After an uncharacteristic miss at Caulfield, Fangirl is back in familiar surroundings at Randwick and connections are confident she can rebound in the Group 1 7 Stakes (1600m) on Saturday.

The star mare finished fourth to Treasurethemoment in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) last month, just her second unplaced run in almost two years, after being scratched from the Winx Stakes (1400m) due to a heavy track.

Trainer Chris Waller quickly sent her back to Sydney, and stable representative Charlie Duckworth said she has thrived since.

“She just didn’t handle Caulfield as well as we’d hoped,” Duckworth said. “It was her first time around there. She still ran OK and she has still taken good fitness benefit from the trip down and up and her work has actually been really sharp since she has returned. There is no negative to her running down there and she loves the Randwick mile.”

Now a seven-year-old, Fangirl continues to shine when many mares her age are retired. She boasts 11 wins from 34 starts, including victory in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) in the autumn, and will attempt to defend her crown in the $1 million 7 Stakes.

“She is the only filly in the race but she stumps up every prep,” Duckworth said. “She always wins a ‘biggie’ so it’s hard to knock her.”

Fangirl heads the early betting as one of five Waller-trained runners, joined by Lindermann, Kovalica, Militarize and Kadavar.

Militarize is particularly noteworthy after finishing strongly for fifth in the Tramway Stakes (1400m) at his second run back from a failed stint at stud. Duckworth believes the five-year-old is primed to recapture top form.

“His last run rated quite highly in terms of all of his first-up performances. It rated as the second best first-up performance of his entire career so that indicates he is in for a good preparation,” Duckworth said. “It made it hard coming off the back of a breeding barn preparation whereas he’s coming off the back of a racing preparation now so he’s one that can bounce back and prove he is still a Group One horse.”

A triple Group 1 winner at two and three, Militarize captured the 2023 Champagne Stakes over the same Randwick mile he tackles again on Saturday.

Punters can back Fangirl, Militarize, or any of Waller’s team in the 7 Stakes through Australia’s top betting sites.