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Chris Waller‘s brilliant mare Fangirl made it back-to-back Apollo Stakes wins when last year’s champ returned fresh for a successful title defence beating home her stablemates Lindermann and Via Sistina in Saturday’s feature race at Randwick.

Last year the talented daughter of Sebring got her autumn underway with a win fresh, and she repeated that feat with an impressive performance to become the first dual winner of the Group 2 $300,000 Apollo Stakes (1400m) since her former start stablemate Winx (2016-17) who also won the 2019 edition.

Waller took his overall record in the Apollo up to an impressive seven victories with now six-year-old Fangirl given a perfectly timed ride by jockey Jason Collett to win at $3.70.

“She’s an absolute gem,” Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth told Sky Racing Thoroughbred.

“I know she wasn’t that long in the market but almost a forgotten horse. It was all Ceolwulf and Via Sistina.

“Jason gave her just a beautiful ride. The other two (Via Sistina and Ceolwulf) were having a battle behind her and she just said, ‘while you two are playing Top Trumps behind me I’ll just go and get the job done’.”

Fangirl was fifth in the run at the top of the straight with the fellow Waller trained Lindermann leading them home before winding up beautifully with 250m left to travel.

Fangirl quickly tackled the front runner displaying her elite turn of foot to charge clear 100m out from the line and win the Apollo for a second time with a length to spare on the line.

“She’s just got to get left alone early. You force her into a position she’s not happy with (it doesn’t suit),” Duckworth said.

“”We all kept whinging about the bad draw, but she’s actually better off because you can actually just leave her alone and just wait for that turn of foot, because she’s electric. ”

Lindermann ($17) was brave holding for second while the stable’s returning Ladbrokes Cox Plate hero Via Sistina ($3.10F) ran a very close third to complete the all-Waller Apollo Stakes trifecta when doing her best work late.

“She didn’t begin as well as I would have liked and that then had Fangirl angling me down to the rail,” jockey Kerrin McEvoy said of Via Sistina post-race.

“But she travelled fine and once I got into the clear her best work was late. So, beaten today but she ran a mighty race and she’s in for a good prep.”

Fangirl looks on target to step back up to Group 1 grade next start in the $1 million Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) on March 1 at Randwick, an event she finished second to Think It Over in last year.

The latest pre-field 2025 Verry Elleegant Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Fangirl as the $5 third favourite behind Via Sistina.

2025 Apollo Stakes Results

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