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Chris Waller‘s multiple Group 1 winning mare Fangirl is the punters’ pick to return to winning form and add to her elite level tally at Flemington in the Empire Rose Stakes 2025 this Derby Day.

The third of three elite levels on the Flemington race card for Saturday, the Group 1 $1 million Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) has drawn a class line-up of 11 mares including four for master trainer Waller.

Waller is in the hunt for his fourth Empire Rose victory and back-to-back wins following the 2024 success of Atishu.

His standout chance sitting top of the Empire Rose Stakes odds at $4 through Ladbrokes.com.au is Sebring seven-year-old Fangirl who races at HQ for the fourth time.

She returns to the track for the first time since her third to Mr Brightside in last year’s Champions Mile and presents fit fourth-up this weekend set to peak.

Drawn in gate six with Kerrin McEvoy coming aboard in place of James McDonald who stays in Sydney to partner the undefeated Autumn Glow in the $10 million Golden Eagle, Fangirl is hoping to bounce back after a midfield finish in the King Charles III at Randwick behind Ceolwulf.

She ran sixth there under three lengths beaten when caught back and unable to make up enough ground to feature in the finish.

Far from disgraced in that, she comes back against her own kind in Melbourne now, is well supported to add to her commanding 1600m record (17:5-3-2) and can salute for the punters if McEvoy can keep her no worse than midfield in touch with the front runners.

Waller’s other hopes are Leica Lucy ($6), recent Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes winner at the track Lazzura ($9) coming off a fifth in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap and outsider Firestorm ($31).

Leica Lucy looks a genuine winning chance to upset her slightly better fancied stablemate with the reigning New Zealand Oaks champ coming off a couple of good spring runs down under.

The four-year-old Derryn mare resumed with a fourth in the Let’s Elope here under a length beaten as a forgotten 30/1 roughie before racing out of her skin for third in the Toorak behind Transatlantic at Caulfield in what is shaping up as a hot form race.

Having made up loads of late ground in the Toorak, she is drawn to get a kinder run on speed from barrier three on Saturday, and the flying Mark Zahra comes aboard for the ride in another tick for the Kiwi expat.

Of course, the one all eyes will be on early is Ciaron Maher‘s front running queen Pride Of Jenni ($5) who is likely to go straight to the front and try to steal the show.

Fresh, the bonny eight-year-old daughter of Pride Of Dubai did what she does best blitzing her rivals in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes when getting things her way in the lead to beat Treasurethe Moment by nearly two lengths at The Valley.

She didn’t get the same favours in the King Charles but if she can get back to her best and lead them round roomy Flemington circuit, she is every chance to secure her second Empire Rose trophy after her 2023 victory.

The super consistent Matthew Smith trained Idle Flyer ($7) is also being kept safe in the markets with the Dundeel four-year-old drawn well in barrier five for Michael Dee.

She has raced exclusively in Sydney to date netting six wins from her 11 career starts to date but comes in confident having won three of her past four assignments in easier company.

Saturday is obviously a notable rise in grade, and she faces her acid test now but deserves her chance after at impressive win from barrier 13 of 13 in the Group 3 Angst Stakes at Randwick on The Everest Day.

The rails drawn Abounding ($9.50) is the other mare at single figure Empire Rose Stakes odds to take it out.

The Brisbane visitors have enjoyed a charmed run over the carnival to date and trainer Robert Heathcote will be hoping that continues with his talented Rich Enuff five-year-old who hasn’t run out of the money in her past five assignments.

At her latest she was a one-length winner of the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) and she’s now out to go back-to-back and win over further than that distance for the first time with historic Caulfield Cup winning jockey Jamie Melham to ride.

The 2025 Empire Rose Stakes is set to run as Flemington Race 8 at 5:00pm (AEDT) as the penultimate event on the Victoria Derby Day card in Melbourne.

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