Winx looks fit for spring fling

SUPER mare Winx is set for an extended Sydney spring campaign after pulling up well from her thrilling Warwick Stakes win at Randwick.

Winx ran sizzling sectional times to overcome a horror start, but fears the mare had a “gut-buster” have been allayed by trainer Chris Waller.

“It is the best she has ever pulled up after a first-up race,’’ Waller said yesterday.

“Normally, she will have a good blow and sweat up but she was as good as gold on Saturday. I went and looked at her 15 minutes after the race and you wouldn’t even know she had had a run.’’

Winx was fractious in the barriers and came out four lengths behind her rivals before accelerating from the home turn to catch stablemate Foxplay on the line.

The mare was timed to run her final 600m in 31.88sec, including a final 400m split of 20.96 and 200m of 10.72.

This is first time Winx has broken 32sec for the final 600m of a race, a feat Black Caviar achieved twice in her unbeaten and historic 25-start career.

Waller said Winx was almost certain to line up next in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 2.

She could then contest the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m), Group 2 Hill Stakes (1800m) and Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m), all at Randwick and separated by two-week intervals, as she prepares to emulate Kingston Town’s three straight Cox Plate wins.

“Winx is an older mare now and we have got to keep on top of her, so that is why she will run in two weeks rather than four weeks when she could be very fresh and we might be flirting with danger again,’’ Waller said.

“She has done everything right in her training and looked really fit on Saturday.”

Waller said he had been waiting for the day when Winx struck trouble at the start of a race.

“She has always been a little flighty in the barriers, especially at her first run. I would say it wasn’t a surprise,’’ he said.