Nine G1 winners to clash in the Chelmsford Stakes
Under-rated mare Hinged will get the chance to step out of the shadow of popular stablemate Fangirl when she headlines trainer Chris Waller’s squad for the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick.
The careers of both mares have consistently crossed for the past two seasons, and it has usually been Fangirl who has attracted the most acclaim, albeit she played second fiddle to Anamoe for much of last season.
Fangirl got her moment in the sun when storming home to win the Winx Stakes first-up, relegating Hinged to fourth, but with no Fangirl in Saturday’s feature, the timing could be ripe for Hinged to break an 18-month drought from the winner’s list.
“She’s not far off Fangirl,” Waller said.
“Her run the other day was good, she has come back well and a mile will suit her.”
Hinged is among five Chelmsford Stakes acceptors for Waller along with Bold Mac, Lindermann, Manzoice and Montefilia.
It is a high-class field with nine of the 12 runners Group 1 winners, including Knights Order (2022) and Think It Over (2021) who have claimed the past two renewals of the race.
Montefilia will be having her second start for Waller after warming up late when midfield in the Winx Stakes (1400m) and has only missed a top-three finish once in seven second-up runs.
She has continued to please the stable and like Hinged, will be suited by a distance rise to 1600m.
“I’m not changing the wheel or doing anything different, but she is a very good horse and she will be fit and ready to run a mile,” Waller said.
Bold Mac has earned his shot at Group company off the back of a hat-trick of wins, while Lindermann will strip fitter from his first-up effort in the Winx Stakes.
Waller’s 2022 Victoria Derby winner Manzoice resumes in the Chelmsford after an indifferent autumn but has shaped well in two recent trials.
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