Foxplay Pounces On Coolmore Rivals

By Brad Gray

Three-year-old filly Foxplay proved strongest in the Coolmore Legacy Stakes (1600m), sweeping down the outside to claim top honours for the Chris Waller stable.

Waller had a decision to make after Foxplay’s last start fourth in the Vinery Stud Stakes – to push onto the Oaks or drop back to the mile for the Coolmore – and opting for the latter proved a masterstroke.

Race favourite Silent Sedition bounced out of the gates to take up the running but First Seal pushed up on her outside to keep her honest. Those two looked likely to pair off and fight it out but couldn’t hold off late charges from Foxplay, Zanbagh and Dixie Blossoms.

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Foxplay (Steve Hart)

“Winx didn’t win the Oaks and I decided not to run this filly in the Oaks because I still think she has some brilliance and speed so fortunately we got away with it,” said Waller.
 
“She has been a very special horse to us. We call her the Winx junior. There are lots of similarities, she started off with a winning bang and has sort of been a little bit forgotten, had a few hard luck stories go against her and funnily enough has run in the same races as Winx.”
 
“It was a pretty tough effort and good ride from Kerrin (McEvoy). He never panicked and got caught wide but the beauty of that is that you keep them happy, keep them travelling.”



 Foxplay winning the Coolmore Legacy

McEvoy said of the win: “It was a lovely win by this filly, she’s just done a great job.”
 
“I wanted to be a bit closer with the lack of speed in the race, I gave her a kick out of the gates and she was much closer than I thought I’d be.
 
“We were finishing strongly and I was a happy recipient of a tough little filly, she deserves a Group One.”

Results and replays for Day 2 of The Championships