Champions Stakes Racing Tips - Cosmic Crusader to complete a Group 1 hat-trick at Flemington

Seven of the 11 runners come through that race, including the first three across the line, Cosmic Crusader, Birdman and Aeliana.

Cosmic Crusader has been one of the stars of the spring, taking out both the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and Cox Plate at Flemington. The Western Australian galloper has now won both of his starts at the track and continues to thrive despite a lengthy campaign that has included seven runs. He has developed into one of the most exciting middle-distance gallopers in the country and will be looking to complete a remarkable spring with another Group 1 victory.

The Cox Plate was run at a strong tempo, with Light Infantry Man and Land Legend prominent early before both fading badly. Cosmic Crusader was able to settle back and produce a powerful finishing burst to defeat Birdman and Aeliana. The three meet again under weight-for-age conditions, and the question is whether a different race shape can reverse the result.

Aeliana has been installed as the $2.90 favourite despite finishing third in the Cox Plate and remaining winless this preparation. The Chris Waller-trained mare has been competitive against the best middle-distance gallopers in the country, but she has had several opportunities to get the better of Cosmic Crusader this spring. The prospect of rain may assist her chances, while she draws barrier four and should be able to settle within striking distance.

Birdman is another with claims after finishing runner-up in the Cox Plate. The Chris Waller-trained galloper was held up approaching the 400m before finding clear running and finishing strongly, while he also has a victory over Cosmic Crusader in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield earlier in the spring. He draws barrier one and should be afforded an economical run, although he will need the breaks to come at the right time.

Sir Delius finished sixth in the Cox Plate and will be looking to improve, while Attrition was ninth and Light Infantry Man and Land Legend finished towards the rear. Treasurethe Moment is another interesting runner after a disappointing Cox Plate performance, with the mare potentially settling closer to the speed this time around.

The race also features some different form lines, with Sabaj backing up after winning at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day and Omni Man making his second Australian appearance for Joseph O'Brien. The Irish-trained galloper was excellent when third in the Geelong Cup (2400m), finishing behind subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Point Of Law. He drops back to the 2000m and provides an interesting international element to a race otherwise dominated by familiar rivals.

Cosmic Crusader is the one to beat on his recent performances, and at around $3.20 he looks better value than Aeliana, who has been unable to get the better of him this preparation. With the prospect of another genuine tempo, the Western Australian looks well placed to complete a remarkable spring campaign.

The Champions Stakes is scheduled for 5:10pm AEDT and is Race 8 on the Flemington programme on Saturday November 7. 

Light Infantry Man should be prominent from barrier five, with Treasurethe Moment and Sir Delius expected to settle handy. Aeliana should be able to take up a midfield position from barrier four, while Attrition may also settle around midfield.

Cosmic Crusader has drawn barrier 11 and is likely to be ridden quietly by William Pike, similar to the tactics that proved successful in the Cox Plate. Birdman draws the inside and should settle in the second half of the field, while Omni Man and Land Legend may also be ridden conservatively.

There is the potential for a genuine tempo, particularly if Light Infantry Man is allowed to roll along in front. That would suit Cosmic Crusader, who has been devastating when able to settle back and build momentum over the final 600m. The concern for those settling further back would be a slower tempo, but the long Flemington straight gives them ample time to work into contention.

Cosmic Crusader looks the horse to beat in the TAB Champions Stakes (2000m) after producing a series of outstanding performances throughout the spring. The Western Australian galloper has won both of his starts at Flemington, taking out the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) before a brilliant victory in the Cox Plate (2040m) at his most recent outing. That performance was particularly impressive, with the seven-year-old recording benchmark figures approximately 16.7 lengths faster than standard in a genuinely run race. He settled back in the field before producing a sustained finishing burst to defeat Birdman and Aeliana, both of whom he meets again here. He has demonstrated the ability to maintain his form deep into a preparation and shows no signs of training off despite having had seven runs this campaign. Barrier 11 is not ideal, but William Pike knows the horse well and should be able to find a position towards the rear before allowing him to build momentum. The prospect of rain should not hurt his chances, while the long Flemington straight gives him plenty of time to wind up. At around $3.20, he looks excellent value given his recent dominance over several of his main rivals and can complete a remarkable spring with another Group 1 victory.

Omni Man is an interesting runner at double-figure odds and brings a different form line into the TAB Champions Stakes (2000m). The Joseph O'Brien-trained galloper made his Australian debut in the Geelong Cup (2400m), producing an excellent effort to finish third behind Point Of Law, who subsequently enhanced the form by taking out the Melbourne Cup (3200m). The five-year-old had previously finished third in the Royal Whip Stakes (2000m) in Ireland and has demonstrated that he is capable of performing at a high level over this distance range. The drop back from the 2400m to the 2000m is a slight query, but he should have taken improvement from his first Australian outing and has the advantage of being relatively lightly raced compared with several of his rivals who have been involved in demanding campaigns. The international form provides an element of the unknown, and the Joseph O'Brien stable has demonstrated its ability to prepare horses for major Australian races. He may not have the exposed benchmark figures of the leading Cox Plate runners, but that makes him an interesting prospect at the price. With a suitable tempo and some improvement from his Geelong Cup effort, Omni Man is capable of running a much better race than the market suggests.