Update: The avalanche of money for Winx has continued and she is now into 2015 Cox Plate odds of $5.
Highland Reel has been the favourite in 2015 Cox Plate betting markets since the final field was released on Tuesday morning, but he has now been leapfrogged by the star mare, who has the chance to record her third Group 1 victory in the Australasian Weight-For-Age Championship this afternoon.
Winx has been backed into 2015 Cox Plate odds of $5.50 and the talented mare is now equal favourite with Coolmore-owned Highland Reel.
Winx is one of three Chris Waller-trained horses in the 2015 Cox Plate field. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Winx opened at a quote of $7.50 when the Cox Plate field was released earlier in the week, but there has been consistent support for the Epsom Handicap winner and she has been easily the best-backed runner in the race.
The Street Cry mare has shown an outstanding turn-of-foot to take out both the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 12 and the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 3 and trainer Chris Waller has been delighted with the four-year-old, but he admits that she faces a different type of challenge in the 2015 Cox Plate.
“I am very happy,” Waller told Racing Ahead.
“To my eye he has got around the Valley well both times in her gallops.
“The big question is whether she can be the next superstar of the turf.
“The reason that Hugh Bowman is riding her over Preferment is that he thinks she can be the next superstar.
“Under pressure in a 2000 metre race is different to what she has been running in, but all she can do is win and she has been winning impressive and overcoming difficult circumstances in many of her races.”
Winx will jump from the inside gate in the 2015 Cox Plate after connections chose barrier one at the Cox Plate barrier draw on Tuesday morning and many racing experts questioned the wisdom of that selection, but Waller believes that the inside draw will give the star mare the best possible chance to show off her acceleration in the final stages of the race.
“I see the gate as a positive for her and hopefully she can have a soft as run as possible so that she can use that sprint,” Waller said.
“When you are taking off at the 1000 metre mark like most Cox Plates do and that can take away the sprint of a lot of better horses.
“We are just hoping that she is as good off a genuine pace as she is off a slow pace.”
Winx is now available at Cox Plate odds of $5.50 along with Highland Reel and they remain equal favourites from Criterion ($6), Arod ($8.50), Kermadec ($9), Preferment ($14), Fawkner ($17), Hartnell ($17), The Cleaner ($19) and Complacent ($19).
You can score the best 2015 Cox Plate odds with Ladbrokes, who are offering Best Tote or Starting Price +20% on every single runner in the Cox Plate field.
