It was a weekend to remember for proven Woodside Park Stud stallion, Foxwedge, with brilliant 2YO winning colt,Lunar Fox celebrating victory in the G2 Sires Produce Stakes and smart filly Villami taking out the Listed Fireball Stakes.
Lunar Fox’s dominant win over 1400m in the G2 Sires' Produce Stakes at Flemington was credited to Brett Prebble’s perfect ride to allow the talented son of Foxwedge to successfully jump from a Ballarat maiden to a formidable G2 success.
Woodside Park Stud’s James Price applauded the well-deserved victory on behalf of all the loyal breeders that have supported Foxwedge’s move to Victoria.
“The win of Lunar Fox demonstrated the versatility of Foxwedge’s progeny. To add a G2 winning colt to his list of stakes-winning graduates is tremendous for all breeders who have bred to him in the last few years at a very affordable fee. It will be exciting to see him return after his spell to chase more Group glory.”
Former Hong Kong-based jockey, Brett Prebble who was apprenticed to Luna Fox’s trainers Terry and Karina O'Sullivan in his youth, had a message for any Hong Kong suitors keen to buy the son of Foxwedge.
“He is a proper horse,” Prebble said. “If any of my Hong Kong mates want to buy him, you’ll need some bucks’ boys!”
While the well-regarded daughter of Foxwedge and the Group-winning mare Galapagos Girl, Villami resumed dominantly at Randwick in the Listed Fireball Stakes (1100m).
Never headed, jockey Tim Clark rated Villami perfectly in front to allow her at the top of the rise to surge clear of the field for trainer Gerald Ryan.
‘‘She’s fit, and she’s improved. She’s a bigger and stronger filly now, and when Tim controlled the race, I knew she’d be hard to beat because she’s been flying at home.’’
‘‘If we didn’t run today, I was considering running first-up in The G1 Galaxy as 3YO fillies have a good record, and in the last few years, my two benchmark fillies, were Melito and Snitzerland. I honestly believe this filly is equal to them.’’
While James Price commented that he was more than impressed by the way the filly was able to make the race her own and explode away from her opposition to record a one and a quarter length win.
“The sustained speed of Villami was something to behold,” Price said.
Ryan said that he would give Villami a light Autumn Carnival with a possible start in the Arrowfield 3yo Sprint on Day 2 of The Championships at Randwick, before heading to the Brisbane Winter Carnival to chase the G1 Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm on June 20.
A G1 winner himself, Foxwedge has proven again his brilliant ability to sire stakes horses, sitting at 8.5%, and now clocks up 43 stakes performers internationally.
“His oldest progeny are only five, and they continue to increase at a rapid rate, as seen by his black-type results this weekend,” Price said.
“Headed by Lunar Fox, he has large numbers of two-year-old’s ready to hit the track, and we are delighted to see them placed in leading stables including Tony McEvoy and Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.”
“Combined with black type performing and producing maresfilling his book, there is no doubt that Foxwedge’s future is very bright.”
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