Surely the winning machine Vanna Girl is making a believer even out of her harshest critics following another dominant performance in Saturday’s Group II The Roses (1800m) at Eagle Farm.
It was the fourth consecutive win and third consecutive stakes win for the Trent and Toby Edmonds-trained daughter of Husson (ARG) and adds plenty of value to her half-sister by Star Turn who has been catalogued by Vinery Stud to round 2 of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale next month.
Breaking a step slowly under Brad Stewart, Vannha Girl had just three behind her early. By the time they reached the home turn, Stewart had angled the 3yo filly to the outside. She picked off runner after runner to hit the lead 200m out and was untroubled to defeat another 3yo daughter of Husson (IRE), Cellarmaid, with the Hinchinbrook filly Celestial Falls a nose back in third.
Stewart said there was plenty left in the tank.
"She won that pretty soft in the finish, there's something about this filly she's just got another gear that these three-year-old's don't have, I knew at the 600 I was on the winner," Stewart said.
"First time I rode her (the Pam O’Neill Stakes) she was a bit keen but today they ran along and she was much more comfortable. You never panic on her because you know when you ask for an effort it'll be there.
"It's a shame she goes to the paddock now with winning form, but she'll only come back better.”
Trent Edmonds said Vanna Girl will be spelled with a view to Melbourne in the spring.
"Just a huge effort from this filly to come here today and win the way she did, this was always her grand final and despite the success we've had this preparation we wanted to finish on a good note and she's done just that," Edmonds said.
"She's a rare mix of talent and toughness and the scary thing is she's not fully there yet once she really fills out the skies the limit with her.
"She's been incredibly durable being up since October with only three weeks off in that time full credit to the staff at home who do a great job with her.
"We'll head to Melbourne when we bring her back, we probably don't want to aim too high too early but she's shown she's a cut above up here and has earnt the chance.
"She's a special horse the things she can do on the track and we've got a lot of family involved in the ownership she's taken us on a hell of a ride so far.
"The stable success is great but that's on the back of three, four, five years of working to get the talent in the barn we have at the moment."
An inspired $40,000 purchase by Edmonds Racing out of the Vinery Stud draft at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Vanna Girl advances her record to 7 wins and 2 seconds from 10 starts with earnings of $371,300.
Bred and part-owned by John Robinson, Vanna Girl is the fifth winner from six to race out of the talented Redoute’s Choice mare Logan’s Choice who was a $250,000 Easter Yearling out of the Dehere (USA) mare De Souba a half-sister to the outstanding, triple Group 1 winner Naturalism and the Group 1 Queensland Oaks winner Crystal Palace the dam of the dual Group II winner Palacio de Critstal.
Vanna Girl is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Plucky Girl (Pluck) another great stalwart of the Edmonds stable who banked over $308,725.
Logan's Choice has a yearling filly and a weanling colt by Star Turn. The yearling will be consigned by Vinery Stud to the upcoming round 2 of the Inglis Yearling Sale (lot 11).
Vanna Girl is one of 16 stakes-winner for Aquis Farm’s Husson (ARG) who will cover this year at just $5,500.
