Cressfield Announce Passing of the mighty Champagne

Media Release - Wednesday December 15

It is with sadness that Cressfield announces the passing of the well- remembered 1998 Melbourne Cup runner- up Champagne (Zabeel x L’quiz) at 27years of age.

RIP Champagne

“Champagne (NZ) was arguably the most remembered Melbourne Cup second place getter in its history, as she looked the certain winner before another kiwi mare Jezabeel fought back to snatch it from her at the post,” said Liesl Baumann of Cressfield.

A dual Group I winner, dual Group I placed, with multiple Group III wins and placings, Champagne amassed nearly $2m in prizemoney in the late 90’s.

After retirement from racing as a 5yr old, Champagne proved as tough and as sound a broodmare as she was a racehorse, foaling 16 live foals throughout her career, missing only once in 2011 and producing two stakes-winners in Nadedge and Martique, the dam of Group I winner Charmont.

“Champagne arrived at Cressfield like a freight train in February of 2007. She was quite a big mare, powerful and had very little respect for the direction given to her by her leader, she was explosively dependant on having a mate nearby and at times could prove to be quite the handful," Baumann recalled.

Advertisement

"Over the years we grew to love her quirks and while you would never put her in a crush on her own, you could easy give her an IV in the paddock without a headcollar. She was a bit of a marvel, I don’t think she had a lame day in her 27 years and was just a phenomenally fertile broodmare. There would be very few mares in the studbook with a record like hers.“

She is buried at Cressfield alongside two other wonderful matriarchs, Snowdrift and Palia.

News from Cressfield

Advertisment
More Reading...
First Local Win As New Endeavour (IRE) Records Stakes Success
While it may have taken the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained New Endeavour (IRE) a while to record his first Australian success, connections were rewarded for their patience as the 5yo dominated under Tim Clark to win the Group 3 BRC Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m) at Eagle Farm.
Sires With Winners - Friday May 30
Here is the full list of 41 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
First Winner for Palace Pier
Kingman’s Champion 3YO Miler Palace Pier(GB) was a one term shuttler to Australia for Darley in 2022 and that crop will race next season, but in the meantime he had his first Northern Hemisphere winner overnight at Haydock.
Stakes Potential for New Hello Youmzain Winner
Late-season black type is on the radar for Platinum Diamond after an impressive upset victory in Saturday’s Full Circle Appearance Medicine 2YO (1200m) at Wanganui.
Niance Overcomes Serious Injury to Claim Stakes Victory
Exciting New Zealand-bred mare Niance has bounced back from a serious injury and picked up right where she left off last spring, collecting her third consecutive black-type win in Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
Expensive Ghaiyyath Colt Wins Stakes
Darley shuttler Ghaiyyath (IRE) had his first Australian winner earlier this week and overnight produced a new stakes-winner in the UK where Godolphin owned colt Opera Ballo won the Listed Heron Stakes (1m)at Sandown.
Ears Back Wins Listed Stakes at Wanganui
A two-race North Island campaign has ended on a career-defining high for Ears Back and her Rangiora trainer John Blackadder, who scored their first black-type win in Saturday’s Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui.
Bright Future for El Roca 3YO
Owner-trainer-breeder Kylie Little believes she might have a promising stayer on her hands with Eagle Rock, who left maiden ranks with an emphatic performance in Saturday’s Matt Edwards-Lime Group Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa.
Kiwi Bred Campaldino Wins G3 for Darby
Promising New Zealand-bred stayer Campaldino passed his biggest test with flying colours at Eagle Farm on Saturday, stepping up to stakes company and adding the A$200,000 Gr.3 Living Turf Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) to his winning sequence.
Hat-Trick for Trelawney Stud Blueblood Filly
Well-related Trelawney Stud filly Madiyya signed off her three-year-old season with a third straight win, this time over 1600m in the A$150,000 Rod Griffiths Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday.