Winx Half-Sister Ready for Debut

Tara Madgwick - Sunday June 7

The wraps are going to come off the two year-old half-sister to world champion mare Winx this week as Covent Garden has been entered for Warwick Farm on Monday and also Canterbury on Wednesday.

By champion sire Exceed and Excel, Covent Garden featured in a recent Juvenile Trial Watch story on Breednet and you can read it here.

Hugh Bowman has ridden her in each of her three barrier trials and expects her to run on Monday despite drawing awkwardly.

“She is a bit new, she's certainly not the ready-made article at this stage but she's a decent filly," Bowman told AAP.

"She is working really well at home and her trials have been good.

"She is ready to race but she is going to improve from any experience she has. You could see she was a bit raw in her trial but she got a chance to stick her head out late which was good."

Retained to race by Fairway Thoroughbreds, who bred and sold Winx as a yearling, Covent Garden is the seventh named foal from stakes-winner Vegas Showgirl, who has only had two runners from those foals, but they are Winx and ill-fated Group III winner El Divino.

Covent Garden as a foal at Segenhoe in 2017

Based at Segenhoe Stud, 17 year-old Vegas Showgirl produced a filly by Deep Impact last spring and is now in foal to I Am Invincible as is her world champion daughter Winx.

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
One to Watch – Ireland
We look at a lot of race results at Breednet and when a three year-old half-sister by Wootton Bassett (GB) to Australia’s champion sire elect of 2025, Zoustar, breaks her maiden that is always going to catch our attention.
Starlust Retired - Riverstone Lodge Next Stop
Zoustar’s brilliant Group I winning son Starlust (GB) has been retired following his excellent close up fourth in the Group I King Charles Stakes (5f) at Royal Ascot last month.
Lisa Kennedy Recognized for Thoroughbred Welfare
Lisa Kennedy has always had a passion for thoroughbreds, and her efforts in guiding retired racehorses into new careers through EventStars were celebrated at Entain’s Industry Excellence Awards last Sunday as the winner of the Care and Welfare Excellence Award.
G1 Older Milers and Stayers- No Wonder Owners Look Overseas
The Australian G1 season has concluded and there were 26 Group I races won by older horses at a distance of 1600m or more and they were won by 17 different horses with Via Sistina (IRE) and Mr Brightside (NZ) the only horses to win G1 races as sprinters (less than 1600m) and also as mile/middle distance/staying horses.
Winning Hat Trick for So You Think Filly
So You Think has ticked over $12million in seasonal earnings with 150 plus winners including seven stakes-winners and while Covert Thinking is not among the luminaries by her sire, this tenacious 3YO has won three on the trot and landed her first metro victory on Wednesday.
G1 Older Sprinters- Are Our Sprinters the Best in the World?
The Australian G1 season has concluded and there were 23 Group I races won by older horses at a distance less than 1600m, but one race that fits the category but is yet to be given G1 status is the $10million Golden Eagle (1500m) and form out of it would suggest it was the best of them all.
One To Watch – Sandown
One of three unraced runners in the field of six contesting Sandown’s opening race, the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Handicap (1300m), it was the Ben, Will and JD Hayes trained Savabeel filly Savannah Chill (NZ) who came out on top on the Lakeside track.
Quality Cambridge Stud draft in National Online Breeding Stock Sale
The need for Cambridge Stud to control the size of their star-studded broodmare band has opened up some special opportunities in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus.
Impressive Maiden Success For Close Relation To Champion Filly English
Darley’s Too Darn Hot appears to have another promising filly on his hand in the shape of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Tomato Toastie who broke her maiden by more than two lengths at Warwick Farm, winning the Asahi Super Dry Plate (1200m) at just her second start.
I Am Unstoppable New for Oaklands Stud
Queenslanders have not had a great deal of opportunity to breed to sons of champion sire I Am Invincible with just two listed to stand in the sunshine state this spring, although we can now make that three with Oaklands Stud announcing the addition of Group I performer I Am Unstoppable.