In The Lab: 2025 Spring Champion Stakes

Racelab’s Matt Collum has taken a forensic look at the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes using their ratings system to assist working out who’s best credentialed to take out the feature this Saturday at Royal Randwick

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In The Lab | Spring Champion Stakes | Group 1 3yo SW 2000m

The track – unique features of Randwick 2000m course, advantaged barriers and position in run (PIR)

• Rail +7m, Good 4
• On pacers have an advantage at Randwick with a win strike rate of 10.1%
• 53% of winners settle in the first 4 at the 400m marker over 2000m
• Lane 1-3 is performing best with a 7% POT. Coming wider than lane 4 is very difficult

Speed map & tempo:

Expecting a good tempo (see image below):

Positive/negative jockey/trainer worth highlighting:

• Ashley Morgan is returning 46% POT from his last 100 rides
• Mitchell & Desiree Kearney when combined with Rachel King are outperforming expectations with 1490% POT and S/R of 33.3%
• Michael Freedman has a 24% S/R with a healthy 10% ROI
• Nash Rawiller is riding the current favourite Shangri La Boy for the first time

Past 5 winners with Racelab Performance Rating:

This table outlines the Racelab rating achieved by each of the past five winners when taking out the Spring Champion Stakes. It gives an indication of the level required to win the race in recent years for a few different levels of weight carried. The rating is dependent on the WFA scale and factors in weight carried, hence Montefilia – as a 3YO filly – produced a lower Racelab rating due to the adjustment for her carrying 54.5kg.

Racelab benchmark likely to be required to win this year’s edition of the Spring Champion Stakes:

Based off the final field, their recent form, and potential Racelab Prime Rating, the below figures give an indication of what horses will need to achieve based on their weight carried under the WFA scale to win Saturday’s Spring Champion Stakes:

The Racelab Prime Ratings for each horse can be seen in the screenshot below:

The ratings/market:

Based off a range of data, speed map and recent form, Racelab has come up with its own 100% market, which is compared to the current market in the table below. Value exists where the Racelab price is lower than the current price:

The verdict and betting strategy:

They should roll along at a decent clip here with 2, 10, 7 & 13 all pushing for positive positions in the run. Crusader Voyage gets the blinkers on for the first time so he may press on with it and lead. Shangri La Boy was impressive last start when winning the Gloaming Stakes and gets Nash Rawiller – expect him to be right up there but seems short enough. Out of the Gloaming Stakes I’m keen to follow Champagne Hero after a luckless run in the straight. He could improve here with the right run. Attica was strong from the back when winning the Dulcify Stakes however Federalist finished on his heels after the line and he looks ideally suited at the distance – just needs some luck from the wide draw. Within The Law is on the quick back up from the King Charles III Stakes but she did bleed from one nostril. I’m unsure if she will like the distance as well.

Suggested Bet:

Federalist (WIN)
Champagne Hero (WIN)

Legend: