Search

show me:

Boom Or Bust For Lindsay Park Filly At Wyong

3 minute read

The powerful Lindsay Park stable is not concerned about the first clockwise assignment for impressive filly Champagne Boom in the $200,000 Magic Millions Wyong Classic on Wednesday.

Champagne Boom
Champagne Boom Picture: (Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)

Champagne Boom travels to Wyong from Victoria for her first right-handed start after proving herself among the best of the spring two-year-olds to race in Melbourne.

She followed an impressive debut win in the Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield with a close third in the G3 Ottawa Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on November 6, a race run in difficult conditions after heavy rain.

The tight Wyong track is not the ideal venue for a young horse facing a switch from anti-clockwise racing but the Hayes/Dabernig training partnership only has to look back to 2016 to draw confidence in Champagne Boom’s prospects.

The stable won the Wyong Magic Millions with Madeenaty, who came off similar Melbourne form to Champagne Boom and had no problems adapting to the reverse way of going.

Co-trainer Tom Dabernig said Champagne Boom had been given several gallops in the right-handed direction at Lindsay Park.

“She has been really good working on her Sydney leg,” Dabernig said.

“We are quite confident that she is going as well as she can be. She is not a big filly but has quite a nice long stride and is a well-balanced horse.”

Craig Williams has obviously formed a high opinion of Champagne Boom to accompany the filly to Wyong after riding the filly in her first two starts.

It will be only the second time in 16 years that Williams has ridden in Wyong. His last visit was in 2015 when he had had three rides at the Magic Millions meeting for two minor placings.

Champagne Boom will lead the Lindsay Park assault on the $2 million Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 12 providing she runs up to expectations over 1100m at Wyong.

Dabernig said the stable is unlikely to start Champagne Boom again before the Gold Coast race if the filly passes her Wyong test.

“We will make a decision after Wednesday whether we are happy to go on to the Magic Millions,” he said.

Champagne Boom is currently third on the order of entry for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic with $86,000 prizemoney.

She has drawn gate seven, two gates outside the unbeaten colt United And Conquer, favourite to give Gai Waterhouse her fourth win in the Wyong Magic Millions.

Waterhouse and her co-trainer Adrian Bott sent Unite And Conquer to Melbourne for his first start on October 6 when he showed classy speed to win the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.

He has since won a Randwick trial by more than three lengths on November 27 when he was ridden by his race jockey Adam Hyeronimus.

Hyeronimus also rode Unite And Conquer in an early Randwick trial win but Melbourne jockey Stephen Baster was aboard in his Flemington win.

The first 600m should be run at near record pace with the very fast Spaceboy likely to race Unite And Conquer for the early lead.

Spaceboy was a brilliant six lengths trial winner before his race debut when he went out fast before tiring to finish second to the classy Godolphin colt Tassort in the Golden Gift over 1100m at Rosehill on November 24.

The fast early pace should give Champagne Boom the chance to work into the race as her two Melbourne runs pointed to her wanting further than 1000m.
Racing and Sports

What’s gambling really costing you?

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au