One-time favourite Seabrook proved too good for the boys in Saturday’s Champagne Stakes 2018 results, the Mick Price-trained filly an impressive winner of the mile classic with the country’s most prolific Group 1 winning jockey Damien Oliver along for the ride.

Oliver celebrated his second success in the Group 1 $500,000 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick having previously guided Quick Star to victory back in 1999 and celebrated his record-breaking 109^th Group 1 win down under.

He retained the ride on Price’s gun daughter of Hinchinbrook having partnered the filly for all five of her previous career starts including the lead-up ninth when three lengths beaten in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) a fortnight back.

That race again proved the form line to follow into the Champagne Stakes on All Aged Stakes Day, Seabrook the 11^th winner of the latter in 13 years to back up off a run in the Sires’ in Sydney.

Seabrook was an early favourite in Champagne Stakes betting before easing right out to a $9.50 starting price at Ladbrokes.com.au having drawn wide in barrier 12 of 13.

It proved a far better starting position for the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes winner however after she got caught up in the Sires’ from the inside alley.

Continuing to improve and progress, Seabrook raced in all three of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival 2YO Triple Crown races having also placed a close fifth in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).

The fillies won all three Triple Crown events with Estijaab in the Slipper, El Dorado Dreaming in the Sires’ and on Saturday Seabrook in the Champagne Stakes.

From the wide barrier, Oliver took Seabrook to the back of the field early as rival hoop Hugh Bowman led the two-year-olds around aboard Encryption.

He sat in front of Seberate, while the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Snitzel colt Bondi travelled sweetly in third on the fence.

At the 800m the upset Benjamin Smith-trained ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner El Dorado Dreaming was racing fourth last as she chased the Group 1 double.

Encryption held the lead into the turn, while Mark Zahra got off the fence with Bondi who moved up to the front-runner at the 250m.

Oliver meanwhile was also coming away from the fence, getting the split aboard Seabrook who came with a brilliant late run going after Bondi.

Flashing home down the outside was El Dorado Dreaming, but it was the other filly Seabrook who turned the tables and won from Bondi nailing the colt right on the winning post.

“I’ve always had a big opinion of this filly, she just hasn’t had things go quite right for her this preparation,” Oliver said.

“She has got a turn of foot and today she had the chance to show it.  Last start she really bungled the start, it was a bit puzzling actually, why she went so bad, but you had to forgive her for that one bad run, she really deserved that win today.

“She has always shown a touch of class and I think she’s got great things ahead of her.”

 

El Dorado Dreaming proved her lead-up Group 1 as a roughie was no fluke however, zooming home for third to round out the exciting Champagne Stakes trifecta.

Price’s stable representative and regular trackwork rider on Seabrook, Pat Kearney was thrilled with the Champagne Stakes win by the deserving filly.

“She’s such a tough filly,” he said.

“We’ve worked hard with her…this is a very deserving win for this horse and we’re very happy with her.

“They’re huge races [the Triple Crown races]…the ultimate three for two-year-olds nad we’re just happy we’ve picked up one of them.

“She just keeps progressing throughout her campaign so we just decided to run her.

“That’s how well of a horse she is…she’s just go so much more improvement to come.

“Very proud of her.”

Seabrook added to the incredible record of fillies in the Champagne Stakes results from the past half a decade becoming the fourth in five years to salute.

2018 Champagne Stakes Results & Finishing Order

Randwick Race 6 – 21/04/2018

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Br.	Weight	SP
1	13	SEABROOK (NZ)	Mick Price	Damien Oliver	–	12	54.5kg	$9
2	7	BONDI	Peter & Paul Snowden	Mark Zahra	0.5L	2	56.5kg	$7.50
3	12	EL DORADO DREAMING	Benjamin Smith	Jason Collett	1.3L	7	54.5kg	$7.50
4	11	GUERRIER	Jean Dubois	Jean Van Overmeire (a)	1.9L	1	56.5kg	$26
5	3	OUTRAGEOUS	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Brenton Avdulla	2.8L	3	56.5kg	$6F
6	1	ENCRYPTION	James Cummings	Hugh Bowman	3.4L	10	56.5kg	$9.50
7	6	IRUKANDJI	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Corey Brown	3.5L	4	56.5kg	$10
8	5	NOT A SINGLE CENT	Ciaron Maher	Blake Shinn	4.8L	5	56.5kg	$8
9	2	LONG LEAF	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Kerrin McEvoy	6.2L	9	56.5kg	$8
10	8	SEBERATE	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Tim Clark	6.4L	11	56.5kg	$17
11	9	AKKADIAN	Matt Cumani	Jordan Childs	8.8L	6	56.5kg	$21
12	4	RAGGED RASCAL	Paul Perry	Joshua Parr	10.4L	13	56.5kg	$51
13	10	BLAZING ISSUE	Gregory Hickman	Michael Walker	12.1L	8	56.5kg	$101