Campione d'Italia emerged as one of the new stars of Australian racing with a brilliant win in Saturday's $1 million Group One ATC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick and was one of two feature winners on the card sourced from Baramul Stud drafts at Magic Millions.
Following up a recent eye catching fourth when coming from last on the corner in the Golden Slipper, Campione d'Italia was sent out the $4.20 second elect and he was able to charge home late for a strong win.
The beautifully bred colt by Snitzel is one of the country's most exciting colts and trainer Chris Waller has been impressed with the developing youngster.
"He’s a young horse," Waller noted. "Today was his fourth career star and each run has got a little bit better."
"His run in the Golden Slipper was amazing. He just got too far back. It was no-one's fault, and the horse is just learning all the time."
"He got a lovely draw today, and that was the difference between having him in the firing line or going back like he was last start. It was good to see him knuckle down and get the job done."
"He's got raw talent. His first start he did everything wrong, just because he thought, right let's get the race over and done with."
"We had to harness that a little bit and bring him back. He's a lovely colt."
The colt carries the same colours as a former outstanding juvenile who went on to win the Champagne Stakes following the Sires'. Will Campione d'Italia do the same?
"Militarize, he won the Sires' and then he won the Champagne, so I'll have a talk to the team and see what they suggest," Waller noted.
Campione d'Italia was bred by Gerry Harvey and was sold to the China Horse Club and Newgate team for $500,000 at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
"He got passed in at the sales and I told Henry Field I want $600,000 and he said I’ll give you $500,000 and I said get lost," Harvey recalled. "In the end I took it and luckily I kept 20 per cent for myself."
The success continued the incredible run of success for the most winning Group One jockey in Australian history, James McDonald.
"He's a sensational horse," McDonald said. "He's been a work in progress and Mr Harvey told me, make sure I keep my hands down, don't want the horse throwing his head."
"He's beautifully bred and is a horse with a real future, I'm sure he'll run the 1600 metres right out."
"It's great to see him put it together today, we've always had a big opinion of him.," McDonald added. "Chris and the team have done such a good job to keep him improving with each start."
Miss Chanel, who was a certainty beaten last start in the $1 million VOBIS Showdown at Caulfield, was the best of those behind the winner. She was a brave second coming from near last.
The Waterhouse and Bott trained daughter of Tagaloa, who was Lot 1 at the 2025 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, was a $270,000 buy from the Yulong draft.
Campione d'Italia, another Group One by former Arrowfield Stud based champion Snitzel, is the third black type performer from five named foals for his dam Medaglia Valore.
A winner at 1200 metre by Medaglia d'Oro, Medaglia Valore is also the dam of Group performers Flashing Steel and Snitzel Miss.
She is a daughter of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Military Rose, who is also the grandam of Kindergarten Stakes and Breeders' Plate winner Espionage.
It was a running double in million dollar features at Randwick for Baramul Stud products bred by Gerry Harvey.
A race earlier the Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate Chidiac scored an impressive win for trainers Brett and Georgie Cavanough in the Country Championship Final.
