The punters are tipping the Melbourne form to stack up in Sydney on Saturday with Caulfield Guineas runner-up Elliptical heading the field and betting markets on the Group 1 $2 million Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).
Williamsburg is one of the top chances in Saturday’s 2022 Spring Champion Stakes field in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
Offering $2 million in stakes for the first time, the Spring Champion Stakes field features a dozen three-year-olds potentially heading towards the longest-distanced features down south over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Sitting top of the current Spring Champion Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes is the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Elliptical at $3.80.
The progressive Dundeel colt has drawn the rails with Wednesday’s Geelong Cup winning jockey Blake Shinn booked for the ride.
Shinn continues associations with Elliptical after guiding the young galloper to a devastatingly close second behind Golden Mile in the Group 1 $3 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m) a fortnight back.
With Golden Mile contesting the Group 2 $1 million Callander-Presnell (1600m) on the Spring Champion Stakes Day card instead, Elliptical is the best out of the Melbourne Group 1 lead-up in Saturday’s feature.
The danger occupying the second line of betting at $5.50 is proven wet track performer Williamsburg.
The Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou-trained Snitzel colt has won four of his 10 career starts to date and has an outstanding Randwick track record (3:2-0-1).
He would appreciate any rain between now and race day boasting a superior Heavy track record (6:3-0-2) and was last seen beaten a nostril flare when third in the rescheduled Group 3 Gloaming Stakes held over the mile at Warwick Farm.
This year’s Gloaming Stakes winner Sharp ‘N’ Smart also backs up in the Spring Champion Stakes field on Saturday chasing the double last completed by Shadow Hero (2019).
With the Gloaming run at a different track and decreased distance following a washed-out Saturday meeting earlier in the spring, the form could be harder to follow into the 2000m Spring Champion.
Still, the Graeme & Deborah Rogerson-trained Kiwi Sharp ‘N’ Smart is rated one of the best chances drawn gate eight with Hugh Bowman aboard the $6.50 shot.
Three of the past six editions of the Spring Champion Stakes have been won by fillies and there are two girls in the mix this weekend looking to continue the strong strike-rate.
The Anthony Cummings-trained Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) winner from the autumn, She’s Extreme, is drawn in barrier 10 and pays $6 to post another elite level success over the boys.
The classy daughter of Extreme Choice presents fit fourth-up having run third in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m), sixth on a firm Rosehill track only three lengths off Jaquinot in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) and then third last time out here in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m).
The Bjorn Baker-trained Renaissance Woman is the other filly in the mix, the daughter of Reliable Man drawn one close in gate nine and paying $13 for an upset on the quick back-up.
She is one of just two last start winners in the mix along with the aforementioned Sharp ‘N’ Smart having powered home at Caulfield last Saturday to win the Group 3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m) over this distance last weekend.
The David Atkins-trained Promitto ($7.50), also racing on successive Saturdays having run third to Cascadian when taking on the older horses in the Group 3 Craven Plate (1800m) here last weekend, rounds out the single-figure hopes.
The Spring Champion Stakes 2022 is set to run as Race 8 at 4:45pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s ten event Randwick card.
