Cox Plate favourite Winx could make a guest appearance on Golden Rose Race Day and gallop in between races at Rosehill on Saturday.
Winx could make a guest appearance to gallop in between races at Rosehill on Golden Rose Race Day. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Winx was scratched from last Saturday’s Group 2 $250,000 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick because of the heavy track but trainer Chris Waller said that missing that run would not affected the champion mare’s Spring Carnival campaign.
Waller said that he would make a request to the Australian Turf Club to take Winx to the Rosehill on Saturday to gallop in between races and he would also nominate her for a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Friday as a backup.
“We always had her preparation planned so there was the contingency to miss a race,” Waller said.
“I will nominate her for a barrier trial on Friday or if I think she needs a day out we will go to the races.
“Depending on the weather I will ask if she can gallop between races at Rosehill.
“Her first-up win in the Warwick Stakes showed me she was where I wanted her to be and it’s just a matter of keeping her happy.”
Winx won her tenth race in succussion with a first up win in the Group 2 $250,000 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 20 and Waller said that she is on track to defend her Cox Plate title in October.
“She is fit and doesn’t need a lot of work from now on leading to the Cox Plate.”
Winx with Hugh Bowman in the saddle, made a top quality field of weight for age performers look second rate when she raced away to record a four and three quarter lengths win in the Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley during last year’s Melbourne Spring Carnival.
The Street Cry mare then carried her winning Spring form over into the Sydney Autumn Carnival for wins in the Group 2 $250,000 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, the Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill and the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick.
Waller waited unto Saturday morning before electing to miss the Chelmsford Stakes with Winx because he didn’t want to risk her in the heavy track conditions.
“It does do a lot of damage to them running on wet tracks,” Waller told G1X’s EON Sports Radio program Three Wide No Cover show on Saturday morning.
“It is a lot harder for them internally and that’s also when you can have your injuries come about like pulled muscles or even joints because their legs move around so much more.”
“We thought she would have been a great chance, but it would have been a harder job getting her through to the big races ahead.”
Winx will now have her next run in the Group 1 $500,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 17 before she heads to Melbourne.
In early Cox Plate betting at Ladbrokes.com.au Winx has maintained her spot at the top of the market order at $2.50, well ahead of her nearest rival, last Saturday’s Chelmsford Stakes winner Hartnell at $13.
The Aidan O’Brien trained Highland Reel shares the next line of betting at $17 with Group 1 winner The United States and Japanese import Tosen Stardom just ahead of Memsie Stakes winner Black Heart Bart and Lucia Valentina at $19.
