Quality filly Seabrook has realised her Group 1 potential by winning this afternoon’s Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick.
The filly arrived in Sydney for an impressive win in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) and while she progressed to a credible fifth in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m), her campaign appeared to be at an end when she failed to produce anything in the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) a fortnight ago.
Having drifted from $4.60 to $8.50 this afternoon, Seabrook jumped from the gates well and took a position within the Champagne Stakes field as Encryption, Seberate and Bondi took up the early running.
Champion hoop Damien Oliver threaded the needle with the filly turning for home and set about running down Bondi; catching and passing the colt in the final 150m.
El Dorado Dreaming backed up her Inglis Sires’ win effectively by running third, while roughie Guerrier ran a strong race for fourth.
Oliver delivered a gem of a ride aboard Seabrook to win the Champagne Stakes and
“I’ve always had a big opinion of this filly and she’s just hasn’t had things really go right for her this prep, although she’s had a win,” Oliver said.
“She got knocked down in the lead-up to the Diamond and then missed the Diamond, then won the lead-up to the Slipper and in the Slipper, the gate was a bit against her, but she ran really well.
“Last start she just really bungled the start and it was a but puzzling as to why she went so bad, but you had to forgive her for that one bad run and she deserved a good win today.
“Always shown a touch of class and I think she’s got great things ahead of her as a three-year-old.”
Seabrook will return to the paddock before resuming for a Spring Carnival campaign geared towards races like the Group 1 Thousand Guineas