Super star mare Winx has six rivals to beat if she is to claim her twenty-first consecutive win with a victory in the Group 1 $500,000 Seppelt Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Winx, above, has 6 rivals in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Steve Hart.

Winx, above, has 6 rivals in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Steve Hart.

Winx has drawn barrier two in the seven horse field with regular rider Hugh Bowman in the saddle again.

Winx’s main danger looks to be the Darren Weir trained Humidor who drew barrier four with Damian Lane booked to ride again.

Humidor was back in the winner’s stall last start with a decisive win in the Group 1 $750,000 PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 16.

Winx will be stepping out for the first time onto Flemington under race conditions in the Turnbull Stakes but had a good look around on Monday morning with a solid gallop on the course proper which pleased trainer Chris Waller.

“It was a good work out which she recovered quickly from, I am therefore happy with her fitness,” Waller said.

Trainer Robert Hickmott will have two runners for the Lloyd Williams Team, Assign at barrier six with Katelyn Mallyon to ride and Sir Isaac Newton to jump from the outside gate in the seven horse field for Damien Oliver.

Assign was a winner during the 2017 Sydney Autumn Carnival in the Group 3 $150,000 The Daily Telegraph Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill and resumed from a spell for a fourteenth in the Listed $120,000 Dream Thoroughbred Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield on September 2.

Sir Isaac Newton has had two runs back from a spell for an eighth in the Group 2 $250,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at The Valley on September 9 followed by a sixth in the Group 3 $150,000 Bendigo Bank East Malvern MRC Foundation Cup (Naturalism Stakes) (2000m) at Caulfield on September 23.

The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig will only have one runner in the Turnbull Stakes, Ventura Storm, who drew barrier five with Regan Bayliss keeping the mount.

Final field for the 2017 Turnbull Stakes (2000m)

# Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 x42212x681 HUMIDOR (NZ) Darren Weir Damian Lane 4 59kg 114
2 1x1111x111 WINX Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 2 57kg 132
3 01121x5x76 VENTURA STORM (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Regan Bayliss 5 56.5kg 106
4 x9210x71x0 ASSIGN (IRE) Robert Hickmott Ms Katelyn Mallyon 6 56.5kg 104
5 0x0x770x00 MAGICOOL Tony Romeo Christopher Brown 1 54.5kg 84
6 14407x5x86 SIR ISAAC NEWTON (GB) Robert Hickmott Damien Oliver 7 54.5kg 104
7 4113345×75 SKYFIRE Amy Johnston Dwayne Dunn 3 54.5kg 61

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.