Chris Waller has not only celebrated his 150th Group One win in the race named after his career-defining horse, but he has managed to produce four of the first five horses across the line in the Winx Stakes.
Crowd favourite Fangirl finally stepped out of the shadow of her retired former nemesis Anamoe, soaring down the outside to defeat stablemate Princess Grace by a short neck with the Annabel Neasham-trained Zaaki a long head away third.
The Waller-trained Hinged and Osipenko finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Winx gave Waller his century of majors with her farewell win in the 2019 Queen Elizabeth Stakes and he said it was apt the Ingham-owned Fangirl had delivered his next Group One milestone in Saturday’s Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
The Inghams have been major supporters of Waller and not only did Fangirl carry their famous all-cerise silks, she landed a deserved win.
Much like Happy Clapper did in the Winx era, Fangirl often had to settle for the minor spoils behind Godolphin star Anamoe.
“She was the Happy Clapper (to Anamoe) so she has got her day in the sun again today and it was a fitting result, 150 Group Ones and in the cerise (silks),” Waller said.
“One Group One, you never forget them, but to win 150, I thank my team.”
Waller saddled up seven runners in the Winx Stakes (1400m) and none was disgraced with stayers Montefilia (eighth) and Francesco Guardi (tenth) warming up late, while Lindermann (twelfth) paid the price for a wide gate.
He expects all seven to “bounce out” of Saturday’s race and find a suitable mark this spring.
“Osipenko was good, Princess Grace was second – she just about pinched it and she’s got a good win in her,” Waller said.
“Hinged wasn’t far away running fourth, Francesco Guardi was just in behind them.
“Barrier draws made it hard for some of them like Lindermann and even Montefilia, but they were all well prepared going into the race …. and I think they should all bounce out of their runs.”
Waller nominated the $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m) on October 14 as a likely spring target for Fangirl but was still weighing up the best way to get there.
Winning jockey James McDonald was also thrilled to see Fangirl get another Group 1 after playing second fiddle to Anamoe last season.
“Now the big boy is out of the way, she’s a five-year-old and she’s fully furnished,” McDonald said.
“She’s been racing against the best horses for a very long time and she deserved it.”
