David Vandyke’s Flight Stakes runner-up from last Saturday Yankee Rose is nominated for a quick back-up into the Spring Champion Stakes 2016 at Royal Randwick this weekend in Sydney.
The last of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival elite levels, this season’s $500,000 Group 1 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) drew a dozen early entries at nomination stage on Monday.
Heading the nominees and pre-field Spring Champion Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au is the autumn’s Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) winning filly Yankee Rose ($2.40).
The daughter of All American resumed with a Golden Rose sixth and improved second-up last weekend when a half-length off the winner Global Glamour in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m).
Gai Waterhouse’s Flight Stakes winner Global Glamour is nominated for a trip to Melbourne on Saturday for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m), while Vandyke could run second placed Yankee Rose at Randwick again twice in seven days in the Spring Champion Stakes.
No filly has won the race in over 30 years, but the bookies are taking no chances with the progressive Yankee Rose.
The only other filly among this year’s Spring Champion Stakes nominations is the Anthony Cummings-trained Moqueen.
She is a last start winner at the track, the daughter of Uncle Mo having taken out the Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m) by 1.3 lengths on Epsom Handicap Day last Saturday.
The Dulcify Quality – Spring Champion Stakes double was achieved just two years ago by the Waterhouse-trained Hampton Court (2014).
The only other last start winner in the mix is the Chris Waller-trained Medaglia D’Oro colt Veladero.
He has won his past three starts this campaign including a narrow success a fortnight back at Rosehill in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m).
Waller took out the Gloaming Stakes – Spring Champion Stakes double last season with Vanbrugh (2015) and is back 12 months later out to do it again with Veladero who is at a current all-in quote of $9.50.
The second favourite in futures Spring Champion Stakes betting is the James Cummings-trained More Than Ready colt Prized Icon.
As a two-year-old he won the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in mid-April, and has had three runs this time in.
The latest was a third in the Gloaming Stakes when only a quarter-length off the winner in blanket finish.
The Gloaming Stakes has produced five of the past six Spring Champion Stakes winners with three completing the double and two coming off a second place finish.
This year’s Gloaming Stakes runner-up was the John O’Shea-trained Honeywine for the powerhouse Godolphin stable.
A son of Street Cry, Honeywine is also nominated for Saturday’s Group 1 over the extra metres and is joined in the Spring Champion Stake entries by stablemate Retaliation who ran fourth in the same traditional lead-up.
The other notable nominees include the Hawkes Racing-trained Ming Dynasty winner two back Swear and Waller’s High Chaparral colt High Mist.
Check out the original Spring Champion Stakes 2016 nominations below, the final field and barriers along with updated markets at Ladbrokes.com.au set for release on Wednesday.
2016 Spring Champion Stakes Nominations
Randwick Racecourse – 08/10/2016
# | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp. Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 474×137 | HAND IT IN | G | 3 | Rodney Ollerton | – |
2 | 8×1642217 | HIGH MIST | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 74 |
3 | 5×512 | HONEYWINE | C | 3 | John O’Shea | 72 |
4 | 39 | KHARTOUM | C | 3 | Pat Carey | – |
5 | 438×54351 | MOQUEEN | F | 3 | Anthony Cummings | – |
6 | 323211×463 | PRIZED ICON | C | 3 | James Cummings | 88 |
7 | 7×7032 | READY FIRE AIM | C | 3 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 56 |
8 | 1×134 | RETALIATION | C | 3 | John O’Shea | 68 |
9 | 1×16 | SWEAR | C | 3 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 76 |
10 | 515465 | TUMULTUOUS | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 64 |
11 | 634×111 | VELADERO | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 80 |
12 | 11x21x62 | YANKEE ROSE | F | 3 | David Vandyke | – |