Group 1 racing gets underway at Randwick for the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival on Saturday with the Chris Waller-trained Fangirl favourite to successfully defend her title in the Winx Stakes 2024.

Fangirl is favourite in 2024 Winx Stakes betting to successfully defend her title in the spring’s opening Group 1 race on Saturday. Photo: Seve Hart.

Waller has an incredible record in the race formerly run as the Group 2 Warwick Stakes having won for a seventh time last season with Fangirl.

This weekend he returns looking for a record-extending eighth victory in the Group 1 $1 million Winx Stakes (1400m) saddling up six of the 12 final acceptors.

Sitting top of the Winx Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au out to be the first back-to-back champion since former stablemate and the race’s namesake Winx (2016-18) is Fangirl.

She pays $2.30 to salute again drawn in gate nine with James McDonald aboard first-up.

The now six-year-old daughter of Sebring had two runs last campaign winning the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at this track and trip with easy first-up in February before her brave second behind Think It Over in the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m).

Her recent trials have been solid, and she shapes up as hard to beat again.

The danger occupying the second line of Winx Stakes betting online at $6 is the fellow Waller-trained mare Via Sistina drawn gate seven for Kerrin McEvoy.

The class import made a big impact down under last time in when taking out the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill in her Australian debut.

She then went on to finish second best behind tearaway 6.5 length champ Pride Of Jenni in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in mid-April, and she looks set for another big prep in Sydney this spring.

The other Waller runners in the Winx Stakes 2024 field on Saturday are Buckaroo ($61), returning VRC Derby champion Riff Rocket ($9) with the outside alley to overcome, Atishu ($21), and Zougotcha ($8.50).

Tommy Berry comes aboard the ultra-consistent Zoustar mare Zougotcha who is after her fourth consecutive victory after stringing together three on the trot in the autumn including the Group 1 Coolmore Classic and Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes at her latest two.

Outside the Waller camp the other best in Winx Stakes markets include the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Prized Icon mare Tropical Squall ($9) who won the autumn’s Surround Stakes at the track and trip in style, and Tatt’s Tiara runner-up Semana for Ciaron Maher with the fitness edge racing third-up.

The 2024 Winx Stakes is set to run as Randwick Race 8 at 3:50pm (AEST) with full markets from Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.

2024 Winx Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Probable Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	x275x5356x	BUCKAROO (GB)	Chris Waller	Joshua Parr	8	59kg			110
2	2317x3628x	DETONATOR JACK (NZ)	Ciaron Maher	Jason Collett	2	59kg			108
3	4019x9629x	ZEYREK (FR)	Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes	Reece Jones	3	59kg			105
4	1x1110x85x	JUST FINE (IRE)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Ms Rachel King	4	59kg			105
5	2121x1311x	RIFF ROCKET	Chris Waller	Nash Rawiller	12	58.5kg			107
6	x13174x12x	FANGIRL	Chris Waller	James McDonald	9	57kg			119
7	1132x2x12x	VIA SISTINA (IRE)	Chris Waller	Kerrin McEvoy	7	57kg			117
8	2021x8132x	ATISHU (NZ)	Chris Waller	Tyler Schiller	10	57kg			114
9	9x646x111x	ZOUGOTCHA	Chris Waller	Tommy Berry	6	57kg			114
10	5x21123x02	SEMANA	Ciaron Maher	Dylan Gibbons	5	57kg			109
11	13120x146x	TROPICAL SQUALL	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Adam Hyeronimus	11	56.5kg			104
12	7121x0132x	ZARDOZI	James Cummings	Zac Lloyd (a)	1	56.5kg			104

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

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