Yankee Rose has returned to winning form off the back of a blistering turn of foot for success in the featured Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick this afternoon.

Yankee Rose was too good for her rivals in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick this afternoon. Photo: Steve Hart

The 2016 Cox Plate (2040m) will figure as the next competitive point of call for the daughter of All American, after trainer David Vandyke staked her spring preparation on the Spring Champion Stakes results.

Jumping from the gates well, jockey Dean Yendall settled Yankee Rose off the pace in the early stages of the Spring Champion Stakes as Ready Fire Aim and Veladero set the early tempo.

Rounding onto the final straight ten lengths off the lead, Yankee Rose immediately responded when asked for an extra effort; mustering a monumental turn of foot to swallow up the field and find the line ahead of Swear and Prized Icon.

Veteran hoop Yendall secured his first career Group 1 win aboard Yankee Rose this afternoon, and is excited by the prospect of the Cox Plate 2016 in a fortnight.

“She just gave me a lovely ride,” Yendall said.

“She was actually a little bit green for a horse that’s had half a dozen starts, wanted to roll around a bit and run.

“We got to the half mile there and she wanted to pop out and get going a bit and I said ‘no, no’, back in behind for a little while girl.

“David said let her go through her gears but they sort of quickened a bit, but once I got off the top of the rise there and asked her to improve her effort, gee she hit the line well.

“Her coat hasn’t come right through yet, so looking forward to a couple of weeks’ time.”

Vandyke was thrilled with Yankee Rose’s effort to win the Spring Champion Stakes and believes she will be at her best for the Cox Plate.

“If you’d said we’d be here a little over a week ago it would have been a shock to me!” Vandyke said after the race.

“I said to the boys that this filly has never done as well as this going into a race. She’s put on five kilos, she’s been eating up and I couldn’t fault her.

“If she ran the 2000m today I was confident that she’d win and gee whiz, what a ride by Dean Yendall. He just timed his run to perfection.

“I can’t wait to get to Melbourne in two weeks. She’s all heart.”

Yankee Rose has firmed into 2016 Cox Plate odds of $15 with online bookie Ladbrokes Australia.