Dean Yendall to ride Yankee Rose in Spring Champion Stakes

Trainer David Vandyke has booked lightweight jockey Dean Yendall to ride Yankee Rose in the Group 1 $500,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday with the view of keeping them to together for the Cox Plate two weeks later.

Lightweight jockey Dean Yendall, above, will ride Yankee Rose in the Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.

Lightweight jockey Dean Yendall, above, will ride Yankee Rose in the Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.

Yendall will replace Blake Shinn who rode Yankee Rose into second spot behind Global Glamour in the Group 1 $500,000 Sydney Airport Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick last Saturday.

Shinn has no hope of getting near the 47.5kg that Yankee Rose will carry under the weight for age scale in the Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m) and Vandyke wanted Yendall to get acquainted with the filly if he decided to take on the older horses at Moonee Valley.

Yankee Rose will start a short priced favourite in the Spring Champion Stales this weekend and a win would see Vandyke book her in to take on the mighty mare Winx, Black Heart Bart and possibly Hartnell in the Cox Plate.

“I would not know what Dean looks like but I do know he can ride 47.5kg hence the reason I have asked him to ride the filly on Saturday,’’ Vandyke told The Daily Telegraph.

“This way Dean can have a spin around on her at 2000m before the Cox Plate but she needs to win the Spring Champion Stakes.’’

“If she gets beaten we’ll reassess but if she runs a good race she’ll probably go to the Vase.”

The Group 2 $200,000 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) for the three year olds is run at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.

Yankee Rose has drawn barrier eight in the eleven horse Spring Champion Stakes field and Vandyke will make a final decision if the All American filly backs up this weekend following her tough run in the Flight Stakes.

“It’s only early days and I’ll certainly keep a close eye on her, see how she gallops on Wednesday and how she recovers from that. If I’ve got any doubt we won’t run,” Vandyke said.

“If I’m confident she’s in good shape we’ll go round.”

Premiership winning trainer Chris Waller will saddle up three runners in the Spring Champion Stakes, Veladero (barrier 3), High Mist (barrier 6) and Tumultuous (barrier 5).

Veladero looks the best of Waller’s trio and is coming off a tough all the way win in the Group 3 $200,000 Schweppes Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill on September 24.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.