Nod to champ as good as a Winx

‘ She is what she is, the best horse in Australia.’ WINX’S TRAINER CHRIS WALLER

THE expectation with Winx is that she wins. She did that again in the Caulfield Stakes, which started as a Saturday stroll and worked to the crescendo, which Hugh Bowman and Chris Waller wanted.

Winx took her record to 12 straight wins, eight of them group 1s, but her biggest test waits in two weeks in the Cox Plate and Bowman was mindful of that.

‘‘I had no expectation about the race other than she would win,’’ he said.

Waller could only watch and hope things went to plan because his work is done come race day. When the pressure went on from the 1000 metres Winx was in her element.

‘‘I have Mr Cool, Hugh Bowman out there with her and she actually handles everything better than I do,’’ Waller said. ‘‘I feel the public expectation more than the pressure and the last 200 [metres] was a lot easier than the first 1800 in that race.

‘‘I got everything I wanted to get out of the race. We go on to the Cox Plate now. I think everyone will build on it, that’s what we are here for, the sport. If you can’t build something off this and I think it’s going to be a really good spring carnival.’’

So Winx is a $1.90 favourite to defend her Cox Plate crown where Hartnell, a $3 chance, awaits. It will be a serious contest for a serious mare.

‘‘Everything she does is serious,’’ Waller said. ‘‘You will give her a couple of couple of pats and then it’ll be like, that’s enough of that.

‘‘She is a bit like that, all business. That’s why she is so good.’’

The early part of the Caulfield Stakes would have been like a track gallop, but Winx roared home in 56.83 seconds for her final 1000 metres, which was as good as any sprinter for the afternoon.

Black Heart Bart, which had led until well into the straight, was left two lengths in Winx’s wake at the post. He Or She was another four lengths away. They were the support acts for the champion, which drew applause as she crossed the line.

It was a relief for Waller because of the nature of the contest, which reminded him of a barrier trial.

‘‘She had never won a barrier trial, but this was a race,’’ Waller said. ‘‘She is just a superstar and when it comes things like this – it is very serious. She gets her job done.’’

‘‘She is what she is, the best horse in Australia and she was that today but in two weeks time, who knows and my horse is right in it.’’

Things could not have gone better for the darling of Australian racing but it was a dismal day for the Kiwis.

Sacred Elixir, Saracino and La Luna Rossa all failed to fire in Group I company.

The Tony Pike-trained Sacred Elixir, who started second favourite in the Caulfield Guineas, was caught three wide for most of the trip and faded in the straight to finish a disappointing eighth.

Saracino was given a charmed run in the trail by Damien Oliver but the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained runner failed to capitalise and finished sixth.

Stablemate La Luna Rossa raced handy in the Thousand Guineas but was never in contention at the business end and finished back in eighth behind winner Global Glamour.

Meanwhile, last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance is out for the remainder of the spring when he fractured his off-fore after finishing fourth in the Herbert Power Stakes.