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Manaal out to become the latest horse to complete 2YO Group 1 double
Not many of Australia's Group 1 races are as closely connected as the ATC Sires' and Champagne Stakes, which will be run at Randwick this Saturday.
The 1600-metre Champagne Stakes is as old as the Melbourne Cup, having been first run in 1861, but the first Sires' was not first run until 1867 and in 42 of those 157 years both races have been won by the same horse.
That's some sort of strike-rate considering not every year the winner of the 1400m Sires' pushes on to the Champagne.
Michael Freedman-trained filly Manaal will attempt to become the 43rd horse to complete the double when she contests this year's $750,000 Champagne Stakes.
In the past 40 years, 27 Sires' winners have contested the Champagne Stakes and Militarize last year became the 13th horse to complete the double in that time.
Seven others have run second and five more third, meaning only two of the 27 have failed to fill a trifecta slot.
The two that were unplaced both ran fifth, Yosei (2010) and Peggy Jean (2014), both being fillies and the girls have found it a harder double to complete than the boys.
Thirteen of the 27 Sires' winners who have run in the Champagne since 1984 have been fillies, but they represent only four of those to have done the double; Guelph (2013), Hasna (2003), Victory Vein (2002) and Burst (1992).
Three of the seven Sires' winners who ran second in the Champagne were girls, as were four of the five who ran third.
Colts and geldings hold the edge over the girls in general in the Champagne, having won 26 of the past 40 editions.
Manaal is favourite to get one back for the girls this year and heading betting has not been a hindrance in modern-day Champagne Stakes.
Militarize last year became the 21st favourite to win in the past 40 years when he justified a $2.05 starting price.
He became the shortest-priced winner since Pierro won at $1.22 in 2012 and made it 13 years in a row that the Champagne Stakes winner has been at single-figure odds.
Manaal holds favouritism from John O'Shea-trained colt Linebacker in this year's event with Anode and Broadsiding the others in this year's field of eight at a single-figure quote.
