The Winx-dominated Chipping Norton Stakes Day 2017 Results will be available live all afternoon right here at HorseRacing.com.au as we cover the latest Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival meeting from Royal Randwick Racecourse.
Winx is now a ten-time Group 1 winner after saluting in the Chipping Norton Stakes 2017. Photo: Steve Hart.
The Randwick line-up is top notch in Sydney today including the race all fans are eagerly anticipating – the weight-for-age $600,000 Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) featuring Winx.
Running as Race 4 at 4:30pm (AEDT) the Chipping Norton Stakes field features ten hopefuls led by the Chris Waller-trained glamour mare shooting for her fifteenth consecutive victory.
A further five Group status events are scheduled including the Sweet Embrace Stakes (Race 3) and Skyline Stakes (Race 4) for two-year-olds targeting the $3.5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 18.
Stay tuned across the Sydney race card right here for all the latest Randwick race results including Winx in the Chipping Norton Stakes.
Race 9 (5:50pm) – $100,000 Byron Thomas Recruitment Handicap (1200m)
Your Way maintained her stellar winning record with a victory in the final race on Chipping Norton Stakes Day. Photo by: Steve Hart
- 1st: #8 Your Way
- 2nd: #2 Kudero
- 3rd: #3 Grande Punto
The tiring odds-on favourite Your Way prepared by Bjorn Baker held on in the wet to win the last on Chipping Norton Stakes Day and continue a stellar career record that now sits at seven wins from nine starts. Coming off a win at the track and distance, the four-year-old mare continued her tidy record after leveling up to the leader Kudero to pull away for the win. Your Way was settled second behind Kudero, who was on the fence throughout ahead of the short favourite in the four-horse race that suffered six scratchings. The winning margin was cut back to a long neck, while noted wet-tracker Grande Punto finished off the trifecta in third.
Race 8 (5:10pm) – $200,000 Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m)
Guy Walter Stakes winner Dixie Blossoms is onto the 2017 Coolmore Classic for last year’s winning trainer Ron Quinton. Photo: Steve Hart.
- 1st: #4 Dixie Blossoms
- 2nd: #2 Zanbagh
- 3rd: #6 Flippant
Dixie Blossoms absolutely swam on the Heavy (9) to lead all-the-way and post an emphatic six length victory, bolting home over Zanbagh in the Guy Walter Stakes with Flippant finishing off the trifecta in third. It was the perfect lead-up race for the mare heading into the Coolmore Classic in a fortnight.
Race 7 (4:30pm) – $600,000 Group 1 TAB Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m)
- 1st: #9 Winx
- 2nd: #10 Lasqueti Spirit
- 3rd: #4 Who Shot Thebarman
Champion mare Winx won her fifteenth on the trot with another effortless display to score back-to-back Chipping Norton Stakes victories, putting any doubts to bed that she couldn’t handle the Heavy going. In one of her greatest victories, the Waller hero was kept out of trouble by Hugh Bowman before Winx unleashed her freakish engine at the top of the straight drawing away for a two length win over the brave Crown Oaks winning filly Lasqueti Spirit.
Race 6 (3:50pm) – $200,000 Group 2 Theraces.com.au Surround Stakes (1400m)
La Bella Diosa enjoyed a first-up win down under in the Surround Stakes on way to an Australian Oaks 2017 run in April. Photo: Steve Hart.
- 1st: #3 La Bella Diosa
- 2nd: #4 Omei Sword
- 3rd: #1 Global Glamour
Group 1 New Zealand winner La Bella Diosa handled the Heavy going in her first-up Australian start kicking off her ATC Oaks preparation in style with a Group 2 win in Sydney. She made easy going of the ground and flew home over the final stages to hold off the fast-finishing Waller-trained Omei Sword who looked exciting her her delayed return, while the short-priced favourite Global Glamour held for third on the back of the Light Fingers Stakes win.
Race 5 (3:10pm) – $150,000 Group 3 Openmarkets & Bmyg Liverpool City Cup (1300m)
McCreery won the 2017 Liverpool City Cup for Chris Waller wearing the same colours as superstar stablemate Winx. Photo: Steve Hart.
- 1st: #5 McCreery
- 2nd: #2 Arod
- 3rd: #7 Testashadow
The Chris Waller stable enjoyed their first win on Chipping Norton Stakes Day with the Winx colours flashing past the winning post early with last start Group 1 Cantala Stakes runner-up McCreery getting the job done for the same connections of the mighty mare first-up. He came from last in running to swamp his rivals late down the outside after a tough run, holding off stablemate Arod while Testashadow held for third.
Race 4 (2:35pm) – $200,000 Group 2 Schweppes Skyline Stakes (1200m)
Diamond Tathagata is into the Golden Slipper Stakes field after an upset Skyline Stakes 2017 win at Randwick in the wet. Photo: Steve Hart.
- 1st: #1 Diamond Tathagata
- 2nd: #7 Coruscate
- 3rd: #3 Single Bullet
Trainer Mark Newnham has a livewire hope heading into next month’s Golden Slipper Stakes after his nicely-bred Hinchinbrook colt best handled the Heavy Randwick track again to win the Skyline Stakes first-up. Second on debut behind the now Slipper favourite She Will Reign, Diamond Tathagata closed late and over the final 50m got home ahead of Coruscate from the Godolphin stable. Third went to the Gary Portelli-trained Single Bullet, consistent again but still without a win on the board.
Race 3 (2:00pm) – $200,000 Group 2 Vale Edgar Britt Oam Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m)
One More Honey handled the Heavy going at Randwick to win a Golden Slipper ballot exemption in the Sweet Embrace Stakes 2017. Photo: Steve Hart.
- 1st: #4 One More Honey
- 2nd: #2 Arctic Angel
- 3rd: #1 Teaspoon
The John Thompson-trained One More Honey handled the rain-affected track on a Heavy (8) and got the run of the race from barrier one up the inside to take out the Golden Slipper lead-up in a tough late effort. The Melbourne-based filly Arctic Angel out of the Blue Diamond Prelude got away well from her outside draw and led the field throughout, while the eventual winner tracked along in third. At the 200m Arctic Angel skipped away, but the 1200m on the going proved too much for her and One More Honey was there to lunge and take out the Group 2. Finishing for third in a photo with runner-up Arctic Angel was the previously undefeated Teaspoon coming off a Group 3 Widden Stakes win at Rosehill.
Race 2 (1:25pm) – $60,000 TAB Highway Plate (1600m)
Mr Spin found the best going on a rain-affected Randwick track to win up on the rails in the second on Chipping Norton Stakes Day 2017. Photo: Steve Hart.
- 1st: #8 Mr Spin
- 2nd: #7 Trying
- 3rd: #3 Ruthless Agent
Coffs Harbour trainer Mick O’Neill had his first starter in a Highway race and came away with the money, his Bulleton gelding Mr Spin getting the job done late in the trying conditions at Randwick in the wet. The galloper had no wet track form coming into the race, but jockey Rachael Murray found the best going on the fence with the rail in the normal position. Lippy And Pearls led throughout before dropping out on the straight, which is when Mr Spin got going up on the inside. Trying was last early in running, but was able to pick up ground on the fence approaching the turn with Mr Spin following him through. Ruthless Agent also shot away at the 300m up on the inside for third. All three placegetters made their runs on the fence, which looks the place to be early on the card saving the ground to dominate late.
Race 1 (12:45pm) – $100,000 Auckland Racing Club Trophy (2000m)
Dark Eyes led all-the-way to win the first at Royal Randwick on 2017 Chipping Norton Stakes Day. Photo: Steve Hart.
- 1st: #2 Dark Eyes
- 2nd: #1 Montauk
- 3rd: #3 Hogmanay
Tim Clark pinched an upset win in the first at Royal Randwick leading all-the-way aboard the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Snitzel four-year-old Dark Eyes in his first run over the 2000m. Dark Eyes got a cheap lead early and steadied the tempo leading from Hogmanay, up in distance and having to travel without cover. Clark was left alone up front with the soft lead rolling along reeling off the steady sectionals, showing form on the Soft (7) track. Dark Eyes worked well on the going before showing a great turn of foot on the straight, kicking away to charge home for a four length win over Montauk who got up on the outside in second.
*All times quoted local (AEDT) and subject to change
