A shot at the Group 1 Champagne Stakes awaits Williamsburg, provided he pulls up well from his gritty win in the Listed Fernhill Mile at Randwick.
Lumping top weight of 59kg, Williamsburg ($3.50) conceded at least 3-1/2 kilos to his five rivals but proved too classy in Saturday’s 1600m contest, pinching runs towards the inside before getting into the clear and wearing down Moko ($3.20 fav) to score by 1-1/4 lengths.
Russian Roni ($6) was no match for the first pair, finishing another 3-3/4 lengths away third.
It was the colt’s second stakes victory in succession following his Baillieu Handicap win and co-trainer Gerald Ryan is keen to back him up in next weekend’s Champagne Stakes (1600m).
Ryan is the first to concede Williamsburg will face a much tougher task in the Champagne, where his rivals will include the Sires’ Produce Stakes trifecta of Fireburn, She’s Extreme and Let’Srollthedice, but he is equally confident the colt deserves his place.
“It’s going to be harder taking on the two fillies in that race and Danny O’Brien’s colt, they ran one-two-three last week (in the Sires’ Produce Stakes),” Ryan said.
“But he is proven at a mile, he is proven on wet tracks, he is proven at Randwick and if he pulls up as well as he has his last two starts he will be here next Saturday.
“He’s tough, he cops his racing really well.”
Williamsburg tightened to $9 for the Champagne following Saturday’s win, with Fireburn an odds-on favourite to add the final leg of the juvenile triple crown to her victories in the Golden Slipper and Sires’ Produce Stakes.
