The formidable trainer-jockey mixture of Chris Waller and James McDonald continued their dominant run at Royal Randwick, securing their second Group 1 victory on Day 2 of The Championships with the gifted mare Fangirl claiming the 2025 Queen Of The Turf Stakes.
Only one race after stablemate By way of Sistina equalled Winx’s file along with her seventh Group 1 win of the season within the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Fangirl ($2.50F) added one other prestigious trophy to Waller’s cupboard, saluting for punters within the Group 1 $1 million Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m).
Fangirl was initially entered for each the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Queen Of The Turf, however Waller made the strategic choice to withdraw her from the 2000m occasion in favour of the shorter mile contest.
“We took a step again right this moment from the Queen Elizabeth, however she’ll get her time in one other 2,000m race, I promise you that,” Waller instructed Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“Clearly, right this moment means a lot. We’ve obtained to have horses profitable, and the large races particularly. We’d have preferred to have had a crack on the Queen Elizabeth, however By way of Sistina was flying and I didn’t wish to break her coronary heart.”
The constant daughter of Sebring entered the race because the odds-on favorite following a powerful autumn marketing campaign, which included a first-up victory within the Group 2 Apollo Stakes and subsequent second-place finishes behind By way of Sistina within the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes and Gringotts within the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes.
“Yeah, it was a very good run, the George Ryder, we ran dwelling with our tails between our legs, considering we’d gained the race and possibly the one which obtained away,” Waller mirrored.
“It was nobody’s fault, simply barrier attracts and luck in working. However she was courageous and full credit score to the horses that beat us. However, yeah, it’s icing on the cake when you recognize they will bounce off the canvas and are available again.”
Again towards her personal intercourse over the Randwick mile, Fangirl proved too robust, defeating final weekend’s Doncaster Mile winner Stefi Magnetica ($7) by just below a size.
Stefi Magnetica was extremely courageous in defeat on the short back-up after encountering visitors points on the high of the straight, shedding essential momentum.
“Yeah, a tremendous staff of householders, that’s an enormous factor in itself,” Waller mentioned, acknowledging the help behind his runners.
“There’s so many nice tales with any winner on the racetrack, however the Group 1s on massive days like right this moment, it truly is particular.
“So, I don’t know the place to begin. She gained her first race in Goulburn throughout COVID, if I bear in mind. Yeah, she’s come a great distance. Every preparation, she simply stands up and she or he’s counted.”
Rounding out the trifecta in third place was Waller’s 2023 Queen Of The Turf champion, Atishu ($12), who had additionally completed second within the occasion final 12 months, demonstrating her constant excessive degree of efficiency.
“Yeah, she was courageous too, it’s her final run right this moment too, and she or he’s been a tremendous horse,” Waller mentioned of Atishu.
“Final three years she’s run on this race, she gained it two years in the past, obtained crushed a nostril final 12 months, and she or he’s crushed by Fangirl and the Doncaster winner this 12 months.”
Interstate raider Grinzinger Belle ($15), recent off a win within the Group 2 Sunline Stakes, led the sector into the straight earlier than fading to complete seventh, 5 lengths behind the winner.
With 300m to go, the Waller duo of Fangirl and Atishu had been positioned completely on the within to launch their bids.
Fangirl took the lead inside the ultimate 100m and held off the fast-finishing Stefi Magnetica to safe a well-deserved victory by three-quarters of a size.
“She’s a terrific mare, love her to bits. Simply ridden a bit quieter right this moment than what we did final time,” McDonald mentioned of Fangirl.
“Tried to win final begin and she or he ran properly, however again to mares’ grade, it was wanting fairly good. She’s fast, she’s obtained a deadly 400m, however not 405m.
“I believed I’d be there, as a result of final time I drove her up, right this moment I wasn’t going to try this and so I used to be all the time going to be curled up someplace, and I used to be simply going to have to wish that it will open up.
“Generally while you simply let it occur earlier than attempting to make it occur, it may be in your favour. I truly went on the market with the mindset, she was a ten to 1 probability, and rode her like that.”
2025 Queen Of The Turf Stakes Outcomes
End
No.
Horse
Coach
Jockey
Margin
Bar.
Weight
Penalty
Beginning Value
1
1
FANGIRL
Chris Waller
James McDonald
6
57kg
$1.60F
2
2
STEFI MAGNETICA
Bjorn Baker
Jason Collett
0.84L
4
57kg
$6.50
3
3
ATISHU (NZ)
Chris Waller
Nash Rawiller
0.87L
2
57kg
$9.50
4
12
LAZZURA
Chris Waller
Tommy Berry
3.63L
12
54.5kg
$10
5
4
AMELIA’S JEWEL
Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
Joshua Parr
4.42L
9
57kg
$14
6
5
LEKVARTE (NZ)
Joseph Pleasure
Jay Ford
4.96L
11
57kg
$61
7
6
GRINZINGER BELLE (NZ)
Danny O’Brien
Declan Bates
5.25L
7
57kg
$19
8
7
COEUR VOLANTE (NZ)
Glen Thompson
Blake Shinn
5.42L
8
57kg
$51
9
9
OUR GOLD HOPE
Robert & Luke Value
Tyler Schiller
5.99L
10
57kg
$61
10
13
ANOTHER PROPHET
Ciaron Maher
Ethan Brown
7.21L
5
54.5kg (cd 55kg)
$71
11
10
SOUNDS OF HEAVEN (GB)
Joseph Pleasure
Ms Jamie Melham
7.78L
3
57kg
$81
12
11
QUICKSTER
Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman
Craig Williams
9.2L
1
57kg
$101
8
JENNILALA
Gavin Bedggood
Craig Newitt
0
Desk Credit score: Racing Australia.
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