Campione D’Italia for the Champagne Stakes

Randwick’s All-Aged Stakes Day is the finale of a magnificent Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, and it’s Campione D’Italia who’s seeking a Juvenile Group 1 double with the Champagne Stakes.

Fresh from a three-quarter length victory over Miss Chanel in the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes of 1400m at Randwick, he had earlier been a some-what unlucky fourth in the Golden Slipper Stakes.

Having earlier won the Skyline Stakes of 1200m at Rosehill, Campione D’Italia is now the $2.70 race favourite for the $1m Champagne Stakes of 1600, the final Group 1 2YO event of Carnival.

Again. to be ridden by reigning World’s Best jockey James McDonald for Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller, he starts from Gate 4 of 13 runners, and is in the red and yellow of China Horse Club.

Carrying the colt’s 56.5kg, he was a $500,000 buy for Newgate Farm and China Horse Club at the 2025 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and being by Snitzel is the family of top 2yo Military Rose.

Priced as the $5 second pick is the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott maiden performer Miss Chanel to be ridden by Ryan Bayliss and is looking to the Champagne as her initial race success.

Jumping from Barrier 12, and carrying 54.5kg, she is a $270,00 graduate of the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearlings, being by top-line sire Tagaloa is the family of Champion 2YO Burst.

Rounding out the Champagne field is the Inglis Millennium winner Fireball at $6 with Tim Clark, $8 for the Baillieu Stakes winner for Dylan Gibbond in 6 and Zambales at $12 with Kerin McEvoy.

However, with the previously undefeated Autumn Glow being awarded 120 in the Longines Worlds’s Best Racehorse Rankings for April, she is now the world’s highest rated filly and mare.

Honoured for her near 3 length victory in the George Ryder Stakes of 1500m at Rosehill Gardens, she met her defeat in start 12 when third in an exciting Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick.

Now the winner of three Group 1’s and $8.5m in stakes, she’s three-quarter sister the Golden Rose winning sire In The Congo, whose first yearling sold up to $625,000 and NZ400,000 this year.

A 4yo bay mare by the highly popular young sire The Autumn Sun, by Redout’s Choice, she is from the dual Group 1 Champion South African sprinter Via Africa, a daughter of Qui Danzig,

A $1.8m buy for Arrowfield and Hermitage Thoroughbreds at the 2023 Australian Easter Yearling Sale, she was originally a $600,000 Magic Millions 2022 National Weanling Sale graduate.

Still holding their Rankings from the March issue, the Hong Kong sprint sensation KA Ying Rising still leads as the World’s Best on 128, with Romantic Warrior 124 and Forever Young on 123.

New to the Top 5 Rankings on 122 is the Dubai World Cup hero Magnitude, who defeated Forever Young by a length, and the Japanese Derby winner Croix du Nord for victory in the Osaka Hai.

And with the Steve Asmussen trained 4yo Magnitude having a 13-7:2:1 and $8.5m career, and being 2 from 2 and $7.24m this year, he was a $450,000 2023 Keeneland September Yearling buy.

Originally a $310,000 2022 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale weanling, he is by the Taylor Made Farm’s Not This Time, with his grandam being the American Oaks winner Octave.

Of course, the 4yo Croix du Nord has an equally impressive 9-6:1:0 and ¥916 billion record, and formally as Japan’s Best 2YO Colt he is raced for Sunday Racing and trained by Takashi Sato.

By the 2016 Japan Cup winner Kitasan Black, he was bred by Northern Farm from the Cape Cross winning Park Hill Stakes mare Rising Cross, who was placed in the Epsom Oaks and Irish Oaks.