Petits Filous heads nominations for Champagne Stakes

Unbeaten filly Petits Filous heads the nominations for the Group 3 $150,000 Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

Petits Filous heads the nominations for the Champagne Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Petits Filous heads the nominations for the Champagne Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The brilliant filly is one of twenty-one fillies nominated and trained Ciaron Maher is keen to keep stepping her up in grade.

Petits Filous made it four wins from four starts with a dominant two and a quarter lengths victory in the Listed $120,000 Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on September 12.

At her previous start the Street Boss filly led all of the way to win the Group 3 $150,000 Lister Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 15 on the back of her two other wins at Moonee Valley in a 1000m two year old on July 15 and in a 1000m three year old fillies on August 1.

Maher has a high opinion of Petits Filous and if she continues to perform well is considering running her in the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on October 31.

Maher has also paid a late entry fee for the Listed $350,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on October 14 which would fit in nicely if he decided to go onto the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

“We paid up the late nom for the Blue Sapphire just to give us that option and we might map a plan into the Coolmore,” Maher said

“If we were going to race on further into the spring probably a race like the Coolmore and she could have a little gap in between and we will space her runs.”

The Lindsay Park Team have nominated four fillies for the Champagne Stakes, Reemah, Haybah, Miss Idyllic and Hell Or Highwater.

Miss Idyllic broke her maiden status with a win in a 1000m Geelong maiden on August 11 and then the Exceed And Excel filly ran sixth to Petits Filous in the Cap D’Antibes Stakes.

Trainer John O’Shea has nominated two fillies, Antelucan and Painted Firetail for the Champagne Stakes and Rosehill trainer Gerald Ryan has entered Cartier Rock and Fireworks who is also nominated for the Group 2 $175,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Fireworks has been struggling to find her best form with two fifths at Randwick from two runs this campaign in the Group 2 $175,000 Coolmore Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 22 and in the Group 2 $175,000 Coolmore Furious Stakes (1200m) on September 5.

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.