Winx hot on trail of Caviar
CHAMPION mare Winx could equal the great Black Caviar’s famous winning streak in Sydney’s richest autumn carnival race, the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes, after trainer Chris Waller delayed her comeback until next month.
Waller announced yesterday Winx would not resume until the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on March 3 so that regular jockey Hugh Bowman could retain the mount.
Winx will then contest the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 24.
If she can win those two weight-for-age races, it will extend her sequence to 24 wins in succession.
This sets up an opportunity for Winx to equal Black Caviar’s record of 25 wins in succession in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 14.
Waller maintains he won’t make a decision on Winx’s race program until after the George Ryder Stakes because he is also considering taking her to England for the Royal Ascot carnival in June.
But it would be tempting for Winx’s connections to run in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes if she had the chance to extend her winning sequence and match Black Caviar.
Winx’s comeback had been scheduled for the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) on February 17 but Waller decided on a change of program after Bowman lost his appeal against a careless riding suspension on Monday.
Bowman has won 21 races on Winx, including her past 19 in succession.
“Hugh Bowman is very much an important part of Winx and we feel we can go straight into the Chipping Norton first-up without the need to resume in the Apollo Stakes as we had originally planned,’’ Waller said.
Winx will be resuming at 1600m in the Chipping Norton, the longest race distance she has contested first-up from a spell.
But her athletic ability and extraordinary talent enable her to do things that are beyond other horses.