Chris Waller and James McDonald proved why they are Sydney’s best trainer/jockey combo enjoying their second Group 1 win on Day 2 of The Championships with Fangirl taking out the 2025 Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

Just one event after the stable’s ace Via Sistina made it a record-equalling seventh Group 1 for the season in the Queen Elizabeth, another of the team’s best mares saluted for the punters in the Group 1 $1 million Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) to add to Waller’s busting trophy cabinet.

Fangirl was originally a dual acceptor also in the mix for the Queen Elizabeth before Waller made the winning move to pull her from that 2000m event in favour of the shorter race.

“We took a step back today from the Queen Elizabeth, but she’ll get her time in another 2,000m race, I promise you that,” he told Sky Thoroughbred Central.

“Obviously, today means so much. We’ve got to have horses winning, and the big races especially.

“We would have liked to have had a crack at the Queen Elizabeth, but Via Sistina was flying and I didn’t want to break her heart.”

The consistent daughter of Sebring went around at an odds-on quote following her excellent autumn campaign to date that consisted of a fresh win in the Group 2 Apollo before back-to-back seconds behind Via Sistina in the Group 1 Verry Elleegant and Gringotts in the Group 1 George Ryder.

“Yeah, it was a good run, the George Ryder, we ran home with our tails between our legs, thinking we’d won the race and probably the one that got away,” Waller said.

“It was no one’s fault, just barrier draws and luck in running.

“But she was brave and full credit to the horses that beat us. But, yeah, it’s icing on the cake when you know they can bounce off the canvas and come back.”

Back against her own kind over the Randwick mile, Fangirl proved too strong beating home last weekend’s Doncaster Mile winner Stefi Magnetica by nearly a line with the runner-up so brave in defeat on the quick back-up after being blocked for a run at the top of the straight and losing momentum.

“Yeah, an amazing team of owners, that’s a huge thing in itself,” Waller said.

“There’s so many great stories with any winner on the racetrack, but the Group 1s on big days like today, it really is special. So, I don’t know where to start.

“She won her first race in Goulburn during COVID, if I remember. Yeah, she’s come a long way. Each preparation, she just stands up and she’s counted.”

In third to round out this year’s Queen Of The Turf trifecta was Waller’s 2023 champion, Atishu, who had also run second in the event last year to prove her steadfastness at the top level.

“Yeah, she was brave too, it’s her last run today too, and she’s been an amazing horse,” Waller said of Atishu.

“Last three years she’s run in this race, she won it two years ago, got beaten a nose last year, and she’s beaten by Fangirl and the Doncaster winner this year.

“I’m proud to be in Sydney, racing’s going so well. It’s well-run, good administrators, and there’s a lot to look forward to in the next 200 years if we keep our racetracks.”

It was slick Sunline Stakes winning interstate raider Grinzinger Belle showing the way at the top of the straight before the challengers came and she faded out to run five lengths back seventh.

With 300m left to travel it was the Waller duo of Fangirl and Atishu taken right up the inside to make their moves.

Fangirl took the lead at the 100m and held on to win by three-quarters of a length over the fast-finishing Stefi Magnetica who did her best work late.

“She’s a great mare, love her to bits. Just ridden a bit quieter today than what we did last time,” McDonald said.

“Tried to win last start and she ran well, but back to mares’ grade, it was looking pretty good.

“She’s quick, she’s got a lethal 400m, but not 405m.

“I thought I’d be there, because last time I drove her up, today I wasn’t going to do that and so I was always going to be curled up somewhere, and I was just going to have to pray that it would open up.

“Sometimes when you just let it happen before trying to make it happen, it can be in your favour.

“I actually went out there with the mindset, she was a 10 to 1 chance, and rode her like that.”

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