Australia’s most popular race horse Winx is one of thirteen nominations for the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Winx, above, is one of thirteen horses nominated for the Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Winx will be chasing her fifteenth straight success and her tenth Group 1 win in the Chipping Norton Stakes and will be facing a similar field that she easily beat when resuming in the Group 2 $250,000 The Star Apollo Stakes (1400m) at the postponed Randwick meeting on February 13.
As well as nominating Winx, trainer Chris Waller has entered six other stablemates, Endless Drama, Preferment, Libran and Sacred Master who all finished behind the glamour mare in the Apollo Stakes and stayers Grand Marshal and Who Shot Thebarman.
Waller said that Winx has come through here first up run in the Apollo Stales in great order and she has actually put on a couple of kilos since her first run back after winning her second Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
‘We weighed her and she’s put on a couple of kilos since the Apollo,” Waller AAP.
“So she is holding her racing weight and that’s important.
“She is fit and our job is to maintain that and keep her going through the preparation and she’s as good as she can be.”
Apollo Stakes runner up Hartnell is one of three horses trainer John O’Shea has nominated for the Chipping Norton Stakes, the other two also raced in the Apollo Stakes, Magic Hurricane finishing fifth and Ambience finishing eleventh.
Hartnell has finished second to Winx at the last two times they have met with the world’s best horse on turf scoring a runaway eight lengths win in the 2016 Cox Plate and was eased down to record a two and three quarter lengths win in the Apollo Stakes.
The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have nominated Group 1 winner He’s Our Rokkii who is coming off a first up eighth to Black Heart Bart in the Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 11.
He’s Our Rokkii reached the peak of his career during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival with a win in the Group 1 $500,000 IG Markets Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.
Trainer Lee Curtis has nominated Crown Oaks winner Lasqueti Spirit and the 2016 Australian Derby winner Tavago from the Cranbourne stables of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young is also entered for the Chipping Norton Stakes.
The early market order for the Chipping Norton Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au has Winx as the $1.10 favourite with Hartnell the closest to her in the betting at $8.
Early market order for the Chipping Norton Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $1.10 Winxx, $8 Hartnell, $16 Endless Drama, $31 He’s Our Rokkii, $51 Libran, Tavago, $81 Magic Hurricane, $101 Lasqueti Spirit, Preferment, $201 Ambience, Sacred Master, Who Shot Thebarman, $301 Grand Marshal.
