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The 2025 Spring Champion Stakes headlines a big day of racing at Royal Randwick this Saturday, with a quality field of three-year-olds stepping up to the 2000m distance.
A key staying test for the spring, the race often shapes future stars and can provide a crucial guide to the VRC Derby and Oaks over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
With form lines converging from the Gloaming and Flight Stakes, all eyes will be on which youngster can rise to the occasion and claim Group 1 glory.
It is currently a tight contest at the top of the Spring Champion Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au with Attica and Shangri La Boy fighting for favouritism currently at an equal quote of $3.60.
Joe Pride‘s consistent galloper, Attica, has firmed back into co-favourite despite the classy Lonhro colt suffering a wide barrier 13 draw.
He comes in confident having won two of his three starts after dominating the Listed Dulcify Quality last time out over the Randwick mile on October 4 having looped the field in a huge effort from the outside gate.
Having won that by nearly two lengths the step-up in distance looks ideal he’s since been kept ticking over with a sharp Warwick Farm trial and looks primed to produce another strong late surge.
With his turn of foot and progressive profile, he’s one to watch as the race unfolds and the airborne Adam Hyeronimus sticks in the saddle.
Shangri La Boy is the obvious danger and one to beat after the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott trained Pierro colt put the writing on the wall with his two-length romp home in the traditional Spring Champion lead-up.
He was outstanding taking out the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes and looks cherry-ripe for the rise in trip chasing a hat-trick.
He showcased sharp tactical speed when stepping up in distance to claim a stylish win over the1800m in the Gloaming, and while he faces a tougher test in the Group 1, he lands an ideal draw that sets him up perfectly to control the tempo.
If he gets things his way up front, he’ll be tough to run down.
Hyeronimus comes off him to ride Attica, but Nash Rawiller is an ideal replacement, and Shangri La Boy loses nothing with his booking.
El Castello (2024) did the Gloaming Stakes – Spring Champion double last year and there’s plenty to suggest Shangri La Boy can repeat the feat.
Outside of the dominant duo the next best in Spring Champion Stakes betting and the only other runner at single figures is Bjorn Baker‘s well-tried filly Within The Law at $4.50 and firming.
The early market mover, this daughter of Lucky Vega has been terrific all the way along her dozen start career to date but does chase her first victory since the Group 2 Sweet Embrace as a two-year-old in the autumn.
After throwing her rider in the Golden Slipper, she atoned and posted back-to-back placings to see out her 2YO season when third behind Tempted in the Group 2 Percy Sykes and second to Nepotism – who takes on the older horses at WFA in Saturday’s $6 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate at The Valley – in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes.
She is rock-hard fit now having already had five runs this prep and is the toughened contender back against her own age after showing plenty of fight despite fading late when three lengths off Ceolwulf in last weekend’s Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at WFA.
Prior to that she was second best behind Apocalyptic in the Group 1 Flight Stakes and she wouldn’t need to improve much to account for the colts and geldings this weekend.
Only a handful of fillies have beaten home the boys in the Spring Champion over the years with Montefilia (2020) the latest, and there’s money for Within The Law to relish the quick back-up and overcome her wide alley on Saturday to be the next.
Four fillies are in the field and the other with claims at a very appealing price is the rails-drawn The Pearls at $15 for Chris Waller.
This daughter of Proisir only broke her maiden status two starts back at Hawkesbury but she handled a sharp rise in grade to finish runner-up in the Gloaming at 60/1, and that looks a tough form line to beat.
Waller saddles-up four in the field with The Pearls joined in the starting line-up by stablemates Officiate ($23) coming off a third in the Listed Super Impose Stakes at HQ, Master Of The Air ($21) who is a son of the event’s 2012 champion Dundeel, and perennial runner-up Crusader Voyage ($31).
The 2025 Spring Champion Stakes is set to run as Randwick Race 8 at 4:30pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s 10-race card in Sydney.
Spring Champion Stakes 2025 Results
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1st
1. Attica (11)
J: Adam Hyeronimus 56.5kg
T: Joseph Pride |
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2nd
2. Shangri La Boy (2)
J: Nash Rawiller 56.5kg
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
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3rd
13. The Pearls (1)
J: Tim Clark 54.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
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4th
8. Tambeloa (6)
J: Jay Ford 56.5kg
T: Kristen Buchanan |
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5th
9. Southern Prince (7)
J: Tom Sherry 56.5kg
T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
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6th
12. Queen Of Clubs (8)
J: Ashley Morgan 54.5kg
T: Gary Portelli |
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7th
11. Within The Law (13)
J: Jason Collett 54.5kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
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8th
14. Sheeza Diva (9)
J: Rachel King 54.5kg
T: Mitchell & Desiree Kearney |
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9th
6. Federalist (12)
J: Tyler Schiller 56.5kg
T: M, W & J Hawkes |
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10th
3. San Giovanni (5)
J: Andrew Adkins 56.5kg
T: Michael Freedman |
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11th
7. Champagne Hero (10)
J: Regan Bayliss 56.5kg
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
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12th
10. Crusader Voyage (3)
J: Dylan Gibbons 56.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
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13th
4. Officiate (4)
J: Kerrin McEvoy 56.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
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