2023 PB Lawrence Stakes Results: Cox Plate Hope Mr Brightside Salutes First-Up
Betting | Horse Racing Today | News | Race Results | Spring Racing | Winter Racing |The Ben, Will & JD Hayes-trained Cox...
Undefeated filly Crown Witness is set to chase the Blue Sapphire – Coolmore Stud Stakes 2017 double this spring emulating the feat achieved by Flying Artie last year.
The three-year-old daughter of Star Witness has enjoyed the perfect start to her career winning all three of her assignments to date.
She debuted with a nearly two length Sandown-Hillside win back in July over 1000m and was over the same distance at Flemington on August 5 defeating Madeenaty in a three-year-old fillies’ handicap.
Last time out her trainer Stuart Webb stepped Crown Witness up in grade, the filly racing at her home Caulfield track on August 19 in the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m).
There she handled the assignment without a worry, scoring a notable upset win over the hot favourite and reigning Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes winner Catchy.
The Lindsay Park-trained Catchy went on to frank the Quezette Stakes form winning the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) over the boys at Flemington next-up, but things went amiss for her last weekend when she ran third behind Booker in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m).
Crown Witness meanwhile has been kept fresh by Webb, who plans to race her back at Caulfield Racecourse again on Wednesday October 18 in the Group 3 $350,000 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m).
All going to plan and the filly will then be stepped-up in grade for a shot at the Group 1 $1 million Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day, Saturday November 4.
Last season the Mick Price-trained Flying Artie (2016) won the Blue Sapphire Stakes as the odds-on favourite first-up before his upset win as a $13 shot over Astern (2nd) and Star Turn (3rd) in the Coolmore Stud Stakes trifecta.
The last filly to beat home the boys in the Coolmore Stud Stakes results meanwhile was Nechita (2012) and before her Headway (2009).
Crown Witness heads to the trials on Monday at Cranbourne before Webb locks in her spring campaign 100%.
In the meantime Webb will be cheering home another of his gun fillies this weekend with Coral Coast taking on the colts and geldings again at Royal Randwick in the Group 1 $500,000 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).
The progressive daughter of So You Think was third past the post behind Ace High (1st) and Sanctioned (2nd) in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill last time out.
Webb believes Coral Coast, the only filly in Saturday’s Group 1, will be better suited to the Randwick track as she looks to join Yankee Rose (2016) as the only other female winner of the Spring Champion Stakes.
“Barely any [fillies] have ever contested it,” Webb said.
“She’s a good staying filly and she gets weight off – she’s a big filly.
“The 2000 [metres] will be more suitable and it’s a great chance to get some more black type against her name.”
Coral Coast sits as a $16 chance in the latest Spring Champion Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au with the Gloaming Stakes winner Ace High the one to beat at $3.40 drawn in gate four.
To back Webb’s spring fillies at the right this weekend and over the coming weeks visit Ladbrokes.com.au.
Racing fields and data are copyright 2011-2021 © Racing Australia Pty Ltd (RA) (and other parties working with it).
Racing materials, including fields, form and results, is subject to copyright which is owned by RA and other parties working with it. Full copyright notice.