Superstar mare Winx will line up in a field of just ten runners this weekend, with her historic winning streak on the line, at the Chipping Norton Stakes.
Six of the ten entrants in the race are under the umbrella of Chris Waller, including Winx, who drew barrier four for the run.
She returned to the track two weeks ago at the Apollo Stakes, following a 12-week spell, although she didn’t miss a beat, securing another dominant win first up.
Hugh Bowman rode her superbly on return, sitting comfortably in the middle of the pack before hitting the lead with 200 metres to go, eventually winning by nearly three lengths.
That win takes the tally to 14 wins on the trot as the champion mare looks to move up into equal sixth for the most consecutive wins by an Aussie thoroughbred.
She also comes into the race as defending champion, having won the Group 1 1600-metre gallop last year by a length and a half.
While the barrier draw was favourable, it’s another case of scaring off contenders, with the field falling to ten during the week.
Among those still present are the two place-getters at the aforementioned Apollo Stakes: Endless Drama, who is another member of the Waller stable, and perennial runner-up to Winx, Hartnell. The British gelding has finished second behind the famed five-year-old in three of her last five runs.
Waller is confident that the spell hasn’t affected Winx, and the horse has responded well physically in her return.
“She is fit and our job is to maintain that and keep her going through the preparation and she’s as good as she can be,” Waller said.
“We weighed her and she’s put on a couple of kilos since the Apollo… So she is holding her racing weight and that’s important.”
Despite a short suspension for a second riding infringement within a month, Bowman – who has steered Winx for the bulk of the historic streak – is clear to ride.
Unsurprisingly, Winx has been thrown down at $1.10 for the race, a clear favourite as per usual. The only other runner in single digits is Hartnell, currently paying $8 for the win.
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