Half-sister to Winx set to make big impact on breeding world
Vegas Showgirl, the dam of champion racehorse Winx, has given birth to a filly by Japanese stallion Deep Impact, and the foal’s potential value will make your eyes water.
SuperRacing
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This cute, little foal is arguably the most expensive filly born in Australia, if not the world, this year.
The bay foal, who was born on Tuesday at Segenhoe Stud in the Hunter Valley, is estimated to be worth up to $5 million – and she is still two years away from being ready to race.
Her mother is Vegas Showgirl, the dam of the all-time great racemare Winx, winner of her last 33 races in succession before retiring to stud after a memorable triumph in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes before more than 43,000 race fans at Royal Randwick last April.
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If being a sister to Winx doesn’t make the little filly foal valuable enough, her sire is Japan’s super racehorse and stallion Deep Impact, who sadly lost his life less than two months ago.
Owner-breeder John Camilleri sent Vegas Showgirl and two others mares to Japan last year to be served to southern hemisphere time by Deep Impact.
“We were lucky to get Vegas Showgirl in foal to Deep Impact last year and this filly, when she goes to stud in a few years will make a great out-cross for Australian breeders as she is free of the Northern Dancer line,’’ Camilleri said on Tuesday.
“Deep Impact is an immense loss to world thoroughbred breeding so our filly foal becomes a very rare commodity on a number of fronts but it is highly unlikely we will sell her.’’
Segenhoe Stud’s Peter O’Brien, who has been working on thoroughbred studs for three decades and has watched thousands of foals being born, said Vegas Showgirl’s new-born filly reminds him a lot of her sister Winx when she was born eight years ago.
“In all the years I have been doing this job, I’ve only ever seen two only two foals spring straight to their feet after being born – that was Winx and this filly,’’ O’Brien said.
The greatest of all time, @winx_horse has a little sister. Born at 11am this morning, by champion sire Deep Impact out of Vegas Showgirl. Congratulations to breeders, John & Deb Camilleri of Fairway Thoroughbreds @dcamill2 #raisingathletes pic.twitter.com/mN7WD6rkwQ
— Segenhoe Group (@SegenhoeGroup) September 3, 2019
“I remember when Winx was born I described her as like Elle Mcpherson because she was such a good-looking filly with long limbs and her little sister is just the same.’’
Camilleri confirmed Vegas Showgirl is due to be served by champion sire I Am Invincible at Yarraman Park Stud in coming weeks.
By coincidence, her famous daughter, Winx, is booked to be served for the first time by I Am Invincible in the next two weeks.