Chris Waller’s exceptional mare, Fangirl, showcased her brilliance with a commanding victory in the $1 million 7+ Sport Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick.
This win sets her up perfectly for her title defence in the 2024 King Charles III Stakes back at the track on October 19.
The six-year-old daughter of Sebring redeemed her third-place finish in last year’s inaugural 7 Stakes race, delighting favourite backers with a dominant performance as the $1.75 odds-on favourite.
After a close third in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m), Fangirl regained the punters’ confidence under a masterful ride by James McDonald.
“She’s so good. I wasn’t pleased with our position today,” McDonald said post-race. “I was looking up, and I was saying, ‘Zougotcha…. Oh! Royal Patronage, beautiful!’ That was the only saving grace, but she still had to do it the hard way.
“We’ve all come to realise that she’s one-dimensional, so we know where she’s going to be. Chris (Waller) and I have worked together to ride her to her strengths, which we’ve nailed down.
“Last prep, she won like Winx, so we started riding accordingly. She’s not Winx, so we have to adjust, but she should have won the Winx Stakes. Today, with a smaller field, it worked out alright, but we’ll need to come up with more for the next race.”
Starting from the outside draw, McDonald let Fangirl settle at the back as 60/1 outsider Major Beel set a strong pace. Approaching the turn, she moved onto the back of Royal Patronage and then surged forward, toying with the field in the final 50m.
Fangirl crossed the line half a length ahead of outsider My Oberon ($31), with Royal Patronage finishing third.
“She had to give them a good start. I was thinking, thank God, we’ve got James aboard,” Waller told Sky Thoroughbred Central. “So many things go through your mind on race day, and that’s why you need good jockeys. They make my job look easier, but it’s not.
“We didn’t have a pre-race plan, just aware it would be hard to make up ground. She showed an amazing turn of foot and was brilliant, especially with the leaders setting a fast pace. It was terrific.”
Following her 7+ Sport Stakes placing last spring, Fangirl went on to win the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m) by 2.67 lengths. She is now the outright $3 favourite for back-to-back wins in the October 19 showdown at Randwick through Ladbrokes.
“I think today was a month after her first-up run, and it seems to suit her. She’s not a big, heavy horse, so we’ll see what’s next and try to get it right,” Waller said of Fangirl’s upcoming race.
2024 7 Stakes Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | FANGIRL | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 8 | 57kg | $1.75F | |||
| 2 | 1 | MY OBERON (IRE) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Chad Schofield | 0.56L | 5 | 59kg | $31 | ||
| 3 | 3 | ROYAL PATRONAGE (FR) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 1.13L | 6 | 59kg | $4.40 | ||
| 4 | 2 | DETONATOR JACK (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Jason Collett | 1.2L | 1 | 59kg | $14 | ||
| 5 | 5 | MAJOR BEEL (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Ms Rachel King | 1.26L | 4 | 59kg | $61 | ||
| 6 | 4 | NAVAJO PEAK | David Payne | Kerrin McEvoy | 3.45L | 7 | 59kg | $101 | ||
| 7 | 8 | HINGED | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 4.23L | 2 | 57kg | $15 | ||
| 8 | 7 | ZOUGOTCHA | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 4.59L | 3 | 57kg | $5.50 | ||
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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