The Peter Moody trained Pasadena Girl holds a slight margin at the top of the betting for the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Pasadena Girl is the early favourite for the Champagne Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Pasadena Girl has been listed with Ladbrokes.com.au as the $3.20 favourite just ahead of Rodney Northam’s colt Odyssey Moon at $3.50.
The two favourites are set to clash again after only half a length separated them in the Group 1 $1m Inglis Sires (1400m) at Randwick on April 6, the postponed first day of ‘The Championships’.
Odyssey Moon settled just behind the leaders and fought on the strongly in the straight to finish three quarters of a length behind the winner Pride Of Dubai while Pasadena Girl made up plenty of ground from last on the corner to finish fourth, half a length behind Northam’s colt.
Top Melbourne jockey Damien Oliver has stuck with Odyssey Moon while Hugh Bowman takes over from Vald Duric on Pasadena Girl who has please Moody since the Inglis Sires.
“She has done everything right since the Sires. We’ve got Hugh Bowman to ride her,” Moody told The Daily Telegraph.
Pasadena Girl will be stepping up to the 1600m of the Champagne Stakes for the first time but by the way she finished the race off at the end of the 1400m, the extra distance doesn’t look to be a problem.
“The 1600m will be ideal for her,’’ Moody said.
The Gary Moore trained Takedown made it a hat trick of wins with his victory in the Group 3 $125,000 The Schweppervescence (1400m) at Rosehill on April 6 and is marked at $6 to make it four on the trot.
Godolphin’s Tarquin is also well fancied in the betting at $6.50 with Gai Waterhouse’s Street Boss colt Street Rapper also under double figures at $9.
Tarquin was beaten two and three quarter lengths when fifth in the Inglis Sires while Street Rapper ran a handy second to Takedown in The Schweppervescence.
Champagne Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.20 Pasadena Girl, $3.50 Odyssey Moon, $6 Takedown, $6.50 Tarquin, $9 Street Rapper, $13 The Barrister, $17 Mine Two, $41 Rhode Assassin, $81 Reckless Russell.
