Champagne Stakes
THE ATC Champagne Stakes is a group one race for two-year-olds at set weights over the 1600m distance held every year at Randwick Racecourse.
First run in 1861, the $500,000 Champagne Stakes was once the premier sprint race in Australia before it was overtaken by much richer races such as the Golden Slipper.
The Australian Jockey Club decided to change the distance of the Champagne Stakes to one mile in 1972, which created a third event for elite two-year-old horses in the country.
The race is now considered part of the Juvenile Triple Crown alongside the Golden Slipper and the Sires Produce Stakes.
Some absolute superstars of the track have kicked off glittering careers in the Champagne Stakes.
Gai Waterhouse-trained gun Pierro, New Zealand superstar Red Anchor and hall of fame horse Flight are among the Champagne Stakes honour roll.
Best Champagne Stakes bookmakers
The race has taken somewhat of a backseat after the fanfare of The Championships, but any bookmaker which takes itself seriously has markets up at least a week in advance of the race.
It is seldom that a group one event does not get front page privilege on a bookmakers’ website, so keep an eye out at our trusted bookies for the best odds possible:
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Betting on the Champagne Stakes
The cream of the crop in terms of two-year-olds battle it out in the Champagne Stakes, and invariably the standout performers are already in the public eye prior to the running of the race.
It has been a favourites race over the last decade.
Exactly half of the runners from 2006 through to 2016 have taken out the Champagne Stakes as the favourite going into the race, with the average price being just over $3.
In the five times the favourite has failed to win the race, the top elect has missed the placings just twice in that time, highlighting how accurate the market usually is for the Champagne Stakes.
Even when the favourite goes down, it is very seldom that a double figure winner takes out the race.
Only four winners have taken out the Champagne Stakes at a price of $10 or more since 1983.
Recent Champagne Stakes winners
2017: Damien Lane and The Mission did it for Newcastle trainer Paul Perry, proving too strong for an all-star cast. After getting out of the gates fairly, The Mission lead most of the way to beat home the odds on favourite – Invader. The Mission was paying $9.50 but there was a bit of money late. $6 chance Whispered Secret was a neck away in third. It was Perry’s first victory in a group one race for eight years, with the last being Newport in The Metropolitan. Read a full report.
2016: Prized Icon went off as the short-priced favourite in the 2016 edition of the race, and few would have been panicked when El Sicario set a red-hot tempo from the outset, effectively giving the horse something to chase. Glen Schofield had to bustle the colt along early in the straight but it was never troubled, recording a comfortable one length win on the line. Read a full report.
2015: Pasadena Girl was the $2.80 favourite for the Champagne Stakes in 2015, but on a softer track many a punter were worried about the filly’s ability to make up ground from the back of the field. Hugh Bowman unleashed the gun Peter Moody runner on the outside and it quickly gobbled up the field to record a spectacular win.
2014: Go Indy Go was looking to back up its Sires Produce Stakes win in the Champagne Stakes, but the market suggested it faced an uphill battle at the $7 quote. The horse was last at the turn but Chad Schofield steered it to the outside and Go Indy Go did the rest. The filly completely outclassed its rivals to record an excellent one length win.
2013: Guelph came into the 2013 Champaign Stakes as the $2.50 favourite to back up its strong Sires Produce win, but after Fuerza pinched a massive lead into the straight it looked like it would take something special for the filly to run it down. The star Exceed And Excel product produced exactly that to pinch the race in a photo finish which is one of the greatest Champagne Stakes finishes of the modern era.
Full list of the Champagne Stakes winners
2016 – Prized Icon
2015 – Pasadena Girl
2014 – Go Indy Go
2013 – Guelph
2012 – Pierro
2011 – Helmet
2010 – Skilled
2009 – Onemorenomore
2008 – Samantha Miss
2007 – Meurice
2006 – Mentality
2005 – Carry On Cutie
2004 – Dance Hero
2003 – Hasna
2002 – Victory Vein
2001 – Viscount
2000 – Assertive Lad
1999 – Quick Star
1998 – Dracula
1997 – Encounter
1996 – Intergaze
1995 – Isolda
1994 – Euphoria
1993 – March Hare
1992 – Burst
1991 – Tierce
1990 – Triscay
1989 – Select Prince
1988 – Full And By
1987 – Sky Chase
1986 – Bounding Away
1985 – True Version
1984 – Red Anchor
1983 – Lady Eclipse
1982 – I Like Diamonds
1981 – Rose Of Kingston
1980 – Palaban
1979 – Charity
1978 – Parade
1977 – Luskin Star
1976 – Vivarchi
1975 – Rosie Heir
1974 – Zasu
1973 – Just Topic
1972 – Anjudy
1971 – Andros
1970 – Baguette
1969 – Vain[4]
1968 – Rajah
1967 – Giulia
1966 – Storm Queen
1965 – Eye Liner
1964 – Farnworth
1963 – Time And Tide
1962 – Bogan Road
1961 – Columbia Star
1960 – Sky High
1959 – Noholme
1958 – Wiggle
1957 – Todman
1956 – Count Olin
1955 – Knave
1954 – Lindbergh
1953 – Prince Cortauld
1952 – French Echo
1951 – Ocean Bound
1950 – True Course
1949 – Lady Pirouette
1948 – Wattle
1947 – Temeraire
1946 – Persian Prince
1945 – Magnificent
1944 – Scaur Fel
1943 – Flight
1942 – Bangster
1941 – All Love
1940 – John
1939 – High Caste
1938 – Pandava
1937 – Ajax
1936 – Tonga
1935 – Young Idea
1934 – Great Legend
1933 – Hall Mark
1932 – Kuvera
1931 – Burwood
1930 – Chemosh
1929 – Parkwood
1928 – Mollison
1927 – Cannon
1926 – Rampion
1925 – Manfred
1924 – Heroic
1923 – Linaway
1922 – Rosina
1921 – Furious
1920 – Tressady Queen
1919 – Bigaroon
1918 – Outlook
1917 – Thrice
1916 – Wolaroi
1915 – Two
1914 – Woorak
1913 – Athenic
1912 – Cider
1911 – Posadas
1910 – Desert Rose
1909 – Malt King
1908 – Malt Queen
1907 – Lady Rylstone
1906 – Collarit
1905 – Charles Stuart
1904 – Lord Fitzroy
1903 – Kilfera
1902 – Brakpan
1901 – Ibex
1900 – Haulette
1899 – Reviver
1898 – Bobadil
1897 – Aurum
1896 – Coil
1895 – Bob Ray
1894 – Acmena
1893 – Carnage
1892 – Autonomy
1891 – Oxide
1890 – Wilga
1889 – Rudolph
1888 – Volley
1887 – Matador
1886 – Blairgowrie
1885 – Uralla
1884 – Bargo
1883 – Warwick
1882 – Navigator
1881 – Spinningdale
1880 – Grand Prix
1879 – Baronet
1878 – His Lordship
1877 – Chester
1876 – Robinson Crusoe
1875 – Hyperion
1874 – Kingsborough
1873 – Rose D’Amour
1872 – Lecturer
1871 – Hamlet
1870 – Florence
1869 – Lamplighter
1868 – Fenella
1867 – Fireworks
1866 – Fishhook
1865 – The Pitsford
1864 – Yattendon
1863 – Mavourneen
1862 – The Jade
1861 – Exeter
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