16/04/2025

DOMELAND will be aiming to put an exclamation mark on a memorable week when promising juvenile Is It Spectacular tackles the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Still on a high after Matcha Latte’s gritty victory in the $1 million Provincial Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick last weekend, Is It Spectacular could deliver Domeland one of its most important victories at the elite level.

A $260,000 colt by champion sire Dundeel, Is It Spectacular will be the first Group 1 runner for Domeland Head Trainer Sara Ryan.

“He actually reminds me a lot of Matcha Latte as a young horse,” Ryan said this week.

“He’s that quality colt, they don’t know that they’re a bull and carry a lot of muscle.”

Is It Spectacular earnt his place in the highest grade when a strong winner first-up in a 1300m 2yo Maiden at Warwick Farm on April 2.

Winning rider Chad Schofield spoke glowingly of the colt following that victory, suggesting he would be even better suited racing with cover rather than on the pace as he did at Warwick Farm.

Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Mark Zahra will take over in the Champagne Stakes and should get that opportunity to find a cosy run behind the leaders after Is It Spectacular drew perfectly in barrier two in the $1 million feature.

Despite the favourable draw and coming into the race as a last start winner, TAB bookmakers rate the Domeland juvenile among the rank outsiders at $61 for Saturday’s Group 1.

While confident in Is It Spectacular’s ability, Ryan admitted holding some reservations about whether Saturday’s test would arrive too quickly.

“The only thing with him is he’s a big baby,” Ryan said.

“Matcha was a little bit more mature, he knew his job. But this guy has only had two runs, so he’s still very, very green.”

Regardless of Saturday’s result, Ryan is confident Is It Spectacular can measure up to elite company, with targets including the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) during the Queensland Winter Carnival in his future.

“He’ll get tucked away (after Saturday) and we’ll head up to the JJ Atkins, that’ll be his plan,” Ryan said.

“He is a very, very nice horse. He has the sort of qualities like a Derby sort of horse. That’s what I envision for him later in life.”

Saturday’s Randwick card is shaping as a pivotal meeting for Domeland as they plot their way towards important targets through until the end of the season.