Winx is in flying form ahead of her title defence in the 2017 George Ryder Stakes on Golden Slipper Stakes Day where the mighty mareâs winning streak looks set to extend to sixteen straight.
Will anything get close to Winx when she defends her George Ryder Stakes title next race? Photo: Steve Hart.
Chris Wallerâs unstoppable champion was too good again over the weekend joining the greats Carbine and Bernborough on fifteen consecutive turf triumphs taking out the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m).
Despite pre-race doubts from the punters on how the daughter of Street Cry would handle the Heavy (9) Royal Randwick track, Winx proved her versatility and freakish ability once more.
âThere is a good chance it could be wet through The Championships, but we know where she is at now. She handled the heavy conditions pretty easily,â Waller told The Daily Telegraph.
Nothing else was getting close to winning once jockey Hugh Bowman levelled her up with the perceived danger Hartnell, who eventually ran a disappointing eighth, approaching the bend.
Powering down the straight despite the soft track, Winx easily accounted for all those behind her once more including surprise runner-up Lasqueti Spirit who was two lengths off the winner.
Winxâs Heavy track record is now two-from-two and there wonât be another betting drift on the ten-time Group 1 winner even if the rain continues throughout the rest of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
Boasting an overall career record of 19 wins and three seconds from 25 starts, Winx is down to race twice more this campaign.
Her next-up run sees her continue down the exact same autumn path as last year, heading to Rosehill Gardens on March 19 for the $1 million Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m).
Winx won that at odds of $1.80 12 months ago and will be even shorter in George Ryder Stakes betting this year looking to go back-to-back in the weight-for-age feature for the first time since Lonhro (2003-04).
From there she will face her toughest test of this preparation going out to 2000m for the $4 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes back at Randwick on April 8 as part of Day 2 of The Championships.
If successful in her 2017 Queen Elizabeth Stakes lead-up by winning the George Ryder Stakes, Winx will hand Waller his fifth win in the race.
Before Winx in 2016, the master Sydney-based trainer won the event three years running from 2010-12 with Danleigh, Rangirangdoo and Metal Bender respectively.
Bowman has been tipping the Queen Elizabeth Stakes as the race most likely to see Hartnell close the gap on Winx, but after their Chipping Norton Stakes encounter it is hard to see anything challenging her.
Futures Queen Elizabeth Stakes odds on Winx are already into $1.35 with the John OâShea-trained Hartnell the next best at $10.
He avoids a George Ryder Stakes run against his constant conqueror and instead races in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on Golden Slipper Day.
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes will see Winx get out over the distance for the first time since she rewrote history with an eight length romp home in Moonee Valleyâs Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) last October.
Should she remain undefeated this autumn with wins in her next two races, Winx will take her prize money up to nearly $1.28 million.
That will see her sit second only to triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva with $14.5 million in the all-time highest-earning Australian racehorses.
To back Winx next race on Golden Slipper Stakes Day 2017 at the right price head to Ladbrokes.com.au now!