Return to news index

All signs are good as Winx gets back to business in barrier trial

It was the beginning of the end for Winx as she stepped out at Rosehill barrier trials on Tuesday. In her first public appearance for 2019, the champion mare did what she has always done in her trials - merely followed them around without giving away any hint of her superiority.

The winner of her past 29 races was 5-3/4 lengths from Endless Drama running into seventh late after being tardily away by a couple of lengths. But that was enough for Chris Waller and jockey Hugh Bowman to be happy.

“I was really pleased. Obviously, she missed the start which she has had a habit of doing previously. She has been really good with that the last couple of preps,” Bowman said. “Because she did that, I didn’t want to rush her into her gear. It took a little while to tack onto the field but her best work was past the winning post and beyond.

“Her action was great. Her mannerisms if anything were probably more relaxed than usual, which she has shown signs of in her gallops leading into the first trial. The way she finished off, I was very pleased.”

All signs point towards a return to racing in the Apollo Stakes at Randwick on February 16, a race Winx missed last year when Bowman was suspended.

Waller has liked what he has seen in the past month since she returned to the stable as he looks for any sign of age catching up with the four-time Cox Plate winner. She has an edge to her still, it was the reason she wore earmuffs in her trial on Tuesday.

The program Waller has in mind will see Winx attempt to add a fourth Chipping Norton Stakes and a fourth George Ryder Stakes to her haul, as well as a third Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

“If anything, she looks better than we have had her at the stage before. She is fantastic,” Waller said. “She has been a little charged up ... and if anything, that is a positive. It is just showing she is enjoying herself and not giving any signs of stress about her.

“It is just like last preparation: it is one race at a time. We won’t say when the end is. We are focussed on the Apollo Stakes in the middle of February at the moment.

“Providing Hugh is happy, the owners are happy, and the obvious signs are there that she can progress to a second, a third and maybe a fourth start, we will take as it comes. We stress that it is one race at a time, more so than any time before.”

Winx wasn’t one of the seven nominations from the Waller yard for the All Star Mile at Flemington in March, where she would have no doubt polled the most votes.

Waller has a Sydney only campaign in mind but if Winx needs to head to the All Star Mile, he noted that there are wild card entries.

Star three-year-old The Autumn Sun headed the Waller entries for the All Star Mile, but connections are likely to nominate for all major prizes in Sydney and Melbourne. The initial focus is on the Hobartville Stakes and Randwick Guineas with a Sydney group 1 preparation the preferred option.

The Autumn Sun could even run into Winx later in the autumn, but Bowman warned that she's still at the top of her game as a seven-year-old for the young challengers.

“When I watched Roger Federer in the Australian Open last night, I was reminded that supreme athletes, if they love to do it, can continue at a high level for a long time,” he said.

“Especially the way she looks after herself. The way she is so relaxed now, she saves it all for game day, that was even evident in the trial at the 200m. She wasn’t even going to tack on unless I made finish the trial off.

“If that was a race I would have been holding on to her as I went past the winning bunch. She is just a mature athlete now. She seems to be enjoying herself and her action and her strength is as good as ever.”

Article courtesy of Nine and The Brisbane Times

Your browser is out of date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×