A quiet visit by Winx to Rosehill on Rosebud Race Day last Saturday was all about her preparation for her third Ladbrokes Cox Plate campaign during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Winx, above, is set to resume in the Warwick Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Winx will resume this Saturday in the Group 2 $250,000 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick and trainer Chris Waller was just repeating the same tactic he used last year before the mighty mare kicked off her 2016 Spring Carnival in the Warwick Stakes and had a day at the races without having a run.
“She came to the races just to get used to the atmosphere again,” Waller told AAP.
“We did that with her last year before she ran in the Warwick Stakes.”
Winx looked in great shape when she beat her rivals in a 1000m Randwick barrier trial on August 8 and Waller expects her to step out for the Warwick Stakes in picture perfect condition.
“That will just take the edge off of her and see her at the Warwick Stakes in picture perfect order,” Waller told the press conference following Winx’s trial win.
Waller is preparing Winx to attempt to win her third Group 1 $3m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) which will be run this year on October 28 at The Valley and if successful will equal the legendary Kingston Town’s record of three consecutive Cox Plate wins.
Winx will be having her first run back since winning her seventeenth race in succession in scoring a commanding win in the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 8, day two of ‘The Championships’.
Winx was simply outstanding during the 2017 Sydney Autumn Carnival with a combined winning margin of 17.5 lengths for her four wins on tracks ranging from a Good 4 to a Heavy 10.
Hugh Bowman was on board for all of her Autumn Carnival wins in the Group 2 $250,000 Apollo Stakes (1400m) and the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick and in the Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill prior to her win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Winx is an overwhelming $1.50 favourite for the 2017 Ladbrokes Cox Plate in early betting at Ladbrokes.com.au, well ahead of her nearest rivals Highland Reel at $21 and Hartnell and Humidor at $26.
Early market order for the 2017 Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Ladbrokes.com.au: $1.50 Winx, $21 Highland Reel, $26 Hartnell, Humidor, $34 Egg Tart, Neorealism, Tosen Stardom, $41 Deauville, Royal Symphony Exospheric, Gailo Chop, Yankee Rose, $51 or better the rest.
