2022 Champagne Stakes best bets & betting strategy | April 16

A field of just six two-year-olds will do battle in Saturday’s Group 1 Champagne Stakes over the mile at Royal Randwick. History looks set to be rewritten as Fireburn attempts to become just the seventh horse to win the Triple Crown for juveniles, having already claimed the Golden Slipper (1200m) and ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) this autumn. If she is successful, she will be the first horse since Pierro (2012) to do it, while she would be only the second filly, with Burst winning the treble some 30 years ago in 1992.

Fireburn is a $1.50 favourite with online bookmakers to win a third-straight Group 1, while She’s Extreme ($5), Williamsburg ($8) and Let’srollthedice ($8) are the only runners given some hope of lowering her colours. With just a small field assembled, it is likely to be quite a tactical affair, with She’s Extreme likely to go forward and lead. Fireburn has come from the back in her two Group 1 wins, but having drawn barrier two, we wouldn’t be shocked to see Avdulla ride her more forward and put her into the race earlier.

Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2022 Champagne Stakes.

We are pretty confident that we are in for something special on Saturday. Fireburn has been dominant in all of her wins, especially in her past two outings at the highest level, so we have to be with the filly by Rebel Dane in her quest to etch her name in the record books. The Gary Portelli-trained galloper doesn’t have any weight disadvantage against horses who she has continued to beat up, while every bit of her suggests that she is going to relish the 1600m in wet conditions. Like we have already mentioned, we wouldn’t be all that surprised to see Brenton Avdulla position her closer to the speed from barrier two, which will allow her to have enough of a kick to get away from her rivals, even if she doesn’t see out a strong mile. She’s all class, this girl.

In just the small field with such a dominant favourite, it’s hard to make a case for too many others. She’s Extreme hasn’t been good enough to beat Fireburn in the first three outings they have had, so we doubt that will change on Saturday. One runner who is yet to race against the Golden Slipper winner is Williamsburg, who is on a seven-day backup. The Annabel Neasham-trained colt has won his past two starts on heavy tracks and has been tested at the mile, so he should be fit enough and strong enough to run a good race, but we can’t see him really troubling the favourite.

2022 Champagne Stakes selections & best bets

• 5

  FIREBURN

• 2

  WILLIAMSBURG

• 6

  SHE’S EXTREME

• 1

  LET’SROLLTHEDICE

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