History Making Victory in Champion Stakes for Yankee Rose

In just seven race starts, the $10,0000 filly Yankee Rose has taken her army of owners on the trip of a lifetime with plenty more to come judging by her history-making victory in Saturday's $500,000 Group 1 Moet and Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.

The diminutive daughter of All American became the first filly to win the race while giving Victoria's Dean Yendall his first win at the elite level.

The David Vandyke-trained filly looked to be spinning wheels when in front of just two horses at the three hundred metres.

But once balanced up she charged home in the closing stages to defeat the Hawkes Racing-trained Swear (Redoute's Choice) by a half a length with the James Cummings-trained Prized Icon (More Than Ready) was a short half head back in third. (photos Steve Hart).

Winner last season of the Group 1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes and a luckless second in the Group 1 Golden Slipper, Yankee Rose advances her record to 4 wins and 2 seconds from 7 starts with earnings of $1,922,700.

Vandyke admitted the Spring Champion Stakes was not part of the original programme for Yankee Rose but came under consideration after how well she had recovered from her fast-finishing second to Global Glamour  in last week's Flight Stakes

"If I thought about it last week it would have been a shock to me but I said to the owners this filly has never done as well as this going into a race," Vandyke said.

"She put on 5kg and had been eating up and I couldn't fault her. I thought this filly would struggle three weeks between runs going into a Cox Plate because she was doing that well.

"If she ran the 2000 (metres) today I was confident she'd win.

"And what a brilliant ride by Dean Yendall, he just timed his run to perfection. You would have thought he does that every day of the week the way he won that race."

Vandyke said the WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in a fortnight is the next stop for Yankee Rose who will carry only 47.5kg under the weight-for-age conditions

"I can't wait to get down to Melbourne," Vandyke said.

"It's been a fantastic ride with an amazing filly. She's like a pony but all heart."

Darby Syndications needed just $10,000 to secure Yankee Rose from the Widden Stud consignment at the 2015 Inglis Classic Yearling sale (Summer Book).

Bred by Wexford Farm, Doyles Breeding & Racing and Wamslet Partnership, Yankee Rose is the fourth foal and fourth winner out of Condesaar (Xaar) who did not set the track alight however she is a half-sister to Group 1 NZ Derby winner Redoute's Dancer.

There is further stamina in the pedigree through Condesaar's granddam Condessa (Condorcet) whose five wins included the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks and was runner-up in the Group 1 Irish Oaks.

Sold to J D Thoroughbreds for $6,000 in 2015, Condesaar went through the sales ring again 12 months later at the Magic Millions National Yearling sale.

There was a deal more interest in the daughter of Xaar this time, making $260,000 to the bid of Rhys Smith despite having a negative test to Whittington. 

After beginning his career at Arrowfield Stud, All American now stands at Geisel Park Stud for a fee of  $11,000.