Over the last two decades, fans and followers of Australian racing have been blessed watching the likes of Sunline (NZ), Makybe Diva (GB), More Joyous (NZ) and, of course, the undefeated Black Caviar (Aus). Winx won't go undefeated in her career or win multiple runnings of the G1 Melbourne Cup, but she is fast-approaching legend status after handily defeating a pair of her stable companions in Saturday's G1 China Horse Club George Ryder S. for an eighth straight victory and fifth at Group 1 level.
Runner-up in the G1 ATC Oaks at The Championships last April, the A$230,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling set herself up for a run in the G1 Cox Plate with a smart victory in the G1 Epsom H. some four hours after a horse named Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) began making some history of his own in the Listed Newgate Breeders' Plate. Pitched in against the likes of Criterion (NZ) (Sebring {Aus}) and Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the nation's top weight-for-age test three weeks later, Winx went for a run at the inside approaching the final 400 meters and put the Cox Plate to bed in a matter of strides, waltzing in by 4 3/4 lengths virtually untouched. Brought along steadily for this autumn prep by Chris Waller, she entered the George Ryder with wins in the G2 Apollo S. Feb. 13 and in the G1 Chipping Norton S. a fortnight later, the relatively narrow margins of victory failing to underline the ease with which they were accomplished. And it would be more of the same Saturday.
Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), last-start winner of the G1 Futurity S., showed the most initiative and led early from the China Horse Club-owned duo of First Seal (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Press Statement as Bowman settled the odds-on favorite about two from the tail for the opening 200 meters. Sensing he could get caught deep, the champion reinsman allowed Winx to middle-move and hit the brakes again to be third at about the midway point. Under a long hold as Turn Me Loose took them into the straight, Winx was flushed deep by First Seal and the rail was open to runs from Kermadec furthest to the inside and Press Statement to his outside. Five wide in upper stretch, Winx was coddled along, hit the front inside the furlong and edged clear late for another deceptively easy success.
“She ambled up to them turning for home which is always a good sign but it's hard when you are trying to put away a field like today, a field of superstars, First Seal came up with her and I thought oh well there's your challenge today, First Seal has beaten us every other time, but today she was just dominant,” Waller told AAP. “It has not sunk in today and probably it's a horse you look back on and really get a lot from. It surprises me beating horses like Press Statement and Kermadec they are dead-set superstars in their own right and she has beaten them pretty easily.”
Winx's main objective this prep is the A$4-million G1 Queen Elizabeth S. (2000m) at Randwick Apr. 9, but Waller may be thinking a little bit outside the box.
“We will think about the [G1 The Star] Doncaster [Mile Apr. 2],” Waller suggested. “Obviously the Queen Elizabeth is the race we set her for from the start of the carnival, but you cannot ignore an A$3m race the week before. I have respect for Sunline's, More Joyous' and Super Imposes' who carry the big weights in particular the two mares and they have done it, Winx can do it,” he insisted.
Winx's half-brother El Divino (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) earned 'TDN Rising Star' status with a debut victory at Gosford this past Thursday. A full-brother to El Divino, is consigned by Segenhoe Stud as hip 135 to the upcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Saturday, Rosehill, Australia
GEORGE RYDER S.-G1, A$1,007,000, ATC, 3-19, 3yo/up, Open Weight For Age, 1500mT, 1:28.70, Good.
1–WINX, 57.0, m, 4, by Street Cry (IRE)
1st Dam: Vegas Showgirl (NZ) (MSW & GSP-NZ, NZ$216,216), by Al Akbar
2nd Dam: Vegas Magic, by Voodoo Rhythm (USA)
3rd Dam: Vegas Street (NZ), by Sovereign Edition (IRE)
(A$230,000 Ylg 2013 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale) O-Magic
Bloodstock Racing (Mgr: P G Tighe), R G Treweeke & Mrs D N
Kepitis; B-Fairway Thoroughbreds NSW; T-C J Waller; J-J
Bowman; A$607,000. Lifetime Record: 18-12-3-0,
A$4,753,925. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Kermadec (NZ), 59.0, h, 4, Teofilo (Ire)–Hy Fuji, by Fuji Kiseki
(JPN). (NZ$260,000 Ylg 2013 NZB National Yearling Sale) O-N
Morgan; B-Llanhennock Trust, Waikato, NZ; T-C J Waller; J-Z
Purton; A$200,000.
3–Press Statement, 56.0, c, 3, Hinchinbrook–Kaaptive Empress,
by Kaaptive Edition (NZ). O-Vinery Stud (Mgr: P Orton), Mrs G
Muollo, A Muollo, C Hadjiparaskeva, Mrs F Hadjiparaskeva,
China Horse Club Racing Pty Ltd (Mgr: A Teo) & Raffles
Thoroughbred Racing (Mgr: K Yap); B-Mr T Muollo NSW; T-C J
Waller; J-J B Mc Donald; A$100,000.
Margins: 1.5 len, 3.3 len, 4.7 len. Odds: 0.90, 12.00, 3.60.
Also Ran: First Seal, Happy Clapper, Turn Me Loose (NZ), Tinto, Hucklebuck.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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