The Chris Waller-trained mare Fangirl is the clear favourite to defend her title in the $1 million 7 Stakes at Royal Randwick this Saturday.
Chris Waller’s multiple Group 1 winning mare Fangirl is top elect to successfully defend her 7 Stakes crown. Photo: Steve Hart.
The mile event, which offers a ballot-free ride into the Group 1 Epsom Handicap, has drawn an elite line-up of 11 middle-distance stars, but the defending champion is the top fancy at $2.70 to go back-to-back in the latest 7 Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.
Fangirl, a seven-year-old with over $10 million in career earnings, is in excellent form coming off a strong fourth-place finish in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes.
The form from that race was franked last weekend with the runner-up Mr Brightside, who went on to become the first horse to win the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes three times.
The star mare, who won this race last year from barrier eight, has an even better draw this weekend in barrier five with James McDonald aboard.
The main danger to the defending champion is the Joe Pride-trained Ceolwulf ($5).
The five-year-old is a two-time Group 1 winner over the Randwick mile, having completed the Epsom Handicap – King Charles III Stakes double last spring.
He presents fit for his third-up run and will be a major threat.
The other single-figure chance is the Ciaron Maher-trained Gringotts ($5.50).
The gelding beat Fangirl home in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes back in March and is looking to build on his fifth-place finish in the Winx Stakes.
He’s a horse that loves the mile and has been kept fit with a recent trial.
A further three challengers are also under $10 for the win, including the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Royal Patronage ($6.50), who ran a brave second in the Doncaster Mile.
Waller’s impressive Chelmsford Stakes champ Lindermann ($8) is also in the mix, as is the Joe Pride-trained dual The Everest placegetter Private Eye ($8.50).
Private Eye is fit third-up and could prove to be the value on the weekend, having finished a game second to Pericles in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes last start.
The 2025 7 Stakes is set to run as Randwick Race 8 at 4:00 pm (AEST) on Saturday.
2025 7 Stakes Field
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1x45315x44 | CEOLWULF (NZ) | Joseph Pride | Chad Schofield | 3 | 59kg | 114 | ||
| 2 | 101x6310x0 | LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR) | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 6 | 59kg | 114 | ||
| 3 | 65814x3x12 | PRIVATE EYE | Joseph Pride | Adam Hyeronimus | 9 | 59kg | 114 | ||
| 4 | 3337x1420x | ROYAL PATRONAGE (FR) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 2 | 59kg | 114 | ||
| 5 | 2110x310x5 | GRINGOTTS (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Tommy Berry | 1 | 59kg | 113 | ||
| 6 | 2332490×01 | LINDERMANN | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 8 | 59kg | 112 | ||
| 7 | 60x70331x0 | KOVALICA (NZ) | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd | 10 | 59kg | 110 | ||
| 8 | 3x000546x5 | MILITARIZE (NZ) | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 4 | 59kg | 107 | ||
| 9 | 42111x70x0 | KADAVAR (NZ) | Chris Waller | 11 | 59kg | 92 | |||
| 10 | 117×211215 | HALF YOURS | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Ashley Morgan | 7 | 59kg | 95 | ||
| 11 | 163x1221x4 | FANGIRL | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 5 | 57kg | 118 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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