Trainer Brent Stanley has confirmed that Veuvelicious will back-up in the 2014 Champagne Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday after pulling up well from her dominant victory in the Listed Fernhill Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 19.
Veuvelicious will be one of the leading chances in the 2014 Champagne Stakes after scoring a dominant victory in the Fernhill Handicap on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart
Veuvelicious was well-backed in the lead-up to the Fernhill Handicap and she showed impressive acceleration to run away from the rest of the field and score her maiden win at black type level; stamping herself as a leading contender for the Champagne Stakes in the progress.
Stanley told Racing Ahead that he was delighted with the performance of Veuvelicious in the Fernhill Handicap and could not be happier with the daughter of Northern Meteor heading into the Champagne Stakes this weekend.
“It was a good dominating win by her,” Stanley said.
“She gets up to a mile and she can run that distance and a lot further.
“She will definitely back up in the Champagne and she has pulled up sensationally since her last run.”
Stanley revealed that the Champagne Stakes was always the major 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival goal for Veuvelicious after she showed very early in her career that she would be a much better horse over extended distances.
The Kyneton-based trainer confirmed that the two-year-old would be sent to the spelling paddock following the Group 1 event this weekend and he is planning on setting the Contract Racing-owned filly for the Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
“This has always been her grand final the Champagne,” Stanley said.
“You always hope that they are good enough and I’ve trained her for her grand final on Saturday and she will be in the paddock on Monday night.
“She will go on a spring campaign for an Oaks.”
Veuvelicious made her racing debut with an eight place finish in the Quest Moonee Valley Handicap (1300m) on February 14 and finished third in the Say It With Flowers Handicap (1300m) at Sandown on February 26 before stamping herself as a filly to watch with a dominant victory in the Sensational Springvale Plate (1500m) at Sandown on March 22.
The talented filly was given her maiden chance at Group level in The Schweppervescence (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 5 and worked on strongly to finish third after being blocked for a run at the top of the straight before winning the Fernhill Handicap last weekend.
