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Waller saves Winx relation for another day

3 minute read

Covent Garden, a younger half-sister to champion Winx, has been scratched from a race at Warwick Farm but could make her debut at Canterbury.

Trainer : CHRIS WALLER
Trainer : CHRIS WALLER Picture: Steve Hart

Racing fans will have to wait a bit longer for the debut of champion Winx's younger half-sister.

Covent Garden, a two-year-old filly, was scratched from a race at Warwick Farm on Monday with the public holiday meeting to be run on a heavy track.

She was entered to make her debut over 1200m but the Chris Waller-trained filly was withdrawn on race morning.

Instead, Covent Garden is an acceptor for an 1100m maiden race for two-year-olds at Canterbury on Wednesday.

She is among seven unraced juveniles in a field of 10 for the Harry Angel @ Darley Handicap.

Waller has also entered Covent Garden for a possible home track debut at Rosehill on Saturday.

Covent Garden is by Exceed And Excel out of the Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl.

Vegas Showgirl has produced eight foals but so far only Winx and the ill-fated Group Three winner El Divino, a son of leading sire Snitzel, have made it to the races.

Winx, by Street Cry, dominated Australian racing during her 43-start career with 37 wins including 33 in a row spanning a four-year period of dominance from 2015.

Hugh Bowman, who formed a history-making association with Winx, has been booked to ride Covent Garden at Canterbury.

She is only the second Winx sibling prominent breeder John Camilleri has opted not to sell.

Camilleri sold a half-brother to Winx by Snitzel for $2.3 million at the 2016 Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Named Boulder City, the colt was retired to stud without racing.

He served his first book of almost 100 mares in 2018 at a modest stud fee of $5000.

Winx ran her last race in front of a sold-out Randwick crowd in April, 2019 as she swept to victory in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes for the third time.

She is due to foal in the spring this year after a mating with Australia's most expensive sire, I Am Invincible.

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