The Team Hawkes trained Outrageous remains the favourite on race morning for the Group 1 $500,000 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick today.

Champagne Stakes favourite Outrageous finished third to El Dorado Dreaming, above, in the ATC Sires' Produce Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Champagne Stakes favourite Outrageous finished third to El Dorado Dreaming, above, in the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

The field for the Group 1 for the two year olds remains intact with thirteen juveniles to contest the 1600m for the first time.

Outrageous is the $4.80 favourite for the Champagne Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au after $7.50 was bet earlier in the week and the All Too Hard colt looks like he will appreciate the step up to the mile after running on from well back in the field to finish third to El Dorado Dreaming in the Group 1 $1m ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on day one of The Championships two weeks ago.

The Hawkes Racing Team of John, Michael and Wayne will also saddle up $10 chance Irukandji who is coming off a last start win in the Group 3 $150,000 The Schweppervescence (1400m) at Rosehill on March 31.

On the next second line of betting at $5.50 is the first of the two Lindsay Park runners, Long Leaf who finished just behind the placegetters when fourth in the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes.

The Fastnet Rock’s stablemate Seberate is longer in the betting at $19 and never threatened in the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes in finishing eleventh.

The Sires’ Produce winner El Dorado Dreaming caused a major upset in winning at $81 but is well in contention in the betting this week at $8.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.