The bookies are having a hard time separating the top two youngsters in markets for Saturday’s Group 1 $500,000 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick.

All Aged Stakes Day is host to the final two elite level races of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival including the two-year-old mile types doing battle in a Champagne Stakes field that perhaps lacks its usual depth.

Sitting top of the current Champagne Stakes odds online through Ladbrokes.com.au are Hilal ($3.40) for Hawkes Racing and the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Captivant ($4).

The two are both graduates out of the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) a fortnight ago having run second and third respectively behind Anamoe and are hoping to improve getting out over the 1600m in Saturday’s set weights showdown.

Drawn well in barrier four with Tommy Berry aboard, Fastnet Rock colt Hilal chases his first Randwick win after two seconds at the track.

He was well-beaten when nearly three lengths away second in the Inglis Sires’ and, despite having winning form up to 1100m, is tipped to handle the rise in distance on the weekend.

The Sires’ run however was better than it looks on paper, Hilal doing his best work late when coming from last on the turn to run in the quinella.

Father and son training duo Peter & Paul Snowden took out last year’s Champagne Stakes with King’s Legacy (2020) and return looking to go back-to-back this weekend with the progressive Captivant.

James McDonald replaces English hoop Tom Marquand in the saddle of the Capitalist colt who will need to stay out of trouble from the inside alley in the Group 1.

Captivant has been strong withing winning this campaign running a first-up third to O’president and Hilal in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m0 before a Golden Slipper fifth at 50/1 and the last start third in the Sires’.

He has had a few tardy starts and luckless runs and deserves a chance at the title with improvement expected.

Occupying the third line of Champagne Stakes betting this season at $6 is the early market mover, Converge, also drawn well in barrier three for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.

Converge made the field via a win in last weekend’s Listed Fernhill Handicap (1600m) when carrying 58kg to a strong victory at the same track and distance.

Coming down in weight to 56.5kg for the Champagne Stakes, the nicely-bred son of Frankel is out to complete the double for the first time since Prized Icon (2016).

Co-trainer Waterhouse has an excellent record in the Champagne Stakes, but is hoping to secure her first victory in the event since Pierro (2012) who was her fifth winner since 1999.

The Fernhill Handicap runner-up Maurice’s Medad ($18) and third placed Akahata ($18), both prepared by Bjorn Baker, are also backing-up in the tougher assignment on Saturday drawn at opposite ends of the field in barriers two and 12 respectively.

Baker also saddles-up a third horse in the Champagne Stakes field with roughie hope Woflburn ($51) in gate five with Joshua Parr to ride.

Of the double-figure hopefuls the most likely to score an upset at an equal $11 quote are the Annabel Neasham-trained Not A Single Doubt filly Queen Of Wizardry coming off a fifth in the Sires’ and Gin Martini.

Click here for the latest Champagne Stakes 2021 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2021 Champagne Stakes Field & Barriers

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Probable Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	14×353	CAPTIVANT	Peter & Paul Snowden	James McDonald	1	56.5kg
2	1272	HILAL	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Tommy Berry	4	56.5kg
3	1×621	CONVERGE	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Tim Clark	3	56.5kg
4	12016	DAILY BUGLE	Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock	Luke Currie	10	56.5kg
5	2×351	I’VE BEAN THERE	Stuart Kendrick	James Orman	7	56.5kg
6	7×83312	MAURICE’S MEDAD	Bjorn Baker	Ms Rachel King	2	56.5kg
7	14	ARNAQUEUR	Jean Dubois	Andrew Adkins	6	56.5kg
8	7523	AKAHATA (NZ)	Bjorn Baker	Craig Williams	12	56.5kg
9	16	PATTON	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Jason Collett	13	56.5kg
10	32	PORT LOUIS	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Hugh Bowman	14	56.5kg
11	552	WOLFBURN	Bjorn Baker	Joshua Parr	5	56.5kg
12	9×35	LEASE	Anthony Cummings	John Allen	11	56.5kg
13	14×05	QUEEN OF WIZARDRY	Annabel Neasham	Ms Jamie Kah	9	54.5kg
14	623	GIN MARTINI (NZ)	John Sargent	Brenton Avdulla	8	54.5kg

Table Credit: Racing Australia.