Australia’s champion race mare Winx is in perfect shape as she continues her preparation towards a fourth Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 27.
Winx, above, is well into her 2018 Cox Plate preparation. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Chris Waller trained Winx is the winner of the last three runnings of the Cox Plate and equalled the legendary Kingston Town’s record of three consecutive wins in the weight for age championship when she beat Humidor last year during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Winx chalked up twenty-five straight wins before being sent for a spell with her victory Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on day two of The Championships on April 14.
Winx returned to the public arena with a leisurely seventh in a 900m barrier trial at Rosehill on July 23 and is scheduled to run in a second trial at Rosehill on Tuesday.
Waller also slotted in a race day appearance for Winx who galloped in between races at Randwick last Saturday and her scamper over 800m pleased both Waller and her regular rider Hugh Bowman.
“I thought bringing her here (Randwick) would help stimulate her without having to go too hard whereas this morning (Saturday) at Rosehill I would have had to go quite quick to get the same energy and benefit from the workout,” Waller told Racing New South Wales News Desk.
“Everything is in order. The only thing we have to worry about is her safety. We don’t have to make her run faster or do anything different. We know where she is at and she is perfect in terms of her body weight, breathing and her attitude.”
Bowman said that Winx felt terrific even though he didn’t fully extend the super star mare on the firm Randwick surface.
“She felt good, pretty strong today,” Bowman said
“It was her first time in public this preparation so she was up for the occasion. It was quite windy too which ignited her. I was hoping to let her stride a bit more than I did but the ground is extremely firm here today so I kept hold of her.
“It was a good exercise and I’m looking forward to the second trial now.”
Winx is set to resume for her 2018 Spring Carnival campaign in the race that has been renamed in her honour, the Group 1 $500,000 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 18.
Pre-post betting for the 2018 Cox Plate at Ladbrokes.com.au has Winx as the $1.55 favourite, well ahead of her nearest rival in the market order, Humidor at $15.
Winx’s record
35 starts, 29 wins, 3 seconds, 0 thirds.
18 Group 1 wins.
Total prizemoney earnings: $18,998,424
Early betting for the 2018 Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Ladbrokes.com.au: $1.55 Winx, $15 Humidor, $21 Benbatl, $26 Gailo Chop, $31 D’Agento, Happy Clapper, Grunt, Roaring Lion, Unforgotten, Kementari, Youngstar, Johannes Vermeer, $41 Accidental Agent, Poetic Dream, Poet’s Word, Youngstar $51 or better the rest.
