Saturday's G1 Champagne S. at Royal Randwick is the final race of Australia's 2-year-old Triple Crown, and is also a significant pointer to Group 1 success in the spring, with recent winners like Pierro (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), Helmet (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) and Samantha Miss (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) having gone on to further top-level glory as 3-year-olds. It would not be a surprise to see Yankee Rose (Aus) (All American {Aus}) reach that profile based on her current record. The David Vandyke charge went two-for-two in the spring and was a bang-up second in the G1 Golden Slipper first-up Mar. 19. She fulfilled the promise displayed there with a resounding score over 1400 metres in the G1 Sires' Produce S. over this track two weeks ago. The filly gave her connections a scare Wednesday when pulling a shoe in trackwork and coming up lame, but Vandyke expressed confidence she would be up to the task Saturday, telling Sky Sports Radio the filly had improved by the afternoon.
“She'd improve noticeably, she was only half out of five,” Vandyke said. “These things can go one of two ways: they can form an abscess or the bruising and blood flow can reduce to the hoof and we get a good result, which is the way we're headed.”
Vandyke noted Yankee Rose would swim for the remainder of her preparation for Saturday, as she did in the leadup to the Slipper and Sires' Produce.
“Without any concussive exercise [Thursday] and indeed tomorrow and Saturday morning I'm anticipating that she'll be 100%,” Vandyke said. “I think that if the race was tomorrow she'd be fine to go around.”
Only two winners of the Champagne since 1999 have not come out of the Sires' Produce, and the Sires' runner-up Faraway Town (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) looks to turn the tables Saturday. That filly broke her maiden on debut at Rosehill in November and turned in a career-best two weeks ago, having gone 0-for-4 following her debut.
Prized Icon (Aus) (More Than Ready) looks to take the path less traveled, coming off a strong score in the Fernhill H. over this track and trip a week ago, where he was breaking his maiden at fifth asking. Second there was Crown Him (Aus) (Casino Prince {Aus}), who appears to have the scope to improve but will have to contend with a wide draw.
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