Champagne Classic 2022

Ladbrokes Tip: The Champagne Classic is a good early guide to the JJ Atkins winner each winter

The Champagne Classic – now known as the Spirit Of Boom Classic – is a Group 2 race for two-year-olds held on a Saturday in mid-May at Doomben Racecourse* on Doomben 10,000 Day during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival. Offering an increased $250,000 in total prize money as of 2021, the 1200m sprint for juveniles is run at set weights and is a traditional lead-up to the following month’s Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) over the Eagle Farm mile. The feature race at the meeting is the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m), with the Champagne Classic the major support act on the Doomben card. The other notable race on Doomben 10,000 Day is the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) for the Queensland Derby-bound three-year-olds.

*Note: In 2022 the Doomben 10,000 meeting including the Spirit Of Boom Classic was been moved from Doomben to Eagle Farm Racecourse due to heavy rainfall. 

The 2020 Champagne Classic took place at Eagle Farm on Victory Stakes Day offering $175,000 with no Group 1 Doomben 10,000 scheduled for the carnival due to COVID-19.

The following year in 2021 the race was renamed as the Spirit Of Boom Classic in honour of former Queensland great, 2014 Doomben 10,000 winner Spirit Of Boom and was aptly won by one of his progeny, Prince Of Boom.

The two-year-olds racing in the Champagne Classic usually back-up in the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1350m) a fortnight later before possibly going on to contest the JJ Atkins on Stradbroke Handicap Day.

The last Champagne Classic winner to continue on and win the JJ Atkins was Rothfire (2020) who was the first to do the double since Pressday (2010). Pressday and Sizzling (2012) both won the Champagne Classic – BRC Sires’ – JJ Atkins treble known as the Queensland 2YO Triple Crown. In 2014 Brazen Beau won the Champagne Classic before running second in both the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and JJ Atkins that winter.

The latest edition of the Champagne Classic ran on Saturday May 14, 2022 as the Spirit Of Boom Classic and took place at Eagle Farm, moved from Doomben due to heavy rainfall, with the Annabel Neasham-trained Swiss Exile ($8) enjoying an all-the-way win. 

Champagne Classic Race Info

• Current Name: Spirit Of Boom Classic
• Date: Saturday May 14, 2022
• Track: Doomben Racecourse (Eagle Farm Racecourse in 2022) 
• Distance: 1200m
• Conditions: 2YO – Set Weights
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $250,000
• First Run: 1982

2022 Champagne Classic Results

The official Champagne Classic / Spirit Of Boom Classic 2022 Results & Finishing Order will be provided below once the race takes place at Eagle Farm Racecourse on Saturday May 14, 2022.

• 1st: #9 Swiss Exile ($8)
• 2nd: #13 Exo Lady
• 3rd (Dead Heat): #6 Thelwell / #18e Political Debate

The Annabel Neasham-trained colt Swiss Exile ($8) broke his maiden status at career start number five, the emerging two-year-old handing his sire Pariah a breakthrough stakes victory with his all-the-way win over Exo Lady in the 2022 Spirit Of Boom Classic results.

Champagne Classic Betting

Champagne Classic odds are usually led by two-year-olds with proven ability in Group class races. Sydney raiders with Group winning form or that were Group 1 performed during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival before coming to Queensland often feature high up the Champagne Classic betting markets.

Youngsters that ran well at the Gold Coast in the Ken Russell Memorial the month before, who have winning form over the 1200m distance and that are proven at the Doomben track are also usually kept safe in Champagne Classic betting by the bookies.

Rothfire ($2.40 in 2020)) followed by the fellow Robert Heathcote-trained Prince Of Boom ($4.40 in 2021) are the latest favourites in Champagne Classic betting to get the job done.

2022 Spirit Of Boom Classic Odds

The Champagne Classic / Spirit Of Boom Classic 2022 odds on the JJ Atkins-bound two-year-old winter gallopers will be provided below the week of the race so stay tuned for access to the best Brisbane racing markets.

Champagne Classic Field

The Champagne Classic field attracts the winter’s best two-year-old hopefuls from both local Brisbane stables and interstate. The bulk of the Champagne Classic field continue onto the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes with the chance to step out over 1600m in the JJ Atkins in June on Stradbroke Handicap Day.

Sizzling (2012) won the Champagne Classic – BRC Sires’ – JJ Atkins triple during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival. Photo Credit: Daniel Costello.

Youngsters in the Champagne Classic field come via a variety of different lead-ups, but the Sydney visitors may have contested something like the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in April during ‘The Championships’. The major Queensland lead-up into the Champagne Classic meanwhile is the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial (1200m) at the Gold Coast in late April.

Recent winners of the Ken Russell Memorial – Champagne Classic double include Sizzling (2012) and Gold Edition (2006). Champagne Classic nominations close the Monday before the race with the final field and barriers out on the Wednesday.

2022 Spirit Of Boom Classic Field

The official Champagne Classic / Spirit Of Boom Classic 2022 Final Field & Barrier Draw will be published below on the Wednesday leading up to Doomben 10,000 Day so check back to see the two-year-olds that make the line-up.

The 2022 Spirit Of Boom Classic final field, which will face off at Eagle Farm Racecourse, features a capacity line-up of juveniles including the unbeaten Tony Gollan-trained colt Capital Tower chasing win number four.

• Scratched: #2 Brereton (21); #14 Tyresa (7); #19e Ringmaster (12); #20e Economics (18); #21e Ring Of Steel (14)

2022 Champagne Classic Nominations

The Champagne Classic Nominations 2022 are out the Monday of race week attract two-year-olds out of Queensland lead-ups like the Ken Russell Memorial and Listed Dalrello Stakes (1200m) in late April.

Tony Gollan’s undefeated Capitalist colt Capital Tower headlines the Spirit Of Boom Classic 2022 nominations, the race attracting 25 early entries.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Champagne Classic Form Guide

The Champagne Classic form guide features all the must know info on the runners in the field including saddlecloth numbers, barriers, jockeys, trainers and lead-up form. Looking for two-year-olds with previous Group race experience or winning form over 1200m is important when doing the Champagne Classic form.

The Champagne Classic form has also stacked up in better Brisbane two-years-old races in recent years including the JJ Atkins. Recent Champagne Classic form shows the Ken Russell Memorial at the Gold Coast as well as the summer’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic have provided a number of winners of the event now run on Doomben 10,0000 Day.

2022 Spirit Of Boom Classic Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Champagne Classic / Spirit Of Boom Classic 2022 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Champagne Classic Tips

Champagne Classic tips include looking for two-year-olds with previous Group winning form over the 1200m in either Sydney or Brisbane and for the stand-out juvenile of the season in the mix. Locals have a strong record in the race, so promising juveniles with good lead-up form in Brisbane make a good bet as well when doing the Champagne Classic tipping.

Popular betting doubles during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival include the Champagne Classic – BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes, as well as the BRC Sires’ and the JJ Atkins.

2022 Champagne Classic Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Champagne Classic 2022 betting tips and Brisbane racing selections on the Group 2 sprint will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the two-year-olds to back and sack in the early winter feature.

• To Win: #9 Swiss Exile ($17 at time of publish) 

Going for an upset in the Group 2 Spirit Of Boom this weekend and love the nearly $20 on offer for this Annabel Neasham-trained improver. With a wet track, this Pariah colt looks lovely value and has been forgotten in the markets. Only a half-length beaten on debut last December in the Phelan Ready, he was also third in the Group 3 BJ McLachlan at Doomben behind Coolangatta. Last start second as the beaten odds-on favourite at the Sunshine Coast on a Heavy (9) with 59kg and excuses. Better in the weights here, fitter second-up and can surprise a few.

Champagne Classic Results

Champagne Classic results in recent years show an even mix of local and interstate-trained two-year-olds. Some famous Champagne Classic winners in the past decade include Gold Edition (2006), Court (2008), Pressday (2010), Sizzling (2012), Brazen Beau (2014) and Rothfire (2020).

Champagne Classic Winners