Champion jockey Hugh Bowman is excited to see what level Fangirl can get to this campaign, adamant the best is yet to come.
The Chris Waller-trained mare kicks off her four-year-old season in Saturday’s Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on what promises to be one of the better surfaces in Sydney in several months.
That is welcome news for Fangirl, who didn’t appreciate the heavy tracks in the autumn but still proved herself among the better three-year-old fillies when she struck the right conditions, winning the Light Fingers (1200m) and Vinery Stud Stakes (1850m).
While mindful the transition to taking on the older, seasoned horses is a challenging one, experience tells Bowman Fangirl can make that leap.
“She has got a similar style to her as a Streama or a Norzita, she reminds me of those fillies,” Bowman said.
“What we’ve seen so far, I think it’s just the tip of the iceberg and she’s got so much more to offer.
“She has been racing against her own age and sex to date so it’s a pretty significant class rise when they go to open company, but I’ve got no doubt she will run very, very well on Saturday.”
In the absence of Verry Elleegant, who has contested the season-opening Group 1 for the past three years, Bowman regards Godolphin star Anamoe as the measuring stick in the Winx Stakes.
The Rosehill Guineas winner is a $2.50 favourite and Bowman agrees he is the horse to beat.
“The dominant horse for me over the last couple of years has been Verry Elleegant at this level,” Bowman said.
“Although she wasn’t at her best over this distance, she’d be the type of horse that would be the benchmark of the race if she was in it.
“I think Anamoe really holds court as the benchmark going into the race now. If we can finish somewhere around him, I’d be very satisfied with that.”
Bowman has also been the regular partner of Winx Stakes rival Forbidden Love, who will be partnered by Rachel King.
However, he confirmed he didn’t make a choice between the mares having accepted the mount on Fangirl before Forbidden Love’s trainer Michael Freedman had a change of heart and decided to run the multiple Group 1 winner on Saturday.
A win aboard Fangirl would see Bowman join Darby Munro as the most successful jockey in the race with six victories.