After missing a run when balloted out of last Saturday’s Group III Epona Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill, City Of Lights earned a consolation of sorts in a benchmark 78 over 1800m at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday.
Ridden by Chad Schofield for Joe Pride, the half-sister to Winx travelled sweetly off the torrid pace set by Nash Rawiller on Special Swey. Eased out to make her run down the centre of the track, the 4-year-old daughter of Deep Impact (JPN) defeated Fay's Angels (Anacheeva) by a length with Ravello (Savabeel) back in third.
A homebred for John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, City Of Lights advances her record to four wins from seven starts with earnings of $116,175.
“She is a real stayer in the making and the solidly run race made it a staying test,” Pride said.
“I don’t know if she can quicken off the mark, but she can keep going at a sustained gallop for 1600m, which will win her a lot of races. “This is an afterthought. We would have loved to be there on Saturday.
“She is still carrying plenty of weight and is on the way up. She has won four from seven, which is a good record for a stayer.
“There are not a lot of options in terms of stakes races. I had in mind the JRA Plate at the end of the carnival over 2000m, but we will see how she pulls up. She is a horse with a bright future.”
A half-sister to 25-time Group 1 winner Winx, Group III Kindergarten Stakes winner El Divino and Riverbank Farm’s Snitzel stallion Boulder City, City Of Lights is one of five winners for Vegas Showgirl who died last October. She has the 3yo I Am Invincible filly, Time Of My Life, who has won one of two starts for Petet Moody and Katherine Coleman.
The final foal of Vegas Showgirl is the unraced 2-year-old Pride Of Dubai filly Wings Of Desire, who is in the stables of Michael Freedman.
Wings Of Desire had a barrier trial at Randwick on February 8 and promptly earned the ire of the stewards when fractious in the barrier.
