Newgate Farm’s exciting young sire Foxwedge featured at Randwick on Saturday when his dashing grey daughter Foxplay claimed her second win in the Princess Series when scoring a stylish victory in the Group II ATC Tea Rose Stakes for a delighted team of Star Thoroughbreds owners.
A brilliant last start winner of the Group II ATC Furious Stakes at the same venue, the Chris Waller trained filly was caught in a pocket, but showed her trademark turn of foot for Hugh Bowman when clear to snatch a neck win in the 1400 metre contest as favourite.
“She was going to be unlucky if she didn’t win,” Waller said.
“Fortunately he (Bowman) managed to angle his way into the clear, gradually, and it was a good win.
“She’s not a big girl but she’s all heart and does everything that the rider asks.”
In taking out the $175,000 event, Foxplay became the ninth filly since 2000 to complete the Furious Stakes – Tea Rose Stakes double.
She will now look to Group I company with either the Group I ATC Flight Stakes in which she would face stablemate Omei Sword or Group I MRC Thousand Guineas in Melbourne as her next assignment.
“We’re not afraid to run two or three together if they are Group I races,” Waller said. “Sydney is their home and that will be their main target.
“If for whatever reason that doesn’t suit then of course there is always the Thousand Guineas a week later, that is perfect.”
A $160,000 Magic Millions purchase for Star Thoroughbreds from the Newgate Farm draft, Foxplay runs for a big syndicate of enthusiastic owners and has now won over $312,000 in prizemoney with three wins and two seconds from seven starts.
Bred by SF Bloodstock, Foxplay is the third winner from three foals to race from imported stakes-winner Butters (USA), a daughter of leading sire El Prado from the family of Group I Breeders Cup Juvenile winner Eliza.
Foxplay is a fitting flagbearer for her sire Foxwedge, who stands this spring at a fee of $22,000.