The Ian Longmore owned Beach Goddess (Kildonan) prevailed in a tight finish to the running of the Gr3 Champagne Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday afternoon.

The field was reduced to 10, with the late scratching of Varumba (Var).

Favourite Victoria Lavelle (Captain Al) set the pace, with unbeaten Quine (Querari) and the favourite’s stable mate Acaciawood (who was keen early on) just off the pace.
The Justin Snaith trained favourite kept rolling with 400m left to run, but was then swallowed up by a wall of challenges, with Corne Offer producing Beach Goddess late on.

The lightly raced Beach Goddess appeared to have the race in safe keeping, but was challenged by the well bred Come Fly With Me (Jet Master). A full sister to former Gr1 Mercury Sprint winner Fly By Night, Come Fly With Me produced an eye catching turn of foot late in the 1200m contest but failed to catch the Brett Crawford trained Beach Goddess, who prevailed by a neck from Come Fly With Me, with Acaciawood (Captain Al) picking up some valuable black type in third place.

Beach Goddess stopped the clock in a time of 74.77.

It was a first feature race win for the Klawervlei bred Beach Goddess, who is out of the winning Giant’s Causeway mare, Rock Goddess, and Saturday’s win pushed her tally to three wins from just seven starts.

Beach Goddess, who had previously finished second to stable mate Chevauchee (High Chaparral) in the Listed Olympic Duel Stakes, has now earned R301 225.