Sara Ryan set to target Group 1 Champagne Stakes with lightly-raced Is It Spectacular

The Wyong trainer won the Provincial-Midway Championships on Saturday but has an even bigger goal in mind at Royal Randwick this weekend.

Matcha Latte won the Provincial-Midway Championships for Sara Ryan. Picture: Jeremy Ng-Getty Images.

Newly-minted Provincial-Midway Championships winning trainer Sara Ryan will take her emerging stable to a new level next Saturday with promising colt Is It Spectacular set to get his chance in the Group 1 $1 million Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick.

Ryan celebrated one of the finest moments of her training career on Day 1 of The Championships when Matcha Latte prevailed in the $1 million Provincial-Midway Championships Final.

A week later Is It Spectacular will break new ground for the Wyong conditioner as her maiden Group 1 runner in the final leg of Sydney’s juvenile Triple Crown on the last day of the carnival.

The son of Dundeel is still only lightly-raced with two starts to his name and broke his maiden first-up this preparation with a strong win over 1300m at Warwick Farm on April 2.

Ryan has ambitions to target the Group 1 JJ Atkins Stakes in Queensland later this year but will give Is It Spectacular an opportunity in the Champagne first.

*Resolution reached in King of the Mountain scratching drama

Domeland colt Is It Spectacular scores a strong win at his second race start for Head Trainer Sara Ryan and jockey Chad Schofield at Warwick Farm! #TeamDomelandpic.twitter.com/LA4GPQA9BB

— Domeland Racing (@DomelandRacing) April 2, 2025

“The goal would be to go to the Champagne because it looks like it is going to have lower numbers than it might usually have,” Ryan said.

“We will go there.

“I absolutely love this horse. The JJ Atkins will be the main goal with him and this has probably come up a little bit sooner than I would like but we will give it a go.”

Ryan has already booked the services of Victorian-based jockey Mark Zahra for the Group 1 assignment where Is It Spectacular is currently rated a $26 chance.

With Inglis Sires’ winner Vinrock already in the paddock, Nepotism holds outright favouritism for the Group 1 test at $2.50 with nominations set to be revealed on Monday morning.

Ryan also plans to press on later into the autumn with Matcha Latte with hopes of qualifying the smart son of Maurice for this year’s $3 million Big Dance.

Matcha Latte takes out the $1 million Provincial-Midway Final! ☕️

What a training performance from Sara Ryan! @AshMorgan6pic.twitter.com/1tni6fjUtC

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) April 12, 2025

She won the same race two years ago with Attractable, which is down to trial at Newcastle on Tuesday, and has two options in the coming weeks for Matcha Latte to earn eligibility into the Big Dance.

“We will look at the Scone Cup with him or the Hawkesbury Gold Cup,” Ryan said.

The Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) is on May 3 while the Listed Scone Cup (1600m) is 13 days later at the two-day carnival.

Originally published as Sara Ryan set to target Group 1 Champagne Stakes with lightly-raced Is It Spectacular