Underrated mare Fay’s Angels has delivered Karen Owen the biggest win of her training career with an emphatic performance in the $150,000 Anzac Day Cup at Randwick’s Kensington track.
The four-year-old has proven to be a breakthrough horse for Owen, also providing the trainer with her first metropolitan win at Warwick Farm in August and her maiden Saturday grade success in a Highway Handicap in February.
Thursday’s 1800 metre assignment was Fay’s Angels’ most significant win in terms of prizemoney, making Owens’ trek from her training base of Taree worthwhile.
“It’s really good. She won a Highway, but this is one of my biggest wins,” Owen said.
“I haven’t had many city wins and they’ve all been with ‘Angel’.”
Ridden by Reece Jones, Fay’s Angels ($9) appreciated the solid tempo set by runaway leader Zouatica, who strung the field out mid-race.
She pounced on the frontrunner halfway up the straight and dashed clear to score by 3-1/4 lengths over Perfect Play ($6.50) with Zouatica ($7.50) kicking back tenaciously to hold third, another long head away.
Favourite City Of Lights ($2) got well back under her big weight and made some late headway without threatening, finishing fourth.
Fay’s Angels finished runner-up to City Of Lights over the same course and distance last month and Owen said they were quietly confident she could reverse the placings.
“She wasn’t beaten far by the favourite here, so we thought she could possibly turn the tables on the favourite,” Owen said.
“She is just a wonderful mare. She always puts in.”
Owen also sent a shout out to Fay’s Angels breeder and part owner, 97-year-old Ed Meadows, who she said would have been watching the race from home.
“His family says that’s what keeps him going,” Owen said.
While Jones triumphed in the afternoon’s feature, riding honours for the day belonged to Tyler Schiller who booted home a winning treble.
Schiller opened his account aboard the John O’Shea-trained Kokoro in the fourth race before adding victories aboard Bright Red for Chris Waller and the Brad Widdup-trained Jedibeel.
