2025 Spring Champion Stakes Day Preview

All eight horses in this year’s Kirkham Plate field are on debut.

DEFENSEMAN cost Coolmore more than $1 million and his recent trial suggested it was money well spent.

He can hit the ground running by winning under Kerrin McEvoy in the first on Spring Champion Stakes Day.

Another typically open Highway affair and CRAFT is one that I thought looked over the odds at his current quote ($20 at publish).

Craft raced consistently last time in and returned to action to fill the minors in Class 3 company at Goulburn.

This is obviously a deeper race, but Craft is a horse that tends to enjoy sharp second up improvement and Alysha Collett has options in the run this week from the rails draw.

This might be the most open race on the program and that is reflected in the price we’re getting for a number of key chances, including AMARETTO BO ($16 at publish).

There’s no doubt that Amaretto Bo faces a rise in class on Saturday, but he’s been excellent since returning from a spell, winning two of three runs, including a dominant performance up at Newcastle last time out.

With further improvement this week, he’ll relish a drop in the weights and just requires some early luck in the run from a wide draw to figure in the finish.

POINT AND SHOOT is a fitting favourite in betting ahead of Race 4 on Spring Champion Stakes Day.

He’s yet to strike in three runs back this time, but there’s no doubt that Point And Shoot has been continually improving, and he was doing his best work through the line in the Silver Eagle last week.

I like that he’s on the quick back up and getting out to the mile now looks absolutely perfect.

From the good draw and under Rachel King, he’s my best bet on the program.

The Brian Crowley looks a lovely race for MEMO.

Memo clearly needed her first run back this time when she finished down the order in the Furious Stakes, but she was greatly improved second up when finishing second in the Scarborough Stakes down at The Valley last time.

She’s since trialled extremely well around the likes of Beiwacht and Stefi Magnetica, and I think she’ll get every chance in this race.

Unsurprisingly, LINDERMANN has opened a clear odds-on favourite in 2025 Craven Plate betting.

He has been outstanding this time in, winning two of his last three starts at Group 2 level and only just missing behind Fangirl in the 7 Stakes.

I’m going to select him as the winner in a Same Race Multi and pump up my odds with KOVALICA running into the first three, who looks set to peak after a couple of improving performances.

Same Race Multi selections:

• 1 Lindermann (Win)
• 3 Kovalica (Top 3)

He’s yet to show his best this time in but I am inclined to give RIVELLINO another chance dropping in class into the Callander-Presnell field.

Rivellino was excellent during his two-year-old prep, winning three of five starts and finishing a close-up fourth in the Golden Slipper most notably.

He was a little cramped for room and might have had a few excuses fourth-up in the Caulfield Guineas a fortnight ago, but there’s no doubting his fitness and condition this week, and his best performances have all been in Sydney.

The Spring Champion Stakes is always an open affair, but I thought that it looked a perfect Group 1 target in 2025 for WITHIN THE LAW.

Within The Law has always shown above-average talented and she picked off some lovely races during her debut preparation.

While yet to strike in five runs back this time, when was a near miss in the Group 1 Flight Stakes two starts back, while she was far from disgraced in open Group 1 company last week, finishing just over three lengths behind Ceolwulf in the King Charles III Stakes.

She’s hard fit and getting out to the 2000m this week looks to suit, as does getting back into three-year-olds company.

Read our complete runner-by-runner 2025 Spring Champion Stakes preview right here! 

STEFI MAGNETICA is a touch of overs in The Invitation betting, in my opinion ($7.50 at publish).

She’s a multiple Group 1 winner now, and the talented mare returned to action last month to finish on the placegetters’ heels in the Sheraco Stakes.

She’s tuned up back since that run with a really nice trial around some Group 1 horses, and she just has most of these rivals covered for ability.

Group 1 winner TRANSATLANTIC is an obvious favourite in Five Diamonds Prelude betting but I am going to take him on with the third-up SHADIZI.

Shadizi debuted in Australia and for Chris Waller with a luckless performance in BM88 company here last month before a similar performance and result at Flemington last time out.

With further improvement this week, he can settle a little closer in the run from an inside draw, and he takes weight from several key rivals.

With even luck turning for home, I think he’ll be hard to hold out in something like this.