Vanna Girl rides streak into The Roses Stakes

A three-race winning streak, which included two minor stakes, and a fine record of six wins in nine career starts will make Vanna Girl the favorite in her group stakes debut in Saturday’s Group 2 The Roses Stakes at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Australia.

Vanna Girl, trained by Toby and Trent Edmonds, is part of a field of 14 in the $120,225 The Roses Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles. This will be a distance test for Vanna Girl, who won two listed stakes at a mile at Doomben Racecourse on May 9 and May 30.

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Vanna Girl is most effective as a stalker and has won five of her last six starts, which includes a second by a length in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Doomben on March 28 after a seven-week layoff.

Celestial Falls, second by a half-length to Vanna Girl in the Pam O’Neill Stakes at Doomben on May 30, should have no difficultly with the distance. Last September, Celestial Falls won a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Flemington Racecourse and has the ability to set the pace or race near the front.

The Roses Stakes is the second start in a group stakes for Sky Horse, who was fourth by 3 1/2 lengths in the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic against males at 1 1/8 miles at Eagle Farm on May 23. Sky Horse has risen in class level quickly this spring, having won a maiden race in her third career start on March 19 and a handicap at a mile on April 29.

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The nine-race Eagle Farm program begins at 9:35 p.m. Eastern, or 6:35 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com. The Roses Stakes is the seventh race on the program.

There are six stakes on the Eagle Farm program, including the Group 2 Quincy Dane Ripper Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs, the day’s final race.

The $120,225 Dane Ripper Stakes is an easier class for Winter Bride, a 5-year-old Southern Hemisphere mare who has won 9 of 29 starts for the Edmondses.

Winter Bride, a three-time Group 3 winner, was eighth of 18 against males in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at seven furlongs at Eagle Farm on June 6 at 50-1, finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind upset winner Tyzone.

The Dane Ripper Stakes is a weight-for-age race and will have a maximum field of 18.

Winter Bride is quick enough to set the pace, but may be more effective as a stalker. She is likely to be joined in that position by Irithea, who won the Group 3 Dark Jewel Stakes at seven furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on May 16, ending a 10-race losing streak since the Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown Stakes at 6 1-2 furlongs in April 2019.

The Dane Ripper field includes Outback Barbie, who was sixth in the Stradbroke, beaten 1 1/2 lengths at 40-1. In January, Outback Barbie won the $690,000 Queensland Magic Millions Open at 6 1/2 furlongs, a race worth $1 million Australian.