Victorian visitor Barbie’s Fox found the perfect spot to open her stakes account in the Listed Toyota Winter Challenge (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens.
A well-deserved stakes breakthrough (image Steve Hart)
Ridden by Zac Lloyd for Ben and JD Hayes, the rising 7yo daughter of Foxwedge was bottled up at the 300m, but once she found clear air, she charged home to defeat Hosier (IRE) (Camelot) by a long neck with Steely (All Too Hard) a half neck back in third.
Barbie’s Fox was a luckless fourth at her most recent start in the Listed Winter Stakes at Randwick, and JD Hayes feared history was about to repeat.
“It almost went wrong, and there were a few things I was saying at the 200m that can’t be repeated on TV,” Hayes said.
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uo;Luckily, she found clear air. She is absolutely airborne this mare. I’m happy for owners Aaaron Henwood and Bazza (MacDonald). They are terrific people, and now she has a pedigree update with black type; it is a huge result.
“The ball bounced our way, and she was good enough to pick herself up and come over the top. It’s good for Zac Lloyd; he has a big future.”
Previously placed in the Group II Thousand Guineas Prelude and Listed Sale Cup, Barbie’s Fox advances her record to six wins, two seconds and eight thirds from 39 starts with earnings of $575,215.
A $70,000 purchase for J Graham from the Rosemont Stud draft at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Barbie’s Fox is the best of seven winners from eight to race for the Kenvain mare, So Barbie Says.
Barbie's Fox a $70,000 Inglis Classic yearling
A half-sister to Group II Hotham Handicap winner Yakama, So Barbie Says died in 2016, and Barbie’s Fox is her final foal.
Barbie’s Fox is the 26th stakes winner for Woodside Park Stud’s evergreen Fastnet Rock stallion Foxwedge, who stands at a value fee of $11,000 in 2023.
