Trainer Chris Waller is happy with the body language Winx is displaying in the lead up to Saturday’s Group 1 $500,000 Seppelt Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
Winx, above, is showing positive body language in the lead up to the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Steve Hart.
Winx is chasing her twenty-first win in succession and the super mare hasn’t put a hoof wrong all the way through her 2017 Spring Carnival preparation.
“My indication is with a horse, how their body language is when they are going on and off the track, and if they’re a little bit tense they’ll shuffle on and off the track,” Waller told The Daily Telegraph.
“But she’s just flowing out there so I think that’s great. Her eating has been good, that’s the other sign we look for.”
Winx has been based at Flemington on two occasions before winning the 2015 and 2016 Group 1 $3m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley but is yet to race on the famous Flemington track, but Waller can’t see that as a problem.
“She’s obviously been here (Flemington) twice before and in fact we feel she’s more comfortable here,” Waller said.
“It’s a great open area, it’s like they’re in a natural environment. There’s so much room to move so she’s adapted very well.”
Winx is the $1.20 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au to win the Turnbull Stakes which will be the mare’s final lead up run before attempting to win a third Cox Plate and equal the legendary Kingston Town’s record of three consecutive wins in the ‘The Weight For Age Championship Of Australasia’ in 1980,1981 and 1982.
Winx has been made to work hard to keep her latest undefeated run intact in her last three starts during the 2017 Spring Carnival with three wins at Randwick in the Group 2 $250,000 Warwick Stakes (1400m), in the Group 2 $250,000 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and in the Group 1 $500,000 Colgate Optic White Stakes (George Main Stakes) (1600m).
The champion mare has drawn nicely at barrier two in the seven horse Turnbull Stakes field with regular rider Hugh Bowman in the saddle again while her main rival Humidor is coming out of gate four with Damian Lane in the saddle.
The Darren Weir trained Humidor was back in the winner’s stall last start with an emphatic victory in the Group 1 $750,000 PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 16.
