Glamour mare Winx plus sixteen others have been nominated for the Group 2 $250,000 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Winx, above, is one of seventeen runners nominated for the Apollo Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Winx is the winner of her last thirteen starts and has had two barrier trials in preparation for her 2017 Autumn Carnival debut in the Apollo Stakes, her first race start since winning her second Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 22.
Trainer Chris Waller and regular rider Hugh Bowman were both satisfied with Winx’s two barrier trials with Waller saying after her second trial that the glamour mare is right on track for her first run since winning her second Cox Plate.
“Just getting the basics right. That what happened, finished off very well and as a result we are very happy with her,” Waller said.
“Very similar to her first trial.”
Winx is undefeated since winning the Group 3 $125,000 XXXX Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast during the 2015 Queensland Winter Carnival with nine Group 1 victories among her thirteen consecutive wins which includes back to back wins in the Cox Plate during the 2015 and 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnivals.
Waller has also nominated multiple Group 1 winner Preferment, Grand Marshal, Libran, Sacred Master and Irish import Endless Drama for the Apollo Stakes.
The Godolphin Team headed by trainer John O’Shea have three entered for the Apollo Stakes, stable star Hartnell, Magic Hurricane and Ambience.
Hartnell was in fine form during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival and made it a hat trick of wins with his victory in the Group 1 $500,000 Yellowglen Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington before finishing eight lengths behind Winx when second in the Cox Plate.
The English import then went on to run third behind Almandin and Heartbreak City in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have nominated dual Group 1 winner Global Glamour and new stable acquisition Savvy Nature who has been racing in Hong Kong since December 2014.
Global Glamour was the star three year old filly during the 2016 Spring Carnival with wins in the Group 1 $500,000 Sydney Airport Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick and in the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield and heads to the Apollo Stakes on the back of a last start second to Flying Jess in the $2m Gold Coast Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on January 14.
Team Hawkes has nominated Caulfield Guineas winner Divine Prophet and tough galloper Leebaz while Lindsay Park also have two entries with Toorak Handicap winner He’s Our Rokkii and Dibayani.
