Former South African trainer David Payne saddles-up the best and worst in Spring Champion Stakes 2017 betting this weekend as Group 1 racing comes to a close in Sydney for the spring at Royal Randwick Racecourse.
Ace High leads the latest 2017 Spring Champion Stakes odds for the Randwick Group 1 this weekend in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
A field of potential Victoria Derby horses do battle on Saturday in Randwick Race 7 at 4:10pm (AEDT) with 10 runners engaged for this year’s Group 1 $500,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).
Heading the latest Spring Champion Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au is the Payne-trained Ace High ($3.50) coming off a class win in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill.
The Gloaming Stakes form has traditionally been the one to follow into the Spring Champion Stakes results and there is plenty to suggest that Ace High can frank it again and complete the double for the fourth time in six years.
The High Chaparral colt put in the supreme staying effort last time out and if he gets the right run from barrier four with Tye Angland retaining the ride on Saturday will be the one to beat in the Group 1.
In a typically open Spring Champion Stakes betting market a further five three-year-olds join the favourite at single-figures, while Payne is also represented by the race’s $51 roughie Colesberg in barrier three.
Second elect in the Spring Champion Stakes odds at $4.50 is the widely-drawn Sanctioned out in gate 10 of 10.
There’s time for the Godolphin-raced Teofilo colt to overcome the alley however and Kerrin McEvoy takes over for Hugh Bowman, who is in Melbourne on Saturday riding Winx in the Turnbull Stakes 2017.
Sanctioned has never finished worse than third over his consistent five-start career to date including a trio of top three runs in Group company this Sydney Spring Racing Carnival.
The latest saw him cross the post second to Ace High in the Gloaming Stakes, but he’ll need to be improving if he is to reel in the same rival stepping up further in distance on the weekend.
Trainer James Cummings remains confident Sanctioned can turn the tables on his last start conqueror for an upset in the Spring Champion Stakes, and is also represented in the race by recent Newcastle Spring Stakes winner Astoria ($8).
Early market mover backed in from $6 to $5 is the Chris Waller-trained Tangled in barrier two with Blake Shinn booked for the ride.
Tangled comes off a different lead-up having run just last Saturday at Randwick for a close fourth, just over a half-length beaten in the Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m).
The Group 2 winner comes back notably in weight from 60.5kg last weekend to 56.5kg at set weights on Saturday and should be flying under the lighter kilos.
Rounding out the single-figure fancies looking for the upset are the Gloaming Stakes fourth-placed Reliable Man gelding Sully ($8.50) and the rails-drawn Dulcify Quality runner-up Dissolution ($9.50) for Hawkes Racing.
Check out the latest Spring Champion Stakes 2017 odds below, Fixed Win betting open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.