Winx will make her Flemington debut in the 2017 Turnbull Stakes this afternoon and trainer Chris Waller could not be happier with his star mare ahead of the Group 1 event.
Winx will chase a 14th Group 1 victory in the 2017 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington this afternoon. Photo by: Steve Hart
Winx was sent to Melbourne earlier in the week ahead of the Turnbull Stakes and Waller has been delighted with the way that she has settled in to her new environment.
Waller told RSN that the relaxed nature of the Flemington track had been perfect for Winx and she responded with an outstanding piece of work on Monday.
“Flemington is a beautiful big track and there is so much room and there is no congestion lining up to get on to the track,” Waller said.
“At Rosehill in Sydney at the moment they are constructing a couple of new tracks and there is only one grass track for galloping and one track for slow work.
“There is a line-up to get on there and she is always on a mission to get on the track and doesn’t really like waiting around.
“It just puts her on edge a little bit, but down here it has been lovely for her.
“She is very happy and her work was pretty good.
“We had a satellite tracking device and it had her going pretty quick.”
Winx has recorded three wins from as many starts during her 2017 Spring Racing Carnival campaign, but some critics have questioned how well she is going after she was made to work in the Warwick Stakes, Chelmsford Stakes and George Main Stakes.
Waller has been extremely happy with the way that Winx has performed in each of her race starts and he believes that she is going as well as ever heading into the 2017 Turnbull Stakes.
“There has been lots of questions about her return, but we should put it into perspective,” Waller said.
“She missed her first start by five lengths and she won comfortably by a length.
“Going to the next start, she broke 32 seconds for the last 600 and that is almost unheard of in a 1600 metre race let alone a Lightning or a Newmarket.
“She looked a little bit plain getting there, but she got there easily and it was a smart ride on Red Excitement.
“Third-up it was similar again, she was off the bridle at the half-mile and it was similar tactics, but the leader dropped out to run last and the second horse dropped out to run second last.
“She looked in trouble catching them, but it was probably because of the breakneck speed.
“Everything at home suggests that she has never looked better, she is a stronger horse and she is recovering really well from her races.
“She is 100 percent sound and I think she is going as well as ever.
“It will take a really good horse to beat her tomorrow.”
Winx is currently available at 2017 Turnbull Stakes odds of $1.20 with Ladbrokes and she is a clear favourite from Humidor ($4.60) before there is a big gap to the likes of Ventura Storm ($26) and Sir Isaac Newton ($51).
