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The punters are tipping Chris Waller‘s ace mare Fangirl to post her fourth Group 1 success when she lines up favourite in Saturday’s 2025 George Ryder Stakes field at Rosehill.

Golden Slipper Day brings the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival action to new heights on the weekend with five elite level races spread across the card including the Group 1 $1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m).

Waller boasts an impressive seven previous George Ryder wins, most recently with his four-time hero Winx (2016-19), and he looks well placed to add an eighth trophy to his collection on Saturday.

Fangirl was runner-up to Anamoe in this event back in 2023 and is out to go one better two years on.

The six-year-old daughter of Sebring kicked off her autumn with a win over stablemates Lindermann and Cox Plate champion Via Sistina in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes before a last start second to the latter in the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes only 0.36 lengths beaten.

Saturday sees her return to the Rosehill track for an official start for the first time since the ’23 George Ryder second, and the markets suggest she’s the one to beat as the $3.30 top elect through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Waller has four of the 11 final George Ryder Stakes acceptors in 2025, but his other three starters are all at long odds with returning Caulfield Cup runner-up Buckaroo ($23) drawn the rails fresh, Militarize ($51) to be ridden by Zac Lloyd second-up, and Kovalica ($81).

Following Fangirl in George Ryder Stakes betting at $4.20 is Royal Patronage for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.

The French bred entire, third to Fangirl in the $1 million 7 Stakes last season, was outstanding in his autumn returning posting an impressive upset as an underrated $18 winner of the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick on March 8.

He has been a consistent force in the mile features of the past including a third in the Epsom Handicap last year and gets his chance to challenge again here second-up over the 1500m from barrier three with Tim Clark in the saddle.

In a tight top half of the markets the other major players are Ceolwulf ($5.50) for Joe Pride and the James Cummings trained market mover Tom Kitten ($6.50) who has been smashed early by the punters in from $11.

Tavistock four-year-old Ceolwulf was one of the best horses getting about in the spring winning the Group 1 Epsom Handicap – King Charles III Stakes double over the mile at Randwick.

He has had two runs this prep resuming with a 1.45 length fourth to Fangirl in the Apollo before his fifth when two lengths off Royal Patronage in the Canterbury.

Up closer to his pet distance now with the cobwebs having been cleared, Ceolwulf is not without winning claims here from gate two with Chad Schofield aboard.

Tom Kitten in the Royal Blue meanwhile has been heavily backed over the past 24 hours despite drawing barrier 11 of 11 for jockey Ben Melham to overcome.

He ran around in the same races as Ceolwulf last prep including an Epsom second and King Charles fourth before his third in the lucrative $10 million Golden Eagle.

This autumn he brings in the Melbourne form lines to Sydney on Saturday having caught the eye first-up when racing out of his skin to go down a nostril-flare to Mr Brightside in Caulfield’s Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m).

He then took on the WFA stars again in the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington a fortnight ago and broke their hearts with his thrillingly close victory when turning the tables on Mr B.

The Ciaron Maher trained Gringotts ($9.50) racing second up and last winter’s Stradbroke Handicap winning mare Stefi Magnetica ($9.50) round out the current single-figure George Ryder fancies.

The 2025 The Agency George Ryder Stakes is set to run as Rosehill Race 7 at 4:00pm (AEDT) one event before the Golden Slipper steals the show.

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