Talented filly Veuvelicious stamped herself as a Champagne Stakes contender with a comfortable victory in the 2014 Fernhill Handicap at Royal Randwick this afternoon.
Veuvelicious was far too good for her opposition in the 2014 Fernhill Handicap at Royal Randwick this afternoon. Photo by: Steve Hart
Veuvelicious was one of the best-backed runners on the entire Royal Randwick card and punters that took the short price on offer were never worried; with the daughter of Northern Meteor racing away to score an impressive victory from the Darley duo of Careless and Gouldian when she was asked for an extra effort by jockey Damien Oliver.
Trainer Brent Stanley has been thrilled with the progress that Veuvelicious has made since making her racing debut at Moonee Valley in February, after she was purchased for just $20,0000 and suggested that the juvenile would back up in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick next weekend.
“It is a great feeling to know that we have a horse that can compete against these caliber of horses and trainers that do it year in and year out,” Stanley said after the race.
“She is very versatile and she is just about to peak now.
“I can’t see why not, she is the right horse to back-up and we won’t make any rash decisions, but as long she pulls up alright I have a funny feeling that she will be even better next week.”
Oliver was celebrating his first race win on Veuvelicious, after steering her to third behind Bachman in the Group 3 The Schweppervescence (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 5, and was clearly thrilled to score a winner for his good friend Brent Stanley.
Oliver said that he has a good opinion of Veuvelicious and is confident that she would be a winning chance if given an opportunity at Group 1 level in the Champagne Stakes.
“We have been great mates for a long time and his training career is going gangbusters,” Oliver said of Stanley.
“He is doing a great job and it is nice to ride a stakes winner for him on such a big day.
“She is a lovely filly, she has a lot of class and I think that she can develop into an Oaks filly in the spring.
“Brent has done a great job managing her so far and we were toying with the idea of waiting for the mile next week, but we saw this race for the taking.
“You have to be fit on these wet tracks and we thought that we would take this race while we can get it and have a crack next week.”
Veuvelicious will be Stanley’s first Group 1 runner if she backs up in the Champagne Stakes next weekend.
