Journalists Wandering Eyes Posted August 16, 2023 Journalists Share Posted August 16, 2023 The punters are coming for Chris Waller‘s autumn bridesmaid, Fangirl, to get back to Group 1 winning form when she kicks off her spring campaign in the $1 million Winx Stakes 2023 this weekend in Sydney. The Chris Waller-trained Fangirl (pink silks) is out to go one better than her second in last year’s race when she kicks off in Saturday’s 2023 Winx Stakes at Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart. Royal Randwick hosts the season’s opening elite level with a quality field of Group 1 horses doing battle in this year’s Winx Stakes field over the 1400m on Saturday. Twelve months ago Waller’s classy daughter of Sebring ran second to Godolphin star Anamoe in the Winx. She would go on to meet the now retired galloper a host more times over the following months including her back-to-back Group 1 seconds behind him in the Chipping Norton and George Ryder in the autumn. With Anamoe now beginning his new career as a very value stallion, this spring looks Fangirl’s time to shine starting with the Winx on the weekend. Waller saddles-up a bumper nine in the event with Fangirl heading Winx Stakes betting at Ladbrokes at $4.40 and firming. The mare lines-up from gate 11 with last year’s winning hoop James McDonald in the saddle. At her latest start Fangirl finished seventh on a mud track here behind Mr Brightside in April’s Doncaster Mile. Her first-up record and firmer track on Saturday suggest she can improve and continue Waller’s outstanding run in the event formerly known as the Warwick Stakes. Waller has prepared six of the past eight winners including the race’s now namesake Winx on three occasions (2016-18). Along with Fangirl his other standout hopefuls in 2023 to secure a seventh trophy include last start Group 3 Frank Packer Plate winner Osipenko and Rosehill Guineas winner Lindermann with the two four-year-olds drawn wide out in gates 17 and 18 respectively. The Waller contingent also includes the spring’s Moonee Valley Cup winner Francesco Guardi ($61), international import Going Global ($81), the rails-drawn Hawkesbury Crown winning mare Princess Grace ($13), Group 1 winning mare Hinged ($15), and the former David Payne-trained Montefilia ($23). Also saddling-up a couple of big chances is Annabel Neasham who has accepted for her dual Mackinnon Stakes champion Zaaki ($4.60) making his nine-year-old debut and Mo’unga ($11) who won this race back in 2021. Mo’unga was last seen running a brave second to Dubai Honour in the autumn’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) and never runs a bad race. Another horse whose final start was in a Queen Elizabeth Stakes field is the returning Joe Pride-trained Think It Over ($10). He hasn’t raced since winning the 2022 Queen Elizabeth in a boil-over when defeating Zaaki on a mud track. After a lengthy let-off plenty of eyes will be focused on the eight-year-old son of So You Think who has a great first-up strike-rate and good form at this track and trip. Trainer James Cummings meanwhile chases back-to-back wins with a former stablemate of Anamoe, Golden Mile, racing second-up and looking to atone after nearly going down in the Group 2 Missile Stakes when the ill-fated Big Parade went amiss a fortnight back. The 2023 Winx Stakes is scheduled to run as Randwick Race 8 at 3:45pm (AEST) as part of Sydney’s 10-race Saturday card. 2023 Winx Stakes Field & Barriers No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating 1 111x14241x THINK IT OVER Kerry Parker Nash Rawiller 7 59kg 120 2 13341x217x ZAAKI (GB) Annabel Neasham Ms Jamie Kah 8 59kg 117 3 2852x5332x MO’UNGA (NZ) Annabel Neasham Sam Clipperton 16 59kg 113 4 820x77114x ARAPAHO (FR) Bjorn Baker Ms Rachel King 19 59kg 112 5 611232821x FRANCESCO GUARDI (IRE) Chris Waller Jay Ford 6 59kg 106 6 122x37160x COMMUNIST Michael Freedman Tyler Schiller 14 58.5kg 104 7 411x2400x9 GOLDEN MILE James Cummings Chad Schofield 2 58.5kg 104 8 x73x51761x OSIPENKO (NZ) Chris Waller Brenton Avdulla 17 58.5kg 103 9 292x51210x LINDERMANN Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 18 58.5kg 102 10 236x11421x MAJOR BEEL (NZ) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 10 58.5kg 102 11 x06880x43x DUAIS Edward Cummings Jason Collett 9 57kg 113 12 4340x5229x MONTEFILIA Chris Waller Dylan Gibbons (a) 15 57kg 113 13 2562x3227x FANGIRL Chris Waller James McDonald 11 57kg 112 14 x13x121x0x GOING GLOBAL (IRE) Chris Waller Regan Bayliss 13 57kg 111 15 x71223x31x PRINCESS GRACE (USA) Chris Waller Brett Prebble 1 57kg 110 16 358x26844x HINGED Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 5 57kg 109 17e 411x KING COLORADO Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 3 50.5kg 96 18e 21x421222x NAVAJO PEAK David Payne Joshua Parr 12 59kg 95 19e 33x1152x ATTRITION Mitchell Freedman 4 58.5kg 95 Table Credit: Racing Australia. The post Winx Stakes 2023 Field & Odds Update: Fangirl For Waller appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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