Winx's half-sister City of Lights wins Hawkesbury Crown
The Joseph Pride -trained mare was already a valuable broodmare prospect before enhancing her worth considerably with a tough victory in the Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Crown (1400m).
A daughter of one of the world's greatest, Japanese super sire Deep Impact, City Of Lights is out of Vegas Showgirl, the mother of champion mare Winx.
Pride couldn't underestimate the value of City Of Lights' maiden stakes win.
'It is extremely important,' Pride said.
'I have never had a horse with a pedigree like hers. It's a pedigree made in heaven, a half-sister to Winx by one of the best stallions (Deep Impact) to stand on the planet.
'It's pretty amazing and that doesn't guarantee they are going to be good horses but she is a good horse.
'It's nice to see her coming good as an older mare which she was probably bred to do but a massive win to add to her CV today.'
City Of Lights was ridden just off the speed with jockey Chad Schofield ominously poised stalking the leaders.
He launched his challenge down the centre of the track but City Of Lights was set a task to wear down the game Tashi.
Tashi's trainer Peter Snowden was chasing consecutive Hawkesbury Crown victories and a record eighth victory in the feature race.
City Of Lights ($6) levelled up to Tashi ($4.60) and edged past her late to score by short head with two lengths back to the Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained Written In Code ($4.80).
City Of Lights wins the G3 @hawkesburyrc Crown ðŸ'' in a tight finish for @PrideRacing and @SchofieldChad ðŸ'� pic.twitter.com/rVp5HbxODB
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 3, 2025
'It was a really nice win,' Schofield said. 'She is a beautiful mare and a stunning horse to ride.
'I have ridden all her trials this preparation and won on her in previous preps.
'She has just continued to get better and today looked like a great setup for her.
'Joe has been patient with her with three nice trials before she ran terrific first-up and today from a good draw, we made the most of it.'
Pride is eager to raise the bar higher with City Of Lights with the Group 1 Tatt's Tiara on his radar in the coming weeks.
The five-year-old is destined to end up in the Sunshine State chasing more black type.
• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
'The job is not done yet, we would love to take her to Queensland,' Pride said. 'She is certainly on the way.
'After winning a race like that we could give the Dane Ripper a go because there is no use winning a Listed race after a win like that.
'If she is racing she needs to be racing in better class races than she has won before otherwise she shouldn't be racing.'
City Of Lights was originally trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman before joining Pride's barn in the spring of 2023.
She was unplaced in all three of her previous stakes assignments but has returned better than ever this preparation.
A strong first-up second at Royal Randwick provided the platform for her maiden stakes victory.
City Of Lights now boasts a strong record of five wins and a placing from 13 career starts but it will be in the breeding barn where should could be the most profitable.
Her mum Vegas Showgirl produced 11 foals during her time in the breeding barn before dying in October 2023.
City Of Lights is the third stakes winner she has produced with El Divino, a son of Snitzel, dead-heating with Astern in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes in 2016.
Winx will forever be remembered as one of the great racehorses in Australian racing history with the mare winning a world record 25 Group 1s.
Her unforgettable run included a record four Cox Plates and George Ryders as well as Queen Elizabeth Stakes with more than $26 million in stakes earnings.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Trainer Gary Colvin saddles up Pride Of Jezza at Narrandera on Thursday
Gary Colvin-trained blue blood Pride Of Jezza will be 'racing for fun' if he can make it back-to-back wins when he heads to Narrandera on the last day of the 2024/25 season. The son of Pride Of Dubai's current earnings of $38,755 are just shy of his $40,000 purchase price at the 2023 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale. Bred by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Pride Of Jezza 's grandam, Piavonic, won nine races but is best remembered for her upset win in the 2001 Manikato Stakes in which she rolled Sunline and Falvelon. Pride Of Jezza, who will turn four on Friday, turned in a barnstorming win of his own last start when coming from well back to claim his 1400m Maiden at Wagga by a widening two-length margin. His mission on Thursday is the . 'There's something about him,'' Country Championship Final-winning trainer Colvin said. 'He won really easily last week. He came from last and did what I had been expecting him to do for a while. 'He just went past them and the jockey just eased him down going past the post, so he should get the mile all right.' The prospect of a wet track ought not trouble resuming stablemate Nic's Hero whose record on Heavy is two wins and five placings from nine runs. It's a trait shared by, and likely passed on, by his 'damsire Nothin' Leica Dane, whose solitary appearance on a Heavy was his splitting of Doriemus and Vintage Crop in the Melbourne Cup, three days after beating Octagonal in the Victoria Derby. Nic's Hero from the clouds @mtcwagga! â˜�ï¸� A gun steer from Hannah Williams for trainer Gary Colvin! — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 8, 2022 'I am very interested to see how he goes because he's had a couple of jump-outs,'' says Colvin. 'He's no mug, you've just got to place him right. I hope he's placed right on Thursday.' Colvin is likely to be represented by three of his string in the last race at Narrandera on Thursday, namely Philadelphia Storm, Kerma Art and Newyork Missile. 'Philadelphia Storm loves it wet,'' the trainer said. 'He's an on and off horse, you've just got to place him right and hope he does well. 'Kerma Art ran well last time too on the wet. 'The way Newyork Missile is going at the moment, he was very strong last week and a bit unlucky, I think he'd probably be the pick of the three of them.'
SBS Australia
2 hours ago
- SBS Australia
SBS Japanese Newsflash Wednesday 30 July
LISTEN TO SBS Japanese 04:28 Japanese Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3. Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1. Listen to past stories from our podcast. Download the free SBS Audio App and don't forget to visit SBS Japanese Facebook and Instagram page!
News.com.au
15 hours ago
- News.com.au
Warwick Farm preview: Dynamic Syndications aim to cap a stellar season on a victorious note in final metropolitan meeting
Dynamic Syndications have enjoyed another great season and are looking to end it on a high with another winner or two in the final metropolitan meeting. The Dean and Adam Watt-run Dynamic Syndications is just win away from equalling last year's haul of 62 winners. 'It's been a really good season. We aim for 52 winners each year – an average of a winner a week,' Adam Watt said. 'This season we have had 61 winners so far and 20 of them have been in town. 'That's the most winners we've had in town for a long time. 'It would be great if we can end with another winner or two.' Dynamic is represented by four genuine chances at Warwick Farm headed by Naval Commission in the TAB Handicap (2200m). The gelding has placed in three of his four runs this preparation and was an unlucky fifth at Rosehill last start. 'He should have won last time out. The gap unfortunately shut at the worst possible time as he was motoring home,' Watt said. 'He is tailor-made for the 2200 metres and I love the fact that rain is forecast. If it's a wet track, he grows a leg. 'This is just a really suitable race for him.' âš'ï¸� Naval Commission leads all the way and makes it three in a row! @aus_turf_club @nashhot @cmaherracing — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 5, 2024 One of Dynamic's metropolitan winners was African Daisy in the Midway at Rosehill on July 5, a win Watt and her connections gained great satisfaction. 'It was great to see her break through after such a long time between wins. It had been 889 days between drinks for her,' he said. 'She is a horse who loves wet ground and I can't see any reason why she can't go back-to-back. She has trained on really well.' Provided the track is wet, the six-year-old lines up in the Traffic Warden @ Darley Handicap (1300m) in which she has barrier 12 but Watt isn't concerned by the outside gate. 'This does look a nice for her and I actually like the draw,' he said. 'By the time they come to the last race at Warwick Farm, they will be wanting to get away from the inside section. It's just one turn.' Just In Time scored her first win in 20 months when victorious at Hawkesbury first-up on June 17 although she did spend quite some time on the sidelines during that time. The four-year-old then followed with another smart win at Newcastle. She is chasing a hat-trick in the Myplates Handicap (1600m). 'She has always been a horse who has shown above average talent which is why we were ambitious and went to Flemington for a Group 3 at her second start,' Watt said. 'She has unfortunately had some niggles along the way since then. 'She is starting to get back to the form that we always felt she had. 'She ran home in 32.74 at Hawkesbury first-up on a Soft 5. If she can jump and lead around Warwick Farm, they could have a hard time reeling her in.' Watt has been pleased with the performances of Dollars this time in and gives him a good chance in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Handicap (1600m). 'He is knocking on the door and I think this is a beautiful race for him,' he said. 'He is down in the weights and I think he will really appreciate the services of a senior rider in Ash Morgan. 'He's rock hard fit, comes off a good run over the mile and is drawn to get a lovely run. 'I think he's a great each-way chance.'
