Group 1 racing in Sydney for the spring comes to a close on Saturday in the form of the Spring Champion Stakes 2017, a comprehensive form guide and betting preview on the three-years-old staying showdown found below.

Tye Angland (pictured on Press Statement) rides Saturday’s 2017 Spring Champion Stakes favourite Ace High. Photo: Daniel Costello.

Five of the 10 gallopers in the mix for this year’s Group 1 $500,000 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) are under double-figures for the win in the latest markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Looking to frank the form out of the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) once again is the David Payne-trained winner Ace High, leading the Spring Champion Stakes odds at $3.30.

He gets things his way from barrier four and looks a genuine staying type out to beat a similar field and do the double most recently achieved by Vanbrugh (2015).

Ace High is followed in Spring Champion Stakes betting by the horse that followed him over the line in the Gloaming, the James Cummings-trained Sanctioned ($4.80).

If the Gloaming Stakes form doesn’t hold, the bookies have the Chris Waller-trained Tangled ($5) as the other danger in Saturday’s field.

The son of Snitzel was impressive when under a length beaten for fourth under 60.5kg in last Saturday’s Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m) at the track, which was won in record time, and he comes back four kilos at set weights on the weekend.

Below we take a look at the full Spring Champion Stakes 2017 form guide, betting history and statistics to uncover any value in the markets for the Victoria Derby lead-up.

2017 Spring Champion Stakes Form Facts & Betting Stats

Last year’s Spring Champion Stakes winner was the David Vandyke-trained Yankee Rose (2016) who made history as the first filly to win

• Yankee Rose ($2.20F in 2016) came off a second (later disqualified) in the Flight Stakes, saluted for the punters as the favourite in Spring Champion Stakes betting and was ridden to victory from barrier (8 of 11) by Dean Yendall
• This year #10 Coral Coast ($18) is the only filly in the Spring Champion Stakes field looking to emulate Yankee Rose

• The only other favourite in Spring Champion Stakes betting along with Yankee Rose to salute since 2002 was Vanbrugh (2015)
• #1 Ace High leads the Spring Champion Stakes odds this season out to be the third punters’ pick in as many years to get the job done
• The previous Spring Champion Stakes winning trainers with a runner on the weekend are Chris Waller with #3 Tangled ($5) and John Hawkes with #6 Dissolution ($10)
• #6 Dissolution is out to be the first maiden to win the race since Viking Ruler (2001)

• The previous Spring Champion Stakes winning jockeys with a ride this weekend are: Glyn Schofield on #2 Astoria ($8), Christian Reith on #8 Langley ($14) and Larry Cassidy on #9 Surprise Bullet ($26)
• Last year’s winning barrier (8) has produced six Spring Champion Stakes winners (since 1983) and is drawn this year by #2 Astoria
• Barrier 8 was also the last to produce back-to-back winners with Teranaba (2006) and Sousa (2008) – the race was not run in 2007 due to the equine influenza
• The next most successful barriers in that time with five winners are gates 2 and 4 that belong this year to #3 Tangled (2) and #1 Ace High (4)
• Since 2006 three Spring Champion Stakes winners saluted at double-figures including two $51 roughies – Teranaba (2006) and Moncaco Consul (2009)
• The Gloaming Stakes has produced five of the past seven Spring Champion Stakes winners including Vanbrugh (2015), Complacent (2013) and It’s A Dundeel (2012) who all did the double
• This year #1 Ace High chases the Gloaming Stakes – Spring Champion Stakes double  
• The other Gloaming Stakes graduates in the Group 1 on Saturday are: Sanctioned (2^nd), Coral Coast (3^rd), Sully (4^th), Astoria (5^th) and Colesberg (8^th)
• No Spring Champion Stakes winner since Fraternity (Gloaming Stakes 5^th in 1993) has run worse than third in their lead-up race
• Along with Ace High the other last start winner in the Spring Champion Stakes 2017 line-up is #9 Surprise Bullet (Maiden, Gold Coast, 1800m, 20/09/2017)
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #7 Sully (40%) followed by #2 Astoria (33%)
• The best Place Rate of the field belongs to #4 Sanctioned (100%) who is yet to finish out of the money followed by #7 Sully (80%) and #2 Astoria (67%)
• No horses have winning form at the Randwick track but those to have placed are: #4 Sanctioned (1:0-0-1) and #6 Dissolution (3:0-1-0)

Stay tuned for our insider Spring Champion Stakes 2017 tips, checking out the full race form guide below in the meantime courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.