Eleven to line up in Randwick’s Spring Champion Stakes

The three-year-olds headline Saturday’s Randwick show with the $2 million Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes taking centre stage.

The barrier draw has made Swiftfalcon’s task to win the Spring Champion Stakes that bit harder. Photo: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images.

The three-year-olds headline Saturday’s Randwick show with the $2 million Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes taking centre stage.

The Spring Champion Stakes is Sydney’s premier three-year-old staying event of the spring, run at set weights over 2000m.

This year will be the 54th running of the race and it has been won by some of the modern day greats of the Australian turf – Kingston Town (1979), Sir Dapper (1983), Beau Zam (1987), Danewin (1994), Nothin’ Leica Dane (1995), Tie The Knot (1997), Savabeel (2004) and It’s A Dundeel (2012).

This year there is a field of 11 will contest the race, consisting of seven colts or geldings and four fillies.

The leading contenders are the Gloaming Stakes winner El Castello, Dulcify Stakes winner Swiftfalcon, Stutt Stakes runner-up Henlein and leading the charge for the fillies is Flight Stakes placegetter Harlem Queen.

The likely favourite Swiftfalcon will have to overcome drawing the outside barrier while Henlein jumps from the inside gate.

The field for the Spring Champion Stakes is:

No. – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight

1 – EL CASTELLO – Anthony Cummings – Joshua Parr – 8 – 56.5kg

2 – SWIFTFALCON – Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes – Jay Ford – 11 – 56.5kg

3 – HENLEIN – Anthony & Sam Freedman – Tommy Berry – 1 – 56.5kg

4 – FIRM AGREEMENT – Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald – Tom Sherry – 10 – 56.5kg

5 – DUVANA – Chris Waller – Joao Moreira – 4 – 56.5kg

6 – DUE CALZINI – Danielle Seib – Kerrin McEvoy – 3 – 56.5kg

7 – FLYING ARGENTO – Gary Portelli – TBA – 2 – 56.5kg

8 – HARLEM QUEEN – Nathan Doyle – Sam Clipperton – 7 – 54.5kg

9 – RAG QUEEN – David Payne – Chad Schofield – 6 – 54.5kg

10 – PLEASURE ARTIST – Richard & Will Freedman – Jason Collett – 5 – 54.5kg

11 – NOISES – Brad Widdup – Andrew Adkins – 9 – 54.5kg

El Castello strings together three wins in a row and wins the G3 TAB Gloaming Stakes for Josh Parr and @ACummingsracing!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/yj5en5VxT3

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 12, 2024

🦅 Swiftfalcon flies and wins the Listed Dulcify at Randwick for Team @HawkesRacing!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/FXosYtX96N

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 5, 2024

It's a running double for Mick Dee as Evaporate races away in the G2 Stutt Stakes 🔥@lindsayparkracepic.twitter.com/8YpQPWqzNd

— Racing.com (@Racing) September 27, 2024

Make way for the lady!

Lady Shenandoah makes a mess of the G1 Flight Stakes with a dominant win for @ZacLloydx and @cwallerracing!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/GAlwl6Ber6

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 5, 2024

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Other feature races on Saturday’s card are the Group 2 Invitation (1400m), the Group 2 Callander-Presnell (1600m), Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m) and a pair of Listed races, the Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) and the Brian Crowley Stakes (1200m) while the new season babies are back in action in the Kirkham Plate (1000m).

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The Randwick track was rated a good (4) at acceptance time. The rail will be in the 5-metre position on Saturday.

Saturday’s 10-race program commences at 12.30pm with the final event to be run at 6.10pm.

The Bureau Of Meteorology forecast for Sydney is.

Wednesday – Partly cloudy. 27.

Thursday – Partly cloudy (80% chance of 0-9mm of rain). 23.

Friday – Partly cloudy. 21.

Saturday – Partly cloudy. 20.

CLICK HERE to get the fields and free formguide for the Randwick meeting on Saturday.

Originally published as Eleven to line up in Randwick’s Spring Champion Stakes