Saturday, 28 July 2012:
High-quality filly She's A Fox looks set to play a leading role in spring carnival after producing a top-class return at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
The well-bred rising three-year-old, who is a full-sister to Group One winner Foxwedge, sat wide with cover in The Optus Sprint (1100m) before storming clear to score a 3-3/4-length first-up win over Sherocksmyworld ($12) with Secret Delight ($11) a nose away third.
Trainer Anthony Cummings labelled the daughter of
Fastnet Rock a "special filly" and said the Group One $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) and Group One Flight Stakes (1600m) were definite spring options.
Her winning jockey Peter Robl believes She's A Fox, who started favourite at $2.50, can be this spring's version of Streama who won three legs of the Princess Series for fillies last year, including the Flight Stakes by six lengths.
"One of the reasons we came here today was that it gets her into a Listed race (the Rosebud Quality) next time," Cummings said.
"It was just a really good win. She travelled wide which doesn't matter too much here but she had cover which unfortunately my other filly (Soapbox) didn't get.
"I'm lucky to have both fillies in the place, and really a special filly in the winner."
Cummings has a strong team heading towards the Golden Rose and the trainer said he would take She's A Fox to the Rosebud (1200m) on August 11 before deciding on her Group One spring path.
Robl described She's A Fox's victory as "pretty painless" and believes she can be the star filly of the Sydney spring carnival if she heads through the four-race Princess Series.
"I reckon you'll struggle to find a filly that could match her in a series like that," Robl said.
"She could end up being like Streama last year."
She's A Fox's win brought up a race-to-race double for Cummings and Robl after recent stable acquisition Brave The Way handled a seven-day back up and a rise in distance with ease to win the Share Care Support Centre Benchmark (2400m).
"Certainly the Newcastle Cup and the (Group One) Metropolitan are looming large on his calendar now," Cummings said.
