Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Despite being a two-time Listed victress, Vegas Showgirl is best-known for being the dam of the great Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) - a winner of 37 races, including 33 in succession and 25 in top company.
Vegas Showgirl has also produced the Group 3 scorer El Divino (Snitzel), as well as the winners Time Of My Life (I Am Invincible), Covent Garden (Exceed And Excel) and Miss Atom Bomb (Encosta De Lago), while Michael Freedman trains the unraced 2-year-old filly Taleitaki (Pride Of Dubai).
Sadly, Vegas Showgirl died at Segenhoe Stud on Sunday at the age of 21.
City Of Lights was bred and is raced by Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds. The Joseph Pride-trained mare commenced her career in Victoria with Anthony and Sam Freedman and she won a Geelong maiden on debut in June before being transferred.
After an encouraging first-up run at Randwick-Kensington on October 4, City Of Lights was sent off the $2.70 favourite in Wednesday’s 1500-metre BM72 H. at the same track. She enjoyed a lovely run in transit, sitting one out, one back for much of the race, before charging home under vigorous riding from Chad Schofield. The mare prevailed by 0.07l in 1:31.32, with her final 600 metres clocked at 35.17s.
“She’s a really nice horse and showed her quality to get home, despite what happened in the run. I know it was a bit of a blanket finish across the track, but this mare’s got a lot of improvement in her and she’s exciting,” Pride told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“I know it was a bit of a blanket finish across the track, but this mare’s (City Of Lights) got a lot of improvement in her and she’s exciting.” - Joseph Pride
“Maybe in time a set of blinkers (would be good for her), she’s just having trouble accelerating off the mark.
“It was nice to get that out of the way for her today (Wednesday), she’s building nicely. She’s jumped up 300 metres and done a good job.”
Pride believes City Of Lights will be better suited over further.
“I think she just wants ground. I’m judging her off only a couple of runs for the stable, but in both of her runs, she’s been the first horse to come off the bridle. She’s been very strong again late,” he said.
Schofield was impressed by the performance, given the mare had to overcome some adversity in the run.
“I got her working through her gears and then that horse that ran second (Princess Rayaa) sort of barged its way out and interfered with me a little bit. I had to re-balance her and to her credit she really knuckled down under riding and was really strong to the line,” Schofield said.
Chad Schofield returns to scale aboard City Of Lights | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“She’s a beautiful filly, impeccably bred, and she helps herself in the run, she’s very relaxed, she switches off and she’s got a good finish.”
