Winx nearing barrier trial appearance

Sunday 8 July 2018, 5:50pm

Champion Winx will be seen before the end of the season with the mare to run in the first of two barrier trials ahead of a tilt at an unprecedented fourth Cox Plate.

Following a short break after her Queen Elizabeth Stakes win in April, Winx has been back at Rosehill building up to her next campaign and new horizons.

Her Queen Elizabeth win was her 18th at Group One level and extended her winning streak to 25, equal to unbeaten sprinter Black Caviar.

"She will run in a trial either at Warwick Farm on the 20th or Rosehill on the 23rd," Waller said.

"Hugh Bowman came and rode her during the week. He pulled up well. She pulled up better.

"The staff are happy with her and the boss is happy."

Waller confirmed her first target was the race upgraded and renamed in her honour on August 18 which she has won for the past two years.

Formerly the Group Two Warwick Stakes (1400m), it is now the Group One Winx Stakes.

Waller says he is more relaxed going into this Cox Plate campaign than a year ago.

"It's a learning curve training a horse like her," he said.

"I'm almost getting used to it.

"The first year it was all new.

"The second year there was pressure to perform and do it again.

"The third year was a whole new level again because of the records she was setting or getting near.

"The fourth year is a bit like last year. We've been there before and I'm quite relaxed about it."

Perhaps more importantly, Winx is also appears relaxed.

"Her body language is great and she's happy and healthy," he said.

Options after the Winx Stakes include races in Sydney and Melbourne on the way to the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 27.

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »