Ace High favourite for Spring Champion Stakes

While Chris Waller will rely on one horse in the Turnbull Stakes in Melbourne, he could have a three-pronged assault on the Spring Champion Stakes in Sydney.

Champion Winx will have her first start at Flemington when she runs in Saturday’s Turnbull (2000m) while Augustus, Sambro and Tangled are entered to line up over the same distance at Randwick in a race that is precursor to the Victoria Derby.

“We plan to run Tangled and Augustus,” Waller said.

“Sambro is 50-50.”

The three were among 15 nominations taken on Monday for the Spring Champion with first markets headed by Gloaming Stakes winner Ace High.

Trained by David Payne, Ace High is at $4.20 from Gloaming Stakes runner-up, Godolphin colt Sanctioned at $5.

Tangled is next at $7 and will be backing up from his close fourth in Saturday’s Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m).

The colt is by noted sire of speed horses Snitzel, but gets stamina from his dam Bramble Rose, the 2003 NZ Oaks winner who was placed in the AJC Oaks.

Augustus, seventh in the Group Three Gloaming (1800m), is also by Snitzel and is out of Gussy Godiva, a winner up to 2000 metres.

She is also the mother of Roman Emperor, winner of the 2009 Australian Derby and second to his Bart Cummings-trained stablemate Viewed in that year’s Caulfield Cup.

Three of the past five Gloaming Stakes winners, It’s A Dundeel, Complacent and Vanbrugh, have gone on to win the Spring Champion Stakes.

The race was won by a filly for the first time 12 months ago when Yankee Rose took the honours.

The Stuart Webb-trained Coral Coast, third in the Gloaming, is the only filly entered this year and is also nominated for two races at Flemington.

Payne trains Ace High for long-time stable client John Cordina with Tye Angland retaining the Group One ride.