Australia: Foxwedge may head to Royal Ascot following Moonnee Valley victory

The winner of a Group 1 race in Australia on Friday may be bound for Europe.

Foxwedge, the 11-1 upset winner of the Group 1 William Reid Stakes for sprinters at Moonee Valley on Friday, is a candidate for the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Ridden by Nash Rawiller, Foxwedge stalked the early pace in the Reid Stakes and took the lead in the final 50 yards to upset 1-2 favorite Hay List. Hay List had finished behind the undefeated superstar Black Caviar four times since the first of 2011.

Foxwedge won his first Group 1 race in the William Red Stakes over six furlongs, his first victory since October. A 4-year-old by Fastnet Rock, Foxwedge is trained by John O’Shea for Edmund Bateman.

* Saturday, Manighar won his second Group 1 race of March in the $428,000 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill racecourse.

Ridden by Luke Nolen, Manighar, an 11-2 shot, outfinished 16-1 Rangirangdoo to win the race over about 1 1/4 miles on turf by a head.

Shoot Out, the 2-1 favorite, finished third, a length behind Ranigrangdoo in the field of 13.

Manighar, trained by Peter Moody of Black Caviar fame, won the Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington Racecourse on March 10. A 6-year-old French-bred gelding, Manighar is owned by Earle Mack, who races horses throughout the world and is well known for his North American success with the 1993 Canadian Triple Crown winner Peteski.

Manighar is scheduled to make his next start in the $2.4 million BMW Cup on April 7.

* In the $635,000 Coolmore Classic for fillies and mares, Ofcourseican, a 12-1 shot ridden by Kathy O’Hara, prevailed in a three-horse photo after 7 1/2 furlongs.

Ofcourseican, a 6-year-old Australian-bred mare by Mossman, finished a head in front of Secret Admirer, who was a head in front of King’s Rose in the field of 13. Steps In Time, the 5-2 favorite, finished eighth.

Ofcourseican, trained by Ron Quinton, won the biggest race of her career in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic.