Champion mare Winx has one less opponent to worry about in the Group 1 $1m China Horse Club George Ryder (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday following the scratching of the Darren Weir trained Tosen Stardom.

Winx, above, has been left with seven opponents in the George Ryder after the scratching of Tosen Stardom. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The George Ryder field is now reduced to eight runners with Weir opting to run Tosen Stardom in the Group 2 $200,000 Incognitus Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.

The Blamey Stakes also has a small field with six runners following the withdrawal of the Weir trained multiple Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart who escaped any serious injury when he became cast in his stable on Friday Morning.

The Blamey Stakes meeting at Flemington on Saturday will be run on a Good 4 track in contrast to Rosehill’s Golden Slipper meeting that will be conducted on a very heavy surface.

On Friday morning the Rosehill track was rated a heavy 10 after receiving 64.5mm of rain in the last seven days with more showers forecast for Friday and Saturday.

Winx’s trainer Chris Waller is based at Rosehill and has firsthand knowledge about the track and said even though they have had plenty of rain all week, he feels the track will be safe to race on Saturday.

“Not the best of weather up here in Sydney but it looks safe enough,” Waller told RSN’s Racing Pulse.

“I got a pleasant surprise this morning, the sand is always a good guide here at Rosehill, and there was no surface water at all but we did get rain through the morning and now there are quite a few puddles around.

Waller said that Winx has continued to please the stable after winning her fifteenth race on the trot on a heavy track in the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on February 25.

“Very good. I was in two minds at the start of the week if we were to run at 1500m but pleased to stick to the decision of the 1500m plan,” Waller said.

“It will be a pretty tough test on a very heavy track.”

“So she is well. Her work has been faultless. Three weeks in between runs after a tough run on a heavy track last start looks to be ideal.”

The scratching of Tosen Stardom from the George Ryder has had little impact on the betting with Winx still dominating at $1.16 with the Team Hawkes trained Chautauqua the next in the market order at $6 ahead of Le Romain at $9 and Hauraki at $19.