Trainer backs Winx’s sister to soar after return from growing pains

3 months ago 3

By Craig Kerry

December 4, 2025 — 5.00pm

Grahame Begg believes Wings Of Desire - a three-quarter sister to the great Winx - is over her growing pains, but he is still cautiously building her back to another shot at black-type racing.

The Victorian trainer has sent the four-year-old to tackle the 1300m benchmark 78 handicap for fillies and mares at Rosehill on Sunday, following a first-up win for his stable at Caulfield Heath on November 12.

Jordan Childs wins on Wings Of Desire at Caulfield Heath on November 12.

Wings Of Desire is out of the same dam as Winx, Vegas Showgirl, and was sired by Pride Of Dubai, a son of Winx’s father, Street Cry. She won her first two starts, at Hawkesbury and Newcastle, for Randwick trainer Michael Freedman before three unplaced runs at stakes level across her next five.

Owner-breeder John Camilleri, the man who bred 25-time group 1 winner Winx, then moved Wings Of Desire to Begg’s stable. Coming off a 30-week spell, she won a trial before victory in a fillies and mares benchmark 70 (1200m).

Begg has been impressed with the regally-bred mare but was keen to take her comeback slowly.

“I do train for John Camilleri and he thought a change of scenery would be good,” Begg said.

“She had a good break from training and a bit more time to mature. I think she had a few little issues, but with time, she certainly appears to be over them.

“She’s a beautiful mare. A big, strapping girl, so you can understand why she had a few aches and pains. She seems to be over them, but you need to always be careful.

“We couldn’t find the right style of race here. I was very keen to keep her against fillies and mares in her benchmark, without overstepping the mark with her, and this race was there.

“Obviously breeders are always trying to get some black type with them. She wouldn’t get a start in a black-type race anyway. She’s only a 72-rater in NSW so we need to keep building her resume and that’s what we are trying to do, after winning a midweek metro. Hopefully, we can win a Saturday metro and keep building.”

Jordan Childs was aboard for the Caulfield win and makes the trip to partner her again. She was a $5 TAB chance from gate 12 in the seventh.

“I’ve ridden her in all her jump-outs since she’s come to Grahame’s and I’ve done a bit of track work on her. She’s shown us she’s got quite a bit of ability,” Childs said.

“She’ll take natural improvement from the other day. She wasn’t fully wound up.

“She’s drawn wide, but she showed pretty good speed from the gate the other day. She’s pretty versatile.”

Childs has also picked up the ride on impressive debut winner, Plaintiff, which Camilleri paid $2.2 million for as a yearling. The Peter Snowden-trained three-year-old, a daughter of group 1 winners Zoustar and Prompt Response, steps up from a midweek maiden win at Rosehill to a benchmark 72 for three-year-olds (1200m) on Sunday. She was into a $3.10 equal favourite for the fifth.

Snowden said it was no surprise to see her dominate on debut.

“Hopefully she goes on with it now,” Snowden said.

“She’s up a fair bit in class, but you’ve got to sort out the wheat from the chaff. I’m really happy with her and she’s a nice filly.”

He also has Nitro ($4), first in a Warwick Farm super maiden then second at Rosehill, in the race.

“It’s a shame they’ve got to meet, but they are similar horses with nice ability and you’ve got to take them on some time,” he said.

“It’s a good race to test them out in.”

He said Plaintiff would likely spell after the run but Nitro could race on to the Magic Millions Guineas on the Gold Coast.

Adkins going the distance to chase interstate metro double

Sydney jockey Andrew Adkins hopes the hunt for Ninja and the backing of trainer Joe Pride can lead to an interstate city double this weekend.

Adkins returns from a careless riding suspension, stemming from The Gong day at Kembla Grange, to compete on the Kensington program on Friday before heading to Doomben on Saturday and back to Rosehill on Sunday.

Andrew Adkins after winning on Fire Star at Rosehill in September.

He and Tyler Schiller were able to land rides at both city meetings on the weekend, after Racing NSW’s decision announced on Wednesday to push the Rosehill card back to Sunday due to extreme heat forecast for Saturday.

Luckily for Adkins, he was booked to ride the Michael Freedman-trained Ninja at both venues and was waiting to see where the Farnan three-year-old would go.

Adkins has been aboard all of Ninja’s trials and his three starts, which include wins at Kembla and Rosehill at his past two outings. Freedman opted to go to the Magic Millions Pierata Plate with Ninja ($3.20 TAB).

Adkins was able to keep that ride, pick up another at Doomben, then also have a winning chance with Pride-trained Crepe Myrtle at Rosehill on Sunday.

“It was just chasing Ninja,” Adkins said of getting rides at both tracks.

“He was obviously nominated at both places, so I was happy to just wait and see what they wanted to do. Obviously, looking at draws and races, you were thinking he’s probably going to Brisbane, and when the Rosehill races were moved I was able to be available for what I was booked for anyway, so it worked out in my favour.

“Ninja is an exciting one and it looks a nice race for him.”

He also rides last-start winner Firewalker ($7) in the first at Doomben.

At Rosehill, Adkins has the job on Godolphin-owned prospect Crepe Myrtle, a $900,000 daughter of Exceed And Excel and Dixie Blossoms, in the sixth.

The four-year-old was a maiden winner at Randwick on Boxing Day last year but did not race again until October, after joining Pride’s Warwick Farm stable.

She resumed with a second behind the impressive Lyles before wins at Gosford and Canterbury. She makes the jump to Saturday grade in the sixth, a benchmark 88 handicap (1100m) and was a $2.90 chance.

“I’ve had good support from Joe lately and the horse is in form,” Adkins said of the opportunity to replace the suspended Zac Lloyd on Crepe Myrtle.

“No doubt he will have her ready to go again and she’ll be getting her chance.

“It was looking awkward there for me for a bit because with both meetings on Saturday, I had to sit out and not take any more rides because of where Ninja might be going, but it’s worked out good.

“I’ve just got to hope for a bit of luck there and I could have two pretty good days. Hopefully get a couple of winners to play for the flights and accommodation.”