Foxwedge Filly Cracks It for Maiden Stakes Win

Mark Smith - Saturday March 7

Following the win of the two-year-old colt Lunar Fox in the Group II VRC Produce Stakes at Flemington, Gerald Ryan’s speedball Villami capped a productive day for the Woodside Park Stud stallion Foxwedge when she led every step of the way in the Listed Fireball Stakes (1100m) at Randwick.

Villami wins her first stakes race - image Steve Hart

The fleet-footed filly flew the start for Tim Clark and there was no catching her. The favoured Deep Field colt Cosmic Force chased hard to close within one and a quarter lengths with the I Am Invincible filly California Zimbol another two and three-quarter length back in third.

It was a well-deserved maiden stakes win for the 3yo daughter of Foxwedge who had placed in the Group II ATC Furious Stakes, Group II ATC Percy Sykes Stakes, Group III MVRC Scarborough Stakes and Listed William Crockett Stakes.

"Eighty metres after the start, I was confident," Ryan told AAP.

"She jumped so well and when I saw how she was able to control the race, I was more confident."

Only three yearlings by Foxwedge have made more than the $425,000 shelled out by Gerald Ryan to secure Villami from the Cressfield draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

She is the tenth foal of Galapagos Girl, a half-sister to the star broodmare Procrastinate.

A $150,000 Easter Yearling, Galapagos Girl was trained by Brian Mayfield-Smith to win four races including Group III races at Caulfield and Flemington after which she was purchased by Deborah Ho for $700,000 at the 2004 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale.

Advertisement

A daughter of the excellent broodmare sire Dehere (USA), Galapagos Girl has eight to the track and all are winners.

They include a colt by Exceed And Excel that was purchased for $220,000 by the HKJC Mark Richards from the Cressfield draft at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale before making a sales-topping HK$7.5million (A$1,060,000) at the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s International Sale at Sha Tin.

Named Longwah Amber he won four raced in the former colony.

Happily, the 21yo Galapagos Girl is still going strong and she foaled a Headwater filly late last year.  

Her two-year-old daughter of Headwater named Aquagirl was a Flemington winner for Phillip Stokes on February 9 and she also has a yearling filly by All Too Hard.

Villami becomes the 17th stakes-winner for Foxwedge a foundation stallion at Newgate Farm before he was transferred to Woodside Park Stud last year where his service fee was $16,500.

Advertisment

Race Result - Tokyo City Keiba Fireball Stks LR 1100m

Randwick Track: Soft(7) Time: 1:02.26
1
Villami
- 3f Foxwedge (AUS) x Galapagos Girl (AUS) (Dehere (USA))
Tnr: G A Ryan Rdr: Tim Clark 54
Foxwedge
2
1.3
Cosmic Force
- 3c Deep Field (AUS) x Little Zeta (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: J B Mc Donald 59
3
4.1
California Zimbol
- 3f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Zimaretto (AUS) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: B Avdulla 56.5
I Am Invincible
4
5.6
Pandemic
- 3g Sepoy (AUS) x Cataclysm (AUS) (Marauding (NZ))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: J Bowman 57
5
5.7
Mo's Crown
- 3g Uncle Mo (USA) x Amber's Crown (AUS) (Excites (AUS))
Tnr: J C Coyle Rdr: Ms K O'Hara 56
6
7.0
Yao Dash
- 3g Smart Missile (AUS) x Rahy Storm (USA) (Rahy (USA))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: N Rawiller 56
7
10.5
True Detective
- 3g Shamus Award (AUS) x Girls Rule (AUS) (Geiger Counter (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: G Schofield 58.5
More Reading...
2YO Looking Replicate Family Stakes Success
Tony Furness will head to Otaki with family history on his side when he tackles the Listed Phils Electrical and Gipsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m) with his promising juvenile Reconvene on Saturday.
One to Watch – Wyong
The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton stable have had a super season and underpinning their success has been a string of talented Kiwi breds and they include an interesting debut winner at Wyong on Thursday by Cambridge Stud’s first season sire Hello Youmzain (Fr).
Too Darn Promising
If there is one thing we have learned about the progeny of Too Darn Hot (GB) this season it is that they train on and whatever his progeny show at two they invariably improve on at three so with that thinking in mind we’ve gone looking for a few spring contenders starting with the obvious.
Amelia’s Jewel Family Produces Wootton Bassett 2YO SW
Wootton Bassett (GB) added yet another new two year old stakes-winner to his tally overnight in Ireland with the Group III Silver Flash Stakes (7 ½ f) at Leopardstown going to a filly that is closely related to Aussie Group I winner Amelia’s Jewel.
Kiwi Trainer Collects a Unique Double
Riccarton horseman Andrew Carston collected a winning double at his local synthetic meeting on Thursday, firstly as an owner and later as a trainer.
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Who are we highlighting this week? - Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for this season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end next season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 24
Here is the full list of 49 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Farnan Draws Level with Ole Kirk on 13 Winners
There’s a good battle going to decide the leading first season sire by Australian winners and with just seven days of the season to run Farnan is laying down the gauntlet to the long time division leader Ole Kirk.
Melbourne Racing Club Partnership Delivers Global Access for Members
The Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) has today announced an exciting new international partnership with the UK’s leading racing operator, The Jockey Club, to provide MRC members with reciprocal access to some of the most iconic racecourses in the world. 
New Zealand Makes Presence Felt in Hong Kong’s 2024-25 Season
From a freakish sprinter with a (NZ) suffix to an exciting group of up-and-comers sourced from the Karaka sale ring, New Zealand’s influence was strongly felt on Hong Kong racetracks during the 2024-25 season.
Is Sponsor: True