At just her second start in Melbourne, Winx proved much too good in the small field – able to reel in her main rival Black Heart Bart before accelerating away for a widening two length win.
The daughter of Street Cry will now head to Moonee Valley as she aims to win back to back runnings of the WS Cox Plate in a fortnight.
“There wasn’t much pace early but everyone predicted that,” winning rider Hugh Bowman said. “But I was able to follow Brad (Rawiller) and he built the speed at the 1100 metre mark which suited me as it allowed my mare to get into a nice rhythm.”
“It was always going to be a sprint home and that’s why I switched out at the 600. She got a little uncomfortable on the corner which Sydney horses can do here at Caulfield.”
“Bring on the Cox Plate now in two weeks time,” Bowman added.
Winning trainer Chris Waller admitted to pre-race nerves with the expectation of saddling up a champion.
“I think it’s great for racing,” a proud Chris Waller said. “There’s some really good horses coming together over the next few weeks and I think it’s going to be a great carnival.”
“It’s a privilege to be involved in racing with a horse capable of racing on these days.”
“To race a horse like Winx it takes it another level,” Waller added. “She’s a superior horse and she’ll be ready to step up in two weeks time.”
“Bring on the world. It’s not only Hartnell (in the Cox Plate). There will be some great horses in the race.”
A $230,000 purchase from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Winx was purchased by Magic Bloodstock. From 22 starts she’s won 16 races, eight at Group One level, with earnings of about $7.5 million.
The Fairway Thoroughbred bred champion is raced by Peter Tighe’s Magic Bloodstock Syndicate in partnership with Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis.
She is one of two stakes winners from two to race for the stakes winning Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl.
A winner of the listed Soliloquy Stakes as a two-year-old, Vegas Showgirl has quickly established herself as one of the country’s most valuable broodmares. Her other runner is last season’s group winning juvenile El Divino.
Winner: Winx
Breeding: Street Cry-Vegas Showgirl (Al Akbar)
Race: MRC Caulfield Stakes G1 (2000m)
Sold for: $230,000
Sale: 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Coolmore Stud (As Agent)
Buyer: Magic Bloodstock
Earnings: $7,498,175
Owner(s): Magic Bloodstock Racing (Mgr: PG Tighe), RG Treweeke & Mrs DN Kepitis
Trainer: Chris Waller (Rosehill) |
