Bookmakers had no choice but to install Winx the new favourite for the Group 1 $1m The Star Epsom (1600m) at Randwick on October 3 following her electrifying win at Rosehill last Saturday.
Winx has been installed the new favourite for The Star Epsom at Randwick. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Queensland Oaks winner had to overcome trouble heading into the home turn and was still last at the 350m mark before storming done the middle of the track to score a narrow win in the Group 2 $200,000 Theo Marks Stakes (1400m).
The reshaped Epsom Handicap market order at Ladbrokes.com.au has the Chris Waller trained Winx on top at $4 with her stablemate Kermadec the second pick at $9.
Another Waller trained galloper, Royal Descent, shares the next line of betting at $10 with the Gai Waterhouse trained Doomben Cup winner Pornichet.
Waller now has three weeks to prepare Winx for the $1m Mile Feature of the Sydney Autumn Carnival, a race that the champion trainer has won the two years with He’s You Man twelve months and with Boban in 2013.
“She will press on to the Epsom now. It looks a nice race for her over the mile in three weeks time,” Waller said after her win on Saturday.
Such was the power of Winx’s finishing bust, Waller jokingly said that he might have to change her name to ‘Wings’.
“I might have to change her name from Winx to Wings. She has golden wings,” Waller said.
Winx has raced in Group 1 company on four occasions for a win and two placings and showed in the Theo Marks Stakes that she will be very hard to beat over the Randwick Mile in the Epsom.
The Street Cry mare collected her first Group 1 trophy with a runaway three and half lengths win in the $500,000 Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Doomben during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Two runs previous Winx had run second to Gust Of Wind in the Group 1 $1m Seven News Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on April 11 and her other Group 1 placing was a second to First Seal in the 400,000 Coolmore Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick during the 2014 Sydney Spring Carnival.
