Star South African horseman David Payne could give his Flight Stakes winner Montefilia a chance at back-to-back Group 1 wins on successive Saturdays nominating her for the Spring Champion Stakes 2020 this weekend.
Flight Stakes 2020 winner Montefilia could back-up in the Spring Champion Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.
This season’s Group 1 $1 million Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) headlines the racing action at Royal Randwick with the three-year-olds in Sydney doing battle on the same day as Melbourne’s Caulfield Guineas and Thousand Guineas races down south.
The Spring Champion Stakes nominations attracted 19 hopefuls including the upset Flight Stakes winning daughter of Kermadec, Montefilia.
She outstayed odds-on pop Hungry Heart – favourite for the Thousand Guineas 2020 at Caulfield – to take out the 1600m feature at Randwick and could back-up seven days later going up in distance before heading to the paddock.
Montefilia currently occupies the second line of all-in Spring Champion Stakes betting at $3.40 through Ladbrokes.com.au longer in the pre-field markets only than the favourite Love Tap ($3).
Prepared by Richard & Michael Freedman, Tapit gelding Love Tap is undefeated coming up to his Group 1 acid test having won all four of his starts to date.
Last start at Rosehill he stepped-up for his maiden stakes assignment winning the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) by nearly two lengths as the odds-on favourite.
Looking suited to the 2000m on the weekend, Love Tap is well-backed to complete the Gloaming Stakes – Spring Champion Stakes double for the second year on the trot after the success of Shadow Hero (2019) last season.
The only other nominee under double-figures in the latest futures Spring Champion Stakes odds at $7 is Cherry Tortoni for Patrick Payne.
The Night Of Thunder gelding was one of the spring’s early spruik three-year-olds having won his opening three starts over the winter before a first-up third to Crosshaven in the Listed Exford Plate (1400m) on September 12.
Crosshaven, a top chance in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas this weekend having won the Prelude last time out, franked the Exford Plate form winning next-up.
Cherry Tortoni was also far from disgraced second-up on September 25 under the lights at The Valley when second to another key Caulfield Guineas contender, the Peter Moody-trained Glenfiddich, in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m).
Click here for the latest pre-field Spring Champion Stakes 2020 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of Wednesday morning’s final acceptances.
2020 Spring Champion Stakes Nominations
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24431×826 | ACHIEVER | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 67 |
| 2 | 12×383 | ALBARADO (NZ) | C | 3 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | |
| 3 | 7317 | BOB | C | 3 | Mark Newnham | 59 |
| 4 | 1173 | BUCHAREST | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 69 |
| 5 | 111×32 | CHERRY TORTONI | G | 3 | Patrick Payne | |
| 6 | 34413 | CHOIR | C | 3 | James Cummings | |
| 7 | 4525 | DALGARNO (NZ) | C | 3 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | |
| 8 | 23 | DEEPSTRIKE (NZ) | C | 3 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | |
| 9 | 8×734 | FAVREAU (NZ) | G | 3 | John Sargent | |
| 10 | 1x224x28 | GLOBAL QUEST | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 82 |
| 11 | 64946×692 | GORSHIN | C | 3 | Anthony Cummings | |
| 12 | 1×211 | LION’S ROAR (NZ) | G | 3 | John O’Shea | 69 |
| 13 | 1111 | LOVE TAP | G | 3 | Richard & Michael Freedman | 76 |
| 14 | 0x176 | MIRAVALLE | F | 3 | Mark Newnham | |
| 15 | 14×3141 | MONTEFILIA | F | 3 | David Payne | |
| 16 | 76×52 | REAL PEACE | C | 3 | Clarry Conners | |
| 17 | 461 | SOCRATES (NZ) | C | 3 | John O’Shea | 60 |
| 18 | 92×7712 | STREET DANCER | C | 3 | Anthony Cummings | 70 |
| 19 | 6×176 | WERTHEIMER (NZ) | G | 3 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
