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Winx’s half-sister to step out at Flemington on Oaks Day
City Of Lights won't ever scale the heights of her famous older half-sister, but she will grace a stage Winx never got to visit when she steps out at Flemington on Thursday.
The Joe Pride-trained mare will become the first member of the family to race during the Melbourne Cup Carnival when she contests the $150,000 TCL Trophy (1700m).
The four-year-old heads into the benchmark 70 event a winner of two of her three starts, the most recent a gritty win in a 1550m fillies and mares' benchmark 70 event at Randwick's Kensington track on October 18.
City Of Lights, who is by Japanese legend Deep Impact, is the eighth foal from Vegas Showgirl, who produced Winx (Street Cry) as her second foal.
Twenty-five-time Group 1 winner Winx never raced during Melbourne Cup Week but was successful at both of her Flemington starts, in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) of 2017 and 2018.
El Divino, a son of Snitzel who was Vegas Showgirl's fourth foal, is the only other member of the family to have raced at Australia's most famous racecourse, having finished second in the Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) in January 2017.
City Of Lights, who will be ridden by Chad Schofield, drew barrier 11 in Thursday's 13-horse field for which she heads betting at $4.80.