Races

VIDEO: Marshall’s Mail – Champagne and All Aged Stakes

Posted on | Posted by Simon Marshall

The $500,000 Group 1 Champagne Stakes for two-year-olds over 1600m will be contested by a small field of 10 runners with last start winner Invader hoping to take out the group one double having saluted in the Sires’ Produce at his most recent start. On that occasion he seemed to revel in the Heavy 8 conditions and was far too strong for his rivals over the seven furlongs. The step up to the mile should pose no issue.

Whispered Secret looks to be one of the main dangers to the short-priced favourite after she sat three-wide at listed level last week but still powered to victory. The two Victorian horses in Eshtiraak and Aberro, who ran the quinella in a 1500 metre race on Mornington Cup Day, are worth including in your multiples. However, I believe Invader will justify his short quote and prevail.

The second of the Group 1 races is the All Aged Stakes over 1400m. While it is also light on numbers, it’s not lacking in class with five Group 1 winners in the field. And, unsurprisingly, it looks a tricky little race on paper.

Both Le Romain and English have proven this autumn that they’re in good form.

English won the race last year and just failed to hold off Chautauqua in the TJ Smith Stakes when the grey champion launched a Bernborough-like run to claim victory on the line.

Le Romain has proven he is an iron horse and I’m prepared to forgive his failure in the Doncaster. Remember he ran an impressive second to Winx prior to the flop and his defeat of Chautauqua in the Canterbury Stakes showed he possesses plenty of talent.

While the two aforementioned horses will be around the mark, I’m looking for a little bit of value given I tipped Invader in the two-year-old feature. Divine Prophet from Team Hawkes is a horse who has caught my eye and who I believe can excel over 1400m.

While his two starts this preparation don’t look all that flash on paper, I think he is ready to peak. Remember back to the spring when he won the Up & Coming Stakes and beat Derryn, who is now showing his class. That win was on the way to claiming victory in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas.

The two starts he has had this time were both at Group 1 level against quality gallopers. First-up he finished just behind Black Heart Bart and then in the Australian Guineas he finished off very strongly from midfield in what was the wrong part of the track on the day with there being an apparent bias towards the inside lanes. I like that he’s been kept for this race and he should get every chance from the barrier.

Once again it’s 2 SuperPick Saturday – I’ll be using mine on;

SuperPick - Champagne Stakes No. 1 Invader - Profit Plus – 50% (Win)

SuperPick - All Aged Stakes No. 10 Divine Prophet - Profit Plus – 50% (Place)

Don’t forget, conditions apply and gamble responsibly.

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