Trainer Chris Waller’s champion mare Winx is the top rated horse in the first acceptances for the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 8, day two of ‘The Championships’.
Winx, above, is among the first acceptances for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Sixty-one horses are still in contention for the $4m weight for age Autumn Carnival feature with Winx being one of ten horses from the Waller stable among the first acceptances.
Waller’s other first acceptances for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes are Antonio Giuseppe, Arod, Comin’ Through, Endless Drama, McCreery, Omei Sword, Preferment, Vanbrugh and Who Shot Thebarman.
Winx has captured the Australian racing public by storm and collected her fifteenth straight win and tenth Group 1 win last start with another comprehensive victory in winning her second Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on February 25.
The five year old mare sits at the top of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes market order at $1.35 with Ladbrokes.com.au well ahead of her nearest rival Hartenll at $11.
Hartnell is one of four first acceptors for trainer John O‘Shea and is joined by European imports Floodlight and Spectroscope as well as Australian Group 1 performer Hauraki.
Multiple Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart heads up leading Victorian trainer Darren Weir’s contingent of five first acceptors, the others being Humidor, Palentino, Stratum Star and Japanese import Tosen Stardom.
Black Heart Bart is racing in outstanding form with back to back Caulfield Group 1 wins in the $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) on February 11 and in the $500,000 italktravel Futurity Stakes (1400m) two week later.
Other notable first acceptors for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes are the Robert Hickmott trained The United States, Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon and Australian Derby winner Tavago.
The United States was racing in great form during the 2016 Sydney Autumn and collected a win in the Group 1 $700,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill before running second the Kris Lees trained Lucia Valentina in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Lucia Valentina isn’t here this year but Lees has his multiple Group 1 winner Le Romain as well as Sense Of Occasion and German import Singing among the first acceptances for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
First Acceptances for the 2017 Queen Elizabeth Stakes
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 111×84 | ABBEY MARIE | M | 4 | Michael Kent | 97 |
| 2 | x808462x00 | ALMOONQITH (USA) | H | 7 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 106 |
| 3 | 6x511112x1 | ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 103 |
| 4 | 3x00352x02 | AROD (IRE) | H | 6 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 5 | 917x277x41 | ASTRONOMOS (GB) | G | 6 | John P Thompson | 97 |
| 6 | x12129x211 | BLACK HEART BART | G | 6 | Darren Weir | 114 |
| 7 | 121×533 | COMIN’ THROUGH | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 90 |
| 8 | 112x3x321x | CONSENSUS (NZ) | M | 5 | Stephen McKee | |
| 9 | x1290x1211 | CYLINDER BEACH (NZ) | G | 4 | Desleigh Forster | 103 |
| 10 | 249×232924 | DIBAYANI (IRE) | G | 7 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 106 |
| 11 | 06116×1133 | ECUADOR (NZ) | G | 7 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 108 |
| 12 | x3915x0x36 | ENDLESS DRAMA (IRE) | H | 5 | Chris Waller | 104 |
| 13 | 3x12x210x2 | EURO ANGEL (NZ) | M | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 99 |
| 14 | 3x183538x6 | EXOSPHERIC (GB) | H | 5 | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 112 |
| 15 | x1240x518x | FIRST SEAL | M | 5 | John P Thompson | 110 |
| 16 | 14x120143x | FLOODLIGHT (USA) | H | 4 | John O’Shea | 84 |
| 17 | 3x230x533x | FOUNDATION (IRE) | G | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 100 |
| 18 | 23x56469x2 | HAPPY CLAPPER | G | 6 | Patrick Webster | 107 |
| 19 | 611x92384x | HARLEM (GB) | H | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 98 |
| 20 | x211123x28 | HARTNELL (GB) | G | 6 | John O’Shea | 115 |
| 21 | 22x12182x3 | HAURAKI | G | 5 | John O’Shea | 112 |
| 22 | x7323590x1 | HE OR SHE | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 103 |
| 23 | 22x41670x9 | HEAVENS ABOVE | M | 5 | Tim Martin | 103 |
| 24 | 11x1110x87 | HE’S OUR ROKKII (NZ) | G | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 108 |
| 25 | x31129x422 | HUMIDOR (NZ) | G | 4 | Darren Weir | 100 |
| 26 | 1734 | IMPAVIDO | G | 3 | Bjorn Baker | 63 |
| 27 | x471210x44 | JAMEKA | M | 4 | Ciaron Maher | |
| 28 | 35x046741x | JESSY BELLE | M | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 98 |
| 29 | 51429×338 | LAND OF PLENTY | C | 3 | Grahame Begg | 72 |
| 30 | 7x22251x11 | LE ROMAIN | G | 4 | Kris Lees | 113 |
| 31 | 123×115 | MAN FROM UNCLE | G | 3 | Anthony & Edward Cummings | 86 |
| 32 | x6251162x1 | MCCREERY (GB) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 106 |
| 33 | 114x82876x | MIME (NZ) | M | 4 | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | 95 |
| 34 | 110x7111x6 | NEW TIPPERARY | G | 4 | Joseph Pride | 88 |
| 35 | 1182×53 | NO DOUBT | H | 4 | Anthony & Edward Cummings | 68 |
| 36 | 1x01x7 | NURSE KITCHEN (NZ) | F | 3 | David Brideoake | 82 |
| 37 | 129x12x2 | OMEI SWORD | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 92 |
| 38 | 5501x5860x | OUR IVANHOWE (GER) | H | 7 | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 111 |
| 39 | 451008×446 | PALENTINO | H | 4 | Darren Weir | 111 |
| 40 | 10x4540x60 | PREFERMENT (NZ) | H | 5 | Chris Waller | 114 |
| 41 | x463351x62 | PRIZED ICON | C | 3 | James Cummings | 107 |
| 42 | 2×61331125 | RED EXCITEMENT | G | 7 | Gerald Ryan | 110 |
| 43 | 5120x5x21x | REDKIRK WARRIOR (GB) | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 99 |
| 44 | 312×7 | RIGHTEOUS MATE (NZ) | G | 3 | Mark Newnham | 68 |
| 45 | 0x274088x2 | RISING ROMANCE (NZ) | M | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 104 |
| 46 | x454282x06 | SEABURGE | C | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 103 |
| 47 | 641454x12x | SENSE OF OCCASION | G | 6 | Kris Lees | 103 |
| 48 | 2x145x227x | SINGING (FR) | H | 7 | Kris Lees | 97 |
| 49 | x402211Fx7 | SINGLE GAZE | M | 4 | Nick Olive | 103 |
| 50 | x165344x40 | SO SI BON | C | 3 | Robbie Laing | 78 |
| 51 | x121x090x7 | SOFIA ROSA (NZ) | M | 4 | Stephen Marsh | 104 |
| 52 | 21x13433x | SPECTROSCOPE (USA) | H | 4 | John O’Shea | 81 |
| 53 | 33×8502111 | STRATUM STAR | H | 5 | Darren Weir | 111 |
| 54 | 13061x00x5 | TAVAGO (NZ) | G | 4 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 105 |
| 55 | 212x6145x3 | THE UNITED STATES (IRE) | H | 7 | Robert Hickmott | |
| 56 | 50×2152427 | TOO GOOD TO REFUSE | H | 4 | Desleigh Forster | 95 |
| 57 | x51709x4x2 | TOSEN STARDOM (JPN) | H | 6 | Darren Weir | 110 |
| 58 | 49x549169x | VANBRUGH | H | 4 | Chris Waller | 103 |
| 59 | x6527255x3 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | G | 8 | Chris Waller | 108 |
| 60 | 11x1111x11 | WINX | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 132 |
| 61 | 515x0560x2 | ZANBAGH | M | 6 | John P Thompson | 99 |
