Vanbrugh A Dominant Spring Champion Stakes Favourite

Vanbrugh is currently available at 2015 Spring Champion Stakes odds of $1.95 and he is set to start the Group 1 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday as a dominant favourite.

Punters are confident that Vanbrugh is the horse to beat in the 2015 Spring Champion Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Punters are confident that Vanbrugh is the horse to beat in the 2015 Spring Champion Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Vanbrugh made a slow start to his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign and he was beaten as a short-priced favourite on several occasions, but he returned to winning form in the All Too Hard At Vinery Handicap (1600m) at Warwick Farm on September 9 before he proved far too strong for his rivals in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 26.

The Encosta De Lago colt will step-up to 2000 metres for the first time in the Spring Champion Stakes and trainer Chris Waller admits that is a slight concern, but he still believes that the three-year-old will prove very tough to beat in the Spring Champion Stakes.

“He is a nice colt,” Waller said.

“2000 is a slight query, but he wasn’t stopping at the end.”

Vanbrugh is joined in the 2015 Spring Champion Stakes field by stablemate Devil Hawk, who is currently available at 2015 Spring Champion Stakes odds of $18.

Devil Hawk recorded a very brave win in the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle on September 18 before he was beaten by over six lengths in the Gloaming Stakes, but Waller said that he was extremely impressed with the trackwork of the Purrealist colt and he believes that he is well over the odds in betting.

“He worked sensationally on Tuesday,” Waller said.

“A good tough 2000 will really suit him and he is way over the odds.

“It will be nice to see him racing midfield and being a horse instead of a goose.”

Desleigh Forster-trained Too Good To Refuse is currently on the second line of Spring Champion Stakes betting markets at a quote of $4.80 after he recorded two wins in Queensland in the lead-up to the race, while Tatoosh ($9) and Man Of Choice ($9.50) are the only other horses available at single figure odds.

There has been a sprinkling of support for Flying Achilles ($41 into $34) and I’m Bellucci ($34 into $26), while Gold Ambition ($15 out to $19), Jadeer ($9 out to $16) and Hierarchal ($26 out to $31) have all been on the drift with Ladbrokes.

The Spring Champion Stakes is set to be a ripper, but the best racing this weekend is at Caulfield and Ladbrokes are giving punters 50% extra on their first fixed odds winning bet in Races 1 to 5.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.