Champagne Stakes now an option for Futooh

Futooh is a chance to back-up in the Group One Champagne Stakes after winning at Randwick.

Jason Collett has produced an astute ride to lift Futooh to a potential Group One start after an impressive win at Randwick.

Collett was in the saddle when the Lindsay Park two-year-old filly broke her maiden in January, and he was the difference on Saturday as Futooh weaved through traffic to claim the Listed China Horse Club Mile (1600m).

A seven-day back-up to the Group One Champagne Stakes over the same trip is now under consideration, according to co-trainer Ben Hayes.

“We’ve always had an opinion of her, and it’s just nice to see her get out to a mile and running so well,” he said.

“There’s the option if backing up, but we’ll let her tell us.”

Hayes was rapt after Futooh bounced back from a last start 11th in the Group Three Schweppervescence (1400m) at Rosehill last month with Michael Walker.

“We were a little bit critical of the ride a couple of weeks ago where she was driven out of the barriers and she didn’t finish off,” Hayes said.

“Jason was excellent, he rode her that 10 per cent negative from the barrier and then she really had that turn of foot.”

Collett found clear air at the 200m when Futooh ($8) headed for the rail and she surged to hold off stablemate Muswellbrook ($9) by a long neck.

Aristocratic Miss ($4.80) was a length back in third.

Collett was happy to be back on board after Futooh was unplaced in the Magic Night Stakes and the Schweppervescence.

“I was pretty confident at the 600 (metres) when I could see the rest of the field was under pressure and I’d barely even touched her,” he said.