Hoodoos are there to be broken in horse racing and this Saturday in Sydney the Hawkes Racing-trained Dissolution is out to make history as the first maiden Spring Champion Stakes winner in over a decade.
Hong Kong-based hoop Sam Clipperton rides maiden Dissolution in Saturday’s Spring Champion Stakes 2017 field in Sydney. Photo: Daniel Costello.
The Snitzel colt is one of 10 three-year-olds out to stake their early Victoria Derby claims in the Group 1 $500,000 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), and is being kept safe under $10 in betting despite not having won a race as yet.
Leading the Spring Champion Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au after outstaying a similar field of rivals in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) last start is the David Payne-trained Ace High ($3.50).
He faces off against the other best three over the line in the key Spring Champion Stakes form race from the past decade with the James Cummings-trained Sanctioned (2nd), Stuart Webb’s smart filly Coral Coast (3rd) and Sully (4th) out to turn the tables.
Coming via a different path into the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival’s final Group 1 race are the Chris Waller-trained Tangled ($5) and Dissolution ($9.50) who ran fourth and second respectively at Randwick last Saturday in the Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m).
Three years ago Hampton Court (2014) completed the Dulcify Quality – Spring Champion Stakes double, but to date no maiden has won the latter since Viking Ruler in 2001.
On Epsom Handicap Day Dissolution was defeated a mere neck by the Dulcify winner Ataraxia, his third top three run from six starts.
He rises in kilos from 53kg to 56.5kg at set weights on the quick back-up, while Tangled will relish the drop from 60.5kg in the Dulcify.
Dissolution’s co-trainer Michael Hawkes though remains confident the stable’s runner can overcome the odds and the hoodoo and breakthrough with an upset win getting out over the extra metres.
“It isn’t every day you get a chance to run in a race like this even though he’s still a maiden,” Hawkes told Racing NSW.
“He’ll appreciate the 2000 metres and he definitely has the ability to be there.
“It’s probably a matter of what horse stays the best. He hit the line well the other day and they ran a race record, another couple of strides it might have been a different story.”
Fellow Hawkes Racing trainer John Hawkes prepared Niello (2003) to his Spring Champion Stakes win.
Dissolution was ridden by Tommy Berry last Saturday, but Sam Clipperton comes on for the Group 1 this weekend.
Hong Kong-based Clipperton also rides the team’s Group 2 $300,000 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) hopeful Chauffeur and Firsthand for the stable in the last on Spring Champion Stakes Day.
“Sometimes you’ve got to think outside the square and the owners all agreed,” Hawkes said of the decision to book Clipperton.
“He’s flying over there, he’s ridden for us before and knows how we like our horses ridden.”
To check out all the Sydney racing odds this weekend including the latest Spring Champion Stakes 2017 betting markets visit Ladbrokes.com.au.
