SPURRING WINX ON
No complacency from Bowman tomorrow
WHEN you have the best racehorse on turf in the world on a 14-race winning streak that stretches nearly two years, complacency becomes the only rival.
But jockey Hugh Bowman and trainer Chris Waller aren’t taking anything for granted with super mare Winx on the eve of the Group 1 $600,000 TAB Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick tomorrow.
Winx is at prohibitive odds of $1.10 with Ubet to win her 10th career Group 1 and lift her prizemoney to nearly $10 million in the first Sydney major of the year. It does seem a formality – but not to Bowman. When asked if there was a risk of complacency, Bowman was straight on the front foot: “There is not much of a risk with me!’’
“I take every ride very seriously and treat my opponents with the respect they deserve,’’ Bowman said.
“But I do feel a high level of responsibility being Winx’s rider. The biggest thing for me is to avoid bad luck and put her into a position so when I am ready to move I can do so.
“Then again, I am a jockey, I am not a miracle man so I have to ride the race as it unfolds.
“I try not to complicate things when I’m riding Winx but it helps when I have the ‘engine’ underneath me.’’
Hartnell ($8) is the only other Chipping Norton runner under $15 but he has not beaten Winx in five previous clashes and his trainer John O’Shea said during the week that he doesn’t expect the gelding to upset the great mare tomorrow.
But Waller remains wary of Hartnell: “It is easy to go in as underdog and maybe they are just trying to catch us off guard,’’ he said.
Winx completed her preparation for the Chipping Norton Stakes with a solid workout under Bowman on the Rosehill course proper yesterday morning.
Waller said Winx has continued to progress since her brilliant first-up in the Apollo Stakes last week.
“She had a fairly solid gallop on Tuesday morning so she didn’t need to do much this morning,’’ Waller said.
“We don’t put her up against the stop watch to say her times have improved but physically we are very happy with her.
“That first-up win has helped to bring her along, she has maintained her weight which suggests that she has muscled up and strengthened up a little.’’
Winx recorded the best ratings she has achieved in a firstup run in her Apollo Stakes comeback effort but Waller stopped short of declaring the mighty mare was better than ever.
“She probably can’t go better than breaking a track record in the Cox Plate 18 months ago and then winning another Cox Plate by such a big margin (eight lengths),’’ Waller said.
“They (wins) are the measuring stick to she is going and to say she is going better than that is hard.
“It is a bit like saying Usain Bolt can go quicker than he is at the moment.’’