Fangirl left Mr Brightside without an excuse when she earned a third win at the highest level when much the best in the inaugural running of the $5,000,000 Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Ridden by James McDonald for Chris Waller, the 5-year-old daughter of Sebring almost arrogantly pushed out under Mr Brightside at the 200m to win by two and three-quarter lengths.
It was the first loss in three starts in Sydney for dual Group 1 Doncaster Stakes winner Mr Brightside (Bullbars), who didn’t shirk his task to finish a head in front of My Oberon (IRE) (Dubawi).
The Ingham family homebred advances her record to seven wins, four seconds, and three thirds from 21 starts, with earnings of $7,133,565.
Waller said that Fangirl is on track for the Cox Plate.
“They (the Ingham family) are racing purists, they cope with the quiet days, and they’ve been at the highest mountain. They never put any pressure on you, they just listen,” Waller said.
“That (the Cox Plate) was always the plan, to space her runs and get her to Melbourne as well. That will be tomorrow’s decision I guess, she was pretty dominant today.”
James McDonald said Fangirl has gone to a new level.
“She’s flying at home, I haven’t seen her go any better at home,” he said.
“She’s quite funny; she’s hard to read at times because she can put in an odd gallop. Her form is great, but (she) doesn’t really gallop that well. These two weeks have been unbelievable. She trialled with all those Everest horses, and she probably could’ve almost got a slot after that trial that’s how good she was going. She’s a really good horse, under certain conditions she’s pretty hard to beat.
“Even when you’re looking around, her ears are pricked; she had an evil eye on her. Her eye was just glowing, and she was just in form. She was such a happy horse around the stalls. Didn’t begin as well, but we were lucky to use a good gate, and she did the rest.”
Fangirl is the best of five winners from six to race out of the Encosta de Lago mare Little Surfer Girl.
Like her daughter, Little Surfer Girl won the Listed Reginald Allen Quality Handicap in addition to the Listed ATC Angst Quality Handicap and Listed Civic Stakes.
Bob Ingham purchased Little Surfer Girl for $1,500,000 from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
She was the lone stakes-winner for the VRC Oaks, MRC One Thousand Guineas and STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes winner Special Harmony (Spinning World).
After missing in 2020, Little Surfer Girl has a yearling filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) and foaled a colt by Home Affairs on September 10.
