The Champagne Stakes is the first of two Group 1 races at Royal Randwick on Saturday and shapes as a race in two between Castelvecchio and Loving Gaby.
Castelvecchio and Loving Gaby currently dominate betting following their placings in the Sires’ Produce Stakes and Fortress Command is the only other horse at single-figure odds.
Will one of the fancies salute or will there be a Champagne Stakes upset? We have analysed the entire field and our complete Champagne Stakes tips can be found below.
Castelvecchio
Castelvecchio is the horse to beat in the Champagne Stakes. Loving Gaby may have beaten him home in the Sires’ Produce Stakes, but Castelvecchio was the better run in the race. His final 600 metres was the quickest in the race and he did that after being caught wide throughout. He won’t need to get as far back from barrier four in this contest and the step-up to 1600 metres is ideal for him. The Dundeel colt will be very tough to hold-out late.
Power Scheme
Power Scheme is on the quick back-up after recording his maiden race win in the Kings Of Sydney Sport Mile at Royal Randwick last weekend. I am definitely not convinced about the strength of the form coming out of that race and I think that the Fiorente colt should be double his current price.
Vinco
Vinco won the Mornington Sires a couple of starts ago, but he was disappointing in the Kings Of Sydney Sport Mile last weekend. You couldn’t back him in the Champagne Stakes off that effort.
Fortress Command
Fortress Command finished third behind Bellevue Hill and Strasbourg in The Schweppervescence. The form coming out of that race has not been particularly strong and he would need to go to another level to be a genuine chance in this contest.
War Baron
War Baron fell in the concluding stages of the Kings Of Sydney Sport Mile last weekend. It is good to see that he has come through that incident, but it is tough to see him measuring up in this contest.
Dawn Too Good
Dawn Too Good was soundly beaten in the Pago Pago Stakes and The Schweppervescence. He is the extreme outsider of this field for a reason.
Persan
Persan was the other horse that fell in the Kings Of Sydney Sport Mile. Before that he was outclassed in The Schweppervescence and he looks outclassed in this contest.
Prince Fawaz
Prince Fawaz has been thrown into the Champagne Stakes after finishing fifth in a maiden at Gosford. This is typically interesting placement from Anthony Cummings.
Loving Gaby
Loving Gaby is the major danger to Castelvecchio in the Champagne Stakes. She didn’t have a great deal of luck in either the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes or the Golden Slipper before she finished a gallant second behind Microphone in the Sires’ Produce Stakes. She is another that will have no issues with the step-up to 1600 metres and it is not a surprise that she has been well-backed early. I would rather be on Castelvecchio at the current price, but she is a clear second pick.
Lady Lupino
Lady Lupino beat the highly regarded Chenier to win at Ladbrokes Park last start and that win has to be respected. It would not surprise to see her go forward in the early stages of the race and give her rivals something to catch.
Crystal Falls
Crystal Falls was not disgraced in the Sires’ Produce Stakes and before that she chased home Kiamichi in the Magic Night Stakes. She still has a fair amount of upside, but she will get a long way back from the wide barrier draw. I’m not sure that she can win, but is a good inclusion for exotics.
Chia
Chia comes into the Champagne Stakes on the back of a maiden race win at Hawkesbury. This is a huge step up in class, but she is another filly that does have upside.