The 2015 Spring Champion Stakes field has been released and Chris Waller-trained Vanbrugh is set to start the Group 1 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday as a clear favourite.
Vanbrugh is set to start the 2015 Spring Champion Stakes as a a dominant favourite. Photo by: Steve Hart
Vanbrugh has always shown a great deal of talent, but he started his campaign with a close second behind Surfin’ Safari in the McGrath Estate Agents Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on July 4 before he was beaten as a short-priced favourite at Canterbury on July 25.
The Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) was quickly ruled out as a possible target for Vanbrugh when he produced another poor effort when sixth behind Sebring Sun in the Listed The Rosebud (1200m) before he finished a close second behind Nazir in the TAB Rewards Handicap (1580m) at Canterbury on September 2.
Vanbrugh appeared to relish the step-up to a mile when he recorded a comfortable victory in the All Too Hard At Vinery Handicap (1600m) at Warwick Farm on September 9 and he stamped himself as the dominant Spring Champion Stakes favourite when he ran away from his rivals to record a very easy win in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 26.
The Gloaming Stakes is always the major lead-up race to the Spring Champion Stakes and Vanbrugh is set to take on a very similar field in the Group 1 event this weekend.
Tatoosh finished second behind Vanbrugh in the Gloaming Stakes and he will have the chance to turn-the-tables on his rival, while Man Of Choice, Gold Ambition and Devil Hawk will also back-up on Saturday.
One horse that is taking a completely different form line into the 2015 Spring Champion Stakes is Desleigh Forster-trained Too Good To Refuse, who is one of only four horse that will take winning form into the $500,000 race.
Too Good To Refuse recorded just the second win of his career when he produced an impressive performance in the Barry Nilsson Lawyers Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on September 5 and he earnt him a trip to Sydney when he proved far too good for his rivals in the Brisbane Marriott Hotel Handicap (1640m) at Doomben on September 19.
Another horse that will take winning form into the Spring Champion Stakes is Team Hawkes-trained Jadeer, who led from start to finish to take out the Simpson Construction Handicap (2040m) at Moonee Valley on September 25.
The 2015 Spring Champion Stakes field is rounded out by the promising Flying Achilles, Too Good To Refuse’s stablemate I’m Belucci and Anthony Cummings-trained Hierarchal.
