Stars out in barrier trial thriller
CHAMPION mare Winx was in cruise control and The Everest winner Redzel’s sensational trial suggests he could be better than ever.
The star-studded first heat of the Rosehill barrier trial session yesterday promised plenty, with the 10 starters including eight individual Group 1 winners of nearly $40 million in prizemoney – and it delivered, with the brilliant Redzel scorching turf to win the 1000m heat by three lengths in a fast 58.2 seconds.
Alizee, Godolphin’s outstanding three-year-old filly, was very impressive closing for second while Winx was hitting the line strongly wide out to run fifth.
Winx, the mighty mare who is on an extraordinary 22-race winning streak that stretches nearly three years, showed she was on target for her return in the Group 2 $250,000 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on February 17 – if trainer Chris Waller decides to run her.
Waller held court before a large media contingent after the trial yesterday morning and revealed Winx was not a certain Apollo Stakes starter if regular jockey Hugh Bowman failed to have his careless riding penalties reduced on appeal. But Waller hinted that he was considering an alternative race program if that happened.
Bowman is due to appear before Racing NSW stewards this morning to appeal his ban from the Australia Day meeting at Warwick Farm.
Waller’s options include booking another jockey for the Apollo Stakes, taking Winx to Melbourne for the Futurity Stakes (February 24) or even waiting to start the mare firstup in the Chipping Norton Stakes (March 3).
“It’s still two weeks away from her planned first-up run in the Apollo, but if we need to make changes, we’ll do that when required to do so,” Waller said. “We’re in a pretty fortunate position, there’s lots of options.”
Bowman, who has ridden Winx to her last 19 wins in succession, agreed the mighty mare was coming up well for her autumn campaign.
“I couldn’t be happier with her action,” Bowman said.
Redzel, with blinkers on and ridden by regular race rider Kerrin McEvoy, was dominant in the trial and is set to resume in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 17.