If the betting is any guide, the sire of Saturday's $500,000
Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) winner won't around to bask in the glory.
Three hugely successful stallions, Street Cry (IRE), High
Chaparral (IRE) and O'Reilly (NZ) died in the latter half of 2014.
Their daughters, Winx (Street Cry), Ballet Suite (High
Chaparral) and Bohemian Lily (O'Reilly) dominate the betting in the Oaks.
Unfortunately, Bohemian Lily was a scratching on Friday
however O'Reilly does have another hopeful in the John Sargent-trained Swift
Lady an impressive winner at Randwick two starts back.
A son of Machiavellian, the 16yo Street Cry (IRE) (pictured) was at the
peak of his appeal in both hemispheres when he succumbed to complications associated
with a neurological condition.
His daughter Winx has been a budding star of the Chris
Waller stable from the time she made a winning debut at Warwick Farm in June
last year.
She kept her juvenile record as a perfect two for two when
winning at Rosehill three weeks later.
That became three for three when making her seasonal bow in
the Group II Furious Stakes at Randwick.
Sent off an odds-on favourite in the Group II Tea Rose
Stakes, Winx met defeat for the first time at the hands of the $21 chance First
Seal. That daughter of Fastnet Rock proved that was no fluke by downing Winx
again in the Group 1 Flight Stakes.
Winx performed below expectations in the Group II Light
Fingers Stakes and Group II Surround Stakes before bouncing back with a win
against the boys in the Group II Phar Lap Stakes.
A close-up fifth in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes won by
Fenway (High Chaparral) was followed by a meritorious second to long-shot Gust
Of Wind (Darci Brahma) in the Group I ATC Oaks at Randwick on April 11.
Taken to Queensland, Winx prepped for Oaks with a devastating
win in the Group III Sunshine Coast Guineas where she had all 17 of her
opponents ahead of her at the turn before mowing them down to win by almost two
lengths.
Bred by John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds, Winx was a
$230,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Coolmore draft for Peter Tighe's
Magic Bloodstock.
Australia's most enthusiastic owner Debbie Kepitis also
shares in the ownership.
The dam of Winx, Vegas Showgirl was bought for $455,000 at
the 2008 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale by Colm Santry Bloodstock for
Fairway Thoroughbreds.
A dual Listed stakes-winner of seven races in New Zealand,
Vegas Showgirl did not win beyond 1400 metres.
She is a daughter of the Success Express stallion Al Akbar who
won eight of his 28 starts including the Group 1 Levin Bayer Classic (1600m)
and Group II Canterbury Stakes (1200m) in Sydney.
