Gary Hall - trainer of Majorly Foxy Styx
Majorly Foxy Styx, an up-and-coming star, has recovered from a serious leg injury and will resume racing after an eight-month absence when she contests the third heat of the Sovereign Beejay Preux Chevalier Mares Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred four-year-old from the Serpentine stables of leading trainer Gary Hall sen., has drawn perfectly at No. 1 on the front line in the 2130m event and should set the pace and extend her winning sequence to eight.
Her clash with brilliant five-year-old Arma Xpress will be a major highlight of the ten-event program. Arma Xpress has recently entered the Banjup stables of Colin Brown, who will drive the mare for the first time in a race on Friday night.
Arma Xpress possesses sparkling gate speed and is a noted frontrunner. But from barrier four on the front line she faces an extremely difficult task to wrest the early lead from Majorly Foxy Styx. She has not raced since began speedily from barrier three and led for the first 1100m before sitting behind Frith and fading to tenth behind that brilliant mare in the group 1 Breeders Crown over 2240m at Melton on August 24.
Arma Xpress was a sensation as a two-year-old when she won two group 1 features, the WA Sales Classic and Golden Slipper, two group 2 events, the Champagne Classic and Westbred Classic, and the group 3 Gold Bracelet.
Majorly Foxy Styx has not appeared since she led and rated 1.57.5 when she won the group 2 Dainty’s Daughter Classic over 2130m at Gloucester Park last February. She broke down soon after that six-length victory over The Parade and was unable to contest the WA Oaks in May.
Adding further spice to Friday night’s event will be the return to racing of the Hall-trained Dontdoubtme, who has been off the scene since the end of May. Unraced as a two-year-old, she had 11 starts as a three-year-old last season for five wins and four placings, including a third to Dougs Courage in the South Australian Oaks at Globe Derby Park and a third behind Libertybelle Midfrew and The Parade in the WA Oaks. She will start from barrier five on the front line on Friday night.
