Winx’s baby sister City Of Lights didn’t get the win at Sydney’s midweek meeting, but she did enough to convince new trainer Joe Pride she has a future.
By Deep Impact out of Vegas Showgirl, the four-year-old is a half-sibling the former champion and showing ability in her own right.
A Geelong winner over 1418m on debut in June, City Of Lights resumed in Wednesday’s TAB Handicap (1250m) on Randwick’s Kensington track and after settling second last, she was spotting the leaders close to six lengths turning for home.
Pride wanted to see her hitting the line with purpose and the mare did just that, warming up late down the outside to finish fifth and just 2-1/4 lengths from winner Ghaanati, who is also superbly related being a half-sister to stallion Pride Of Dubai.
“There was a moment of truth there at the furlong where you said, ‘if you’re going to be a nice horse, you’re going to have to do a bit here’ and she did, she stretched,” Pride said.
“She will keep improving and we’ll get her out over further.
“I probably should have started her out over seven furlongs (1400 metres), but I just wanted to see her in a shorter race. It never hurts them and first-up runs, you don’t want to flatten them.”
City Of Lights is a homebred for John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds.
