Winx's half-sister City of Lights wins Hawkesbury Crown

Mercury

03-05-2025

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City Of Lights, the half-sister to the incomparable Winx, added vital black type to her CV with a determined success at Hawkesbury on Saturday.
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).
'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.
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'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.
Originally published as Winx's half-sister City of Lights wins Hawkesbury Crown