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Peter Snowden’s success with juveniles continued this season with Guelph becoming a dual Group 1 winner courtesy of a final stride victory in the Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick last Saturday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Guelph overpowered her rivals in an impressive display to claim the Sires Produce a fortnight ago and deservedly was sent out as favourite in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m).
Nobody could question the fillies class after that showing with the only query about the daughter of Exceed And Excel the rise to a mile.
A mature looking juvenile in her appearance, the verdict amongst experts leading into the race was she would get the trip with minimal fuss.
What experts or connections of Guelph weren’t expecting though was a tearaway leader in Fuerza who changed the complexion of the race.
As Fuerza charged to the lead, Guelph was slow into stride and settled further back than expected.
Her chances of a Sires Produce/Champagne Stakes double looked in serious jeopardy at the top of the straight as she was trapped behind a wall of runners with Fuerza still holding a sizeable margin.
Fuerza continued to hold a gap over his rivals while Guelph weaved between runners before finding clear space at the 200m.
Still with a lot of work to do, Guelph knuckled down and collared the tiring Fuerza in a photo finish.
Fuerza produced a career best effort in the Champagne Stakes for second while the Gai Waterhouse-trained Equator filled third.
The Anthony Cummings-trained Drago was another eye catcher as he worked home well to claim fourth.
Champagne Stakes honours belonged to Guelph though who still proved too good for her rivals despite a torrid run in transit.
It’s not often a horse can get away with such a luckless run in Group 1 company however the lack of depth amongst this two-year-old crop was evident last Saturday.
Guelph’s latest effort only yielded a Timeform rating of 111, eight pounds shy of her master rating run to in the Sires Produce Stakes (1400m).
Her run sits pounds below the previous five year winning average of the event which had been won by the likes of Pierro, Helmet, Skilled and Onemorenomore.
Only Samantha Miss in the previous five years has won the Champagne Stakes with a figure less than 120 when she narrowly denied the now emerging stallion Sebring Triple Crown glory.
Guelph’s Champagne Stakes success is actually the lowest winning figure of the juvenile mile event since Euphoria won the 1994 renewal.
The Champagne Stakes (1600m) concludes feature two-year-old racing in Sydney for the carnival and wraps up another successful autumn for the Peter Snowden stable.
Guelph spearheaded the stables charge while supporting cast included Golden Slipper runner up Sidestep, Kindergarten Stakes winner Safeguard and even Champollion in the Schweppervescence.
With Guelph only running to 111 in the Champagne Stakes, past trends indicate Golden Slipper winner Overreach will remain the top rated juvenile this season with a master Timeform figure of 121.
Feature juvenile racing heads to Queensland now where it is rare that a two-year-old scales such Timeform heights.
While not quite the highest rated juvenile in the country this season, Guelph is still a dual Group 1 winner and credit must go to both horse and trainer for the accomplishment.
The Exceed And Excel filly debuted last October in the Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) where she ran second behind Brilliant Bisc.
A six start preparation commencing in January then ensued for Guelph who was targeted at the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) before heading back north for the 2YO Sydney Triple Crown.
Her latest preparation went for six starts and Snowden kept the filly firing throughout.
Guelph will return in the spring and with either have the Thousand Guineas or Caulfield Guineas her anticipated main goal.
Guelph’s dam Camarilla also won the Sires’ Produce Stakes and followed that up with a third in the Champagne Stakes behind Meurice.
While she couldn’t quite rise to Group 1 heights as a three-year-old, Camarilla still managed to place over a mile in the Emancipation Stakes.
With Peter Snowden’s horsemanship in her favour, expect Guelph to build upon an already impressive black type record next season.