrowly beaten in the Dalrello Stakes.
Check out the full Champagne Classic 2018 field and betting markets below, odds open online now through Ladbrokes.com.au.
