Princess Grace seeks Group 1 win facing boys in Australia
Princess Grace, a five-time graded-stakes winner in the U.S., has been racing for new owners this year in Australia. That is where she is a 14-1 long shot facing males and females in the Group 1, US$638,606 Winx Stakes on what is expected to be heavy turf this weekend at Sydney’s Royal Randwick.
The race is scheduled for Saturday at 1:45 a.m. EDT, which is Friday at 10:45 p.m. PDT.
The 6-year-old Karakontie mare drew the inside post in a field of 16 plus two also-eligibles for the seven-furlong, weight-for-age race that goes around one right turn. With 2012 Melbourne Cup (G1) winner Brett Preeble riding, this will be Princess Grace’s first time racing against males, who make up half the main draw.
The heavy conditions come on a day that is forecast to be sunny with a high of 66 degrees and a tail wind of 12-18 mph in the homestretch.
The race is named for the mare who was a four-time champion in Australia and acclaimed the world’s best racehorse in 2018. Winx was in the stable of Chris Waller, who has trained Princess Grace since China Horse Club bought her in November for $1.7 million at a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky sale.
Bred and owned by Susan and John Moore and trained in America by Michael Stidham, Princess Grace made her Australia debut finishing third in the six-furlong Sapphire Stakes (G2) on April 8 at Randwick.
She was the only one from that race to come back a winner next out, doing so two weeks later in the 6 1/2-furlong Hawkesbury Crown (G3) about 2 1/2 hours north of Sydney.
After a break for the southern winter, Princess Grace came back for barrier trials, a competitive form of gate schooling that looks like a quarter-horse exhibition. She was second of seven in an Aug. 1 trial and last of five going 4 1/2 furlongs last Friday.
Before she was sold and moved across the Pacific, Princess Grace made her biggest impression with a four-race winning streak that ended two years ago. After her score in the 2020 Mrs. Revere (G2) and an eight-month break, she won the Dr. James Penny Memorial (G3) at Parx Racing, the Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2) at Del Mar and the Ladies Turf (G3) at Kentucky Downs, all in 2021. She was successful in her defense of the Penny Memorial in 2022 before seconds in the Beverly D. (G1) and Ladies Turf and a third-place finish in the First Lady (G1) at Keeneland.
Zaaki, an 8-year-old Leroidesanimaux gelding who has earned nearly US$6.6 million, was the 7-2 favorite in early betting for the Winx, which has attracted 13 Group 1 winners. Trained by Annabel Neasham, Zaaki had his biggest win in November, when he took the Victoria Racing Club Champions Stakes (G1) three days before the 2022 Melbourne Cup.