The AJC Champagne Stakes is a Group 1 race for two-year-olds that is held annually each April at Randwick racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales. The race is run over a distance of 1600 metres under set weight conditions and worth $400,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 AJC Champagne Stakes was won by Helmet from Pane In The Glass with Fast And Sexy third.
The AJC Champagne Stakes is the final 2yo group race of the autumn in Sydney and the 1600m trip provides a natural progression for those two-year-olds who previously contested the Gr1 AJC Sires Produce Stakes over 1400m earlier in the carnival on Derby Day at the same track.
The Sires has been a great guide to this race in recent times with Helmet (2011), Dance Hero (2004), Hasna (2003), Victory Vein (2002), Viscount (2001), Assertive Lad (2000) all winning the Sires Produce & Champagne Stakes double, while Skilled (2010), Samantha Miss (2008) & Meurice (2007) all ran second in the Sires Produce Stakes before winning this event.
Quite often the race can unearth a quality type who may go on to bigger and better things, just as Manhattan Rain (3rd in 2009) did when he went to Melbourne the following spring and finished runner-up behind So You Think in the Gr1 WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
Helmet (2011) won the AJC Sires Produce Stakes prior to scoring in this event and recent AJC Champagne Stakes winners have been Skilled (2010) and Onemorenomore (2009).
2011 AJC Champagne Stakes result
1. $5.50 Helmet 56.5 K Mc Evoy
2. $6.50 Pane In The Glass 54.5 J Byrne
3. $13.00 Fast And Sexy 54.5 G Schofield
Then followed
4. $14.00 Boys On Tour 56.5 J A Cassidy
5. $7.00 Houston Benefactor 54.5 T Clark
6. $9.50 Disputes 54.5 J Parr
7. $8.00 Cocky Raider 56.5 C W Brown
8. $7.50 Uate 56.5 N Rawiller
9. $10.00 Running Tall 56.5 G Boss
10. $15.00 Queenian 56.5 M Rodd
Margins: Len, 2 len Time: 1:40.32
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