Now the undisputed champion of the turf, Winx has put in another impressive barrier trial as she prepares to land her 14th-straight knockout blow.

The champion mare settled back in the field in Tuesday's 1000m-heat at Rosehill with Hugh Bowman bringing her wide in the straight where she made ground on the leaders Nancy and Alegria to finish third.

Trainer Chris Waller was pleased with the trial which he said was about getting the basics right ahead of her first run for the year in the Group Two Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday week.

"We'll start to increase the intensity of her work probably at the end of the week and then back off for the last three or four days going into the Apollo Stakes," Waller said.

He said it was hard to see how she could improve from her devastating Cox Plate defence where she put a record eight lengths on the field.

"She's a horse in the peak of her career and as a result she can't be changed, she can't improve," Waller said.

"She's just got to hold her own.

"We've got to hope there are no budding champions on the way through to take her crown off her head."

After the Apollo Winx is set to step up to Group One level for the Chipping Norton and George Ryder Stakes before the preparation peaks in the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 8.

After her autumn campaign during which she could extend her winning streak to 17, Waller is planning to try to win a third Cox Plate during spring and equal Kingston Town's unparalleled record before taking on Europe in 2018.