Peerless mare Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) takes the next step in what could become a historic campaign in Saturday's G1 Chipping Norton S. going a mile at Randwick. The bay mare rounded out her spring campaign with a resounding win in the G1 Cox Plate Oct. 24, capping a perfect season that also included a win in the G1 Epsom H. over this trip. Winx got her autumn campaign going on the right foot when scooping the G2 Apollo S. over 1400 metres of this track two weeks ago. As is always the case in these important events, her trainer, Chris Waller, holds a formidable hand, and also among the total of five he saddles here are dual Group 1 winner Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Storm The Stars (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who makes his Australian debut. Preferment, the 2014 G1 Victoria Derby winner, took the 2000 metre G1 Turnbull S. in the spring prior to unplaced efforts in the Cox Plate, G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup and G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase, and will likely need the race first-up as well as added distance further on in the preparation. Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum's Storm The Stars remains an entirely unknown quantity on these shores; however, he was classy enough to place in a pair of Derbies in Europe last year as well as France's G1 Grand Prix de Paris, while also winning the G2 Great Voltigeur S., so his prospects are as good as any.
Mongolian Khan (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), one of last year's standouts after winning the G1 Australian Derby and G1 Caulfield Cup, makes his seasonal debut here, and while the distance will be short of his best, he did make a respectable showing over this trip first-up last prep in the G1 Makybe Diva S.
Godolphin and trainer John O'Shea bring a three-pronged attack, even bringing in British-based stable jockey William Buick to partner Magic Hurricane (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), who wants longer but has the class to hit the board over this trip. Godolphin's best chance at victory likely comes in the form of last year's G1 The BMW winner Hartnell (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), who made a good showing over this distance first-up last prep and has the benefit of two recent trials.
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