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Yankee Rose secured her second Group 1 success when taking out the Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Coming off a strong effort for second in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m), Yankee Rose settled off midfield under Dean Yendall for much of the race.
Running on strongly down the outside in the straight, Yankee Rose took the lead over the concluding stages to win by half a length over Swear in second with Prized Icon not far away in third.
Yankee Rose, the only filly in the race returned a Timeform figure of 115, one pound above her Flight Stakes effort and five pounds below her previous Group 1 win in the Inglis Sires’ (1400m) as a two-year-old.
The David Vandyke-trained runner is the first filly to ever win the Spring Champion, with the race historically having been run on the same day as the Group 1 Flight Stakes until 2014.
Since the race was first run in 1971, only 31 fillies having lined up to claim five placings and one win with most of the top fillies going towards the Flight Stakes historically.
Yankee Rose ran a figure much higher than the 2015 winner Vanbrugh (109+) but even with the fillies claim running below recent winners like Hampton Court in 2014 (120), Complacent in 2013 (122) and Dundeel in 2012 (122).
The Racing and Sports field strength of 117.3 was well above the 2015 renewal of 109.5 and slightly below the 2014 renewal of 118.8.
Heading towards the Cox Plate later this month, only one horse has completed the Spring Champion – Cox Plate double in the same year being Savabeel (2004) who returned a Timeform figure of 119 when winning the Spring Champion.
Kingston Town has completed the double but not coming in the same year winning the Spring Champion in 1979 before winning the Cox Plate three times from 1980-82.
Of the beaten runners Swear ran to a new career peak Timeform rating of 116, nine pounds higher than his win in the Group 3 Ming Dynasty three starts back.
Prized Icon in third also continued to race well without winning running to a Timeform figure of 114, two pounds below his previous best which came when winning the Group 1 Champagne as a two-year-old.
Dixie Blossoms has become a stakes winning mare after claiming victory in the Group 3 Angst Stakes (1600m).
Settling back in the field under Tim Clark, Dixie Blossoms made her way through the field to take the lead at the 100m, hitting the line to win with ease over Lady Le Fay in second with Happy Hannah third.
Dixie Blossoms returned a new career peak Timeform figure of 110, three pounds higher than her second placing to Tycoon Tara in the Golden Pendant the start prior.
The Ron Quinton-trained runner is the highest rated winner of the race since 2012 when Miss Zoe returned a Timeform figure of 111.
Becoming a Group 3 race in 2013, the two previous winners of the race Casino Dancer (2015) and Neena Rock (2014) both ran to 105 with 2013 winner Sharnee Rose returning a figure of 103.
Dixie Blossoms will now head south to tackle some stakes races in Melbourne which could include the Myer Classic and Matriarch Stakes.
Lady Le Fay in second ran to 107, two pounds below her close fifth in the Bill Richie Handicap with Happy Hannah running to 102, her highest since running to 110 when third in the Group 1 Vinery Stakes last campaign.
Thunder Fantasy was an interesting winner earlier in the day in Open company over 1400m over His Majesty and Religify in what was his first start in Australia for sometime.
Having started his career with Anthony Cummings, the now six-year-old spent his last campaign in Hong Kong with John Size, winning two of his seven starts.
Running an impressive career peak Timeform figure of 121 on Saturday with the 63kg, Thunder Fantasy will now head to Melbourne and likely aim up in the Longines Mile at Flemington on Derby Day.
Thunder Fantasy, who showed good ability for Cummings, ran to a peak figure of 117 as a three-year-old when third behind Shamus Award and Criterion was able to secure the Group 1 Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) where he ran to 108.
Based on his run on Saturday, Thunder Fantasy looks like he has returned in good order and the 121 he ran to must be respected in stakes races going forward.