A top shelf ride from champion jockey Damien Oliver saw the Victorian filly Seabrook storm home to win the Group 1 $500,000 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick today.
Seabrook, above, wins the Champagne Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Oliver let the Mick Price trained Seabrook settle near the tail of the field and was happy to ride the filly for luck in the thirteen horse field.
Oliver had Seabrook ($9) improving up along the fence in the straight and nearing the 150m mark eased off heels and found a split in between runners to dash to the front in the final run to the line.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Bondi ($7.50) ran a brave race up on the pace and held on for second ahead of the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner El Dorado Dreaming ($7.50) who produced her strong finishing burst again to claim third spot.
The $6 favourite Outrageous finished just behind the placegetters in fifth position.
Stable representative Pat Kearney said that Seabrook had progressed through the Autumn better than expected and described her as a very tough filly.
“She is such a tough filly,” Kearney said.
“She has come up to Sydney and we have been here for the last two months and we are really happy that we have her here. It was a very deserving win for her.”
“She ran in the Golden Slipper, the Sires’ Produce and the Champagne and we are really happy that we were able to pick up one of them.”
“She has a lot more improvement to come and hopefully she will be be a nice three year old.”
Today’s win was Damien Oliver’s 109 Group 1 win.
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