Trainer Chris Waller believes that Winx is still racing on fresh legs as she steps out for the first time as a seven years old mare in the Group 1 $500,000 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick today.
Winx, above, will be stepping out as a seven years old mare for the time in the 2018 Winx Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Winx will be chasing her twenty-sixth win in a row when she resumes in the race that has been named after her and is facing the starter for the first time since claiming victory in the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on day two of The Championships on April 14.
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes was only one of three starts Winx had during the 2018 Sydney Autumn Carnival and Waller proclaims that her relatively light campaigns have enabled her to race into her seventh year.
“She is what I call a late developer in life. She didn’t start maturing until well into her four-year-old year, and she only really races for three or four runs a prep,” Waller told The Courier-Mail.
“Last preparation she only raced three times, so in the last nine months, she’s had only three races.
“Generally, she only has three to five runs every preparation. I think that’s helped us preserve her and helped her keep that inspiration to do what she does. That has to be a big part of it.”
Winx’s main Spring Carnival goal is to win a fourth Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 27 after equalling the legendary Kingston Town’s record of three straight Cox Plate wins with her victory in the 2017 weight for age championship.
Winx has drawn barrier five in the eleven horse Winx Stakes field and will be ridden by regular race day partner Hugh Bowman.
Winx is the $1.20 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Winx Stakes and a win will take her past Black Caviar’s record of twenty-five consecutive wins and bring up Group 1 win number nineteen.
On the second line of betting at $6 is the James Cummings trained Kementari who is the only other runner under the $10 mark in the eleven horse field.
Kementari is the winner of one Group 1 race, the $1m Mostyn Copper Group Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick during the 2018 Sydney Autumn Carnival and the new season four year old is coming off a first up second to Pierata in the Group 2 $200,000 Mostyn Copper Group Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick a fortnight ago.
