Super mare Winx will get every chance to stretch her winning run to nineteen after drawing nicely at barrier three in the Group 2 $250,000 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Winx, above, has drawn barrier 3 in the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Winx, above, has drawn barrier 3 in the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Winx was able to overcome a slow getaway last start when she scored her eighteenth win on the trot in the Group 2 $250,000 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 19 and trainer Chris Waller has responded to her tardiness at the start with the addition of ear muffs for the Chelmsford Stakes.

“She will wear ear muffs and with them on it should ensure she jumps on terms with them,” Waller said.

“I want to run her in the Chelmsford so she does everything 100 per cent and that will give her confidence going into the spring.”

“We had the barrier blanket on her earlier in the week and she was fine but Hugh (Bowman) said ‘that’s her’, she is not a dangerous horse.”

“She wears the ear muffs in her trackwork and she works every day in them and it just helps block out the background noise. She wears them at the races and we take them off as soon as she leaves the parade ring (but) she will wear them in the (Chelmsford). It’s simply like wetsuit material. It blocks out 20 per cent of the sound and she will still hear 80 per cent.”

Leading Group 1 jockey Hugh Bowman will take the mount again in the twelve horse Chelmsford Stakes field and hopes that Winx is on her best behaviour in the starting gates this week.

Waller will saddle up half the field in the Chelmsford Stakes and as well as Winx, has Who Shot Thebarman (Christian Reith, barrier 1), Libran (Glyn Schofield, 8), Antonio Giuseppe (Tye Angland, 10, Sarrasin (Michael Walker, 4) and Life Less Ordinary (Kerrin McEvoy, 11).

The James Cummings trained Allergic has drawn the outside gate in the twelve horse field with Tim Clark taking the mount.

Final field for the 2017 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m)

# Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 4x12x3361x SENSE OF OCCASION Kris Lees Corey Brown 2 59kg 113
2 13311255×4 RED EXCITEMENT Gerald Ryan Joshua Parr 5 59kg 108
3 7255x3642x WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) Chris Waller Christian Reith 1 59kg 108
4 112x8746Px LIBRAN (IRE) Chris Waller Glyn Schofield 8 59kg 107
5 x5543321x8 ALLERGIC James Cummings Tim Clark 12 59kg 106
6 112x1240x5 ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ) Chris Waller Tye Angland 10 59kg 103
7 121x37301x CHOCANTE (NZ) Stephen Marsh 9 59kg 101
8 3x1412x3x5 SARRASIN (GB) Chris Waller Michael Walker 4 59kg 98
9 1841x122x2 LIFE LESS ORDINARY (IRE) Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 11 59kg 92
10 1212652×57 HARPER’S CHOICE Gerald Ryan Brenton Avdulla 6 58.5kg 89
11 111x1111x1 WINX Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 3 57kg 132
12 1x027530x0 LASQUETI SPIRIT Lee Curtis Jay Ford 7 56.5kg 102

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.