{"id":438485,"date":"2025-09-20T12:07:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T12:07:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/438485\/"},"modified":"2025-09-20T12:07:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T12:07:21","slug":"joliestar-stamps-everest-credentials-as-fangirl-earns-right-to-race-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/438485\/","title":{"rendered":"Joliestar stamps Everest credentials as Fangirl earns right to race on"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cNo, it\u2019ll be great. Home track advantage is a big thing, and it\u2019s great that David Hayes and the owners are bringing Ka Ying Rising out. It\u2019s going to be an awesome day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a worthy contender.\u201d<\/p>\n

The win was part of a $1 million feature race double for the Waller-McDonald combination after the victory of Fangirl in the 7 Stakes.<\/p>\n

\"James<\/p>\n

James McDonald saluted on Fangirl on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

The show goes on for Fangirl<\/p>\n

Chris Waller came to Randwick on Saturday thinking Fangirl could be racing for the last time before heading to the broodmare barn.<\/p>\n

A stirring finish under James McDonald to run down stablemate Lindermann by a nose not only gave the star mare back-to-back 7 Stakes (1600m) wins, but ensured she will race on for another season.<\/p>\n

The seven-year-old mare, a Randwick mile specialist, was coming off a rare failure when four-lengths fourth in the group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday could have been her last race,\u201d Waller said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s breeding season, so I thought about it coming here. She needed to run well, otherwise … but she\u2019s done enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Waller said Fangirl, which took her earnings past $10.6 million for Ingham Racing, would now carry on to the $5 million King Charles III Stakes at Randwick on October 18.<\/p>\n

He said she would be kept fresh with a trial in between. She was a $3.80 second elect for the King Charles behind stablemate Autumn Glow ($3).<\/p>\n

\"Tommy<\/p>\n

Tommy Berry and Apocalyptic combined well at Randwick.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Berry lauds \u2018special\u2019 Apocalyptic<\/p>\n

Tommy Berry said he hadn\u2019t previously ridden a filly like Michael Freedman-trained Apocalyptic after she backed up a slashing win in the Furious Stakes (1200m) with another powerhouse victory, off a tougher run, in the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Stuck three wide without cover for much of the trip from a sticky draw in eight, Apocalyptic was still able to round up her rivals late for a one-and-three-quarter-length win over Artistic Venture.<\/p>\n

The performance more than made up for the scratching of Gringotts and Marhoona on the day for Berry, who was returning from suspension. Apocalyptic was into a $2.20 favourite for the final leg of the Princess Series, the group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was pretty special today,\u201d Berry said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe worst place we can be is three deep, no cover, but I said to Michael, I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s the worst place we can be because she\u2019s got such a big stride, and she just really wants to use that action.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe part I liked the most was when I got cover, it was only for 150 metres, but she switched off straight away, whereas in the run without cover, in the wind, she wanted to over do it a touch.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any query about her running a mile. That last furlong, she was proper; she just floated along. You don\u2019t get that feeling very often.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Anthony Cummings filly I won the Oaks on [She\u2019s Extreme] was a lovely filly, but this one has got a bit more brilliance and presence about her. I haven\u2019t ridden one like her, that can do a bit of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Alysha<\/p>\n

Alysha Collett scored a win on With Your Blessing. Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Thompson on the hunt<\/p>\n

Randwick trainer John Thompson was looking to the $1 million The Hunter (1300m) with seven-year-old With Your Blessing in November after he scored a first stakes race win in the group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick.<\/p>\n

Alysha Collett rated With Your Blessing perfectly out in front in the 10-horse field to hold off Bosustow late by a neck.<\/p>\n

The victory followed a second to Lazzura in the Show County Quality and third behind Pericles and Private Eye in the Tramway. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew he\u2019d run well, it was a good run the other day [when third in the Tramway].\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kerrin<\/p>\n

Kerrin McEvoy and Birdman in action at Randwick.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Birdman finally lands an Australian win<\/p>\n

The group 1 Metropolitan and a cups campaign were on the cards for Birdman after the Chris Waller-trained import broke through at his eighth Australian start with a thrilling finish in the group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).<\/p>\n

Birdman, an Irish-bred five-year-old, surged through a gap under Kerrin McEvoy at the 250m mark and went almost a length ahead of Adelaide River before the Kris Lees-trained import cut the final margin to a nose.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just steadily been working towards something, but he needed to, he needed to start doing it,\u201d Waller said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s heading the right way towards the cups that\u2019s what he was brought for a year out, and it\u2019s coming together nicely for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birdman was into a $4.50 Sportsbet favourite for the Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 4.<\/p>\n

Petticoat scores timely victory<\/p>\n

Coffs Harbour trainer Brett Dodson hoped Petticoat was on the radar now for the final Kosciuszko (1200m) slot, or as a potential replacement, after a timely Highway Handicap win at Randwick on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Loading<\/p>\n

Petticoat made the most of an inside draw to hold off favourite Social Circle, which was on show for a spot in the $2 million Kosciuszko on October 18, by a half-length in her first Highway attempt.<\/p>\n

First-up over 1000m in the class 3, Petticoat pulled off a long-term plan for Dodson with Tommy Berry aboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe will run 1200, she has before, running well at Doomben,\u201d Dodson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s got good tactical speed, she handles all sorts of tracks. When I looked at the noms, with one slot left, I thought they will have to be watching this race, it\u2019s such a strong race. And she was first-up, so she\u2019s got improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cNo, it\u2019ll be great. Home track advantage is a big thing, and it\u2019s great that David Hayes and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":438486,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4107],"tags":[1071,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-438485","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-racing","8":"tag-racing","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115236546321200816","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=438485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438485\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/438486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=438485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=438485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=438485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}