Undercover Agent in Durban
BRETT CRAWFORD has decided against keeping his CTS 1600 winner Undercover Agent in Cape Town for the Winter Series and has sent him to Durban. Crawford said: “He is the sort to find his feet as he gets older and matures, and I think Greyville will suit him.
“He will run in the Byerley Turk on Sunday week and then go for the Daisy Guineas.”
Kenilworth Racing has increased its number of charity racemeetings from four to 13 and Clinton Theys, a key member of the events team, points out that the reasoning behind the increase is not purely benevolent. He said: “I am convinced that we can get more people interested in racing – and so increase attendances – and charity meetings have proved to be a good way of getting new people to the races.”
Knowles
Grant Knowles, encouraged by the success of last Thursday’s Horses In Training Sale in the Kenilworth parade ring, intends staging more such sales.
He said: “People there told me that it was a great idea as, at the moment, there are few sales where people can turn over horses and we had a great turn out. There was seating for 120 but still some people had to stand.
“But you have got to have a couple of good ones in the catalogue to generate interest. It won’t work if such sales prove to be just a dumping ground.”
The 1 400m Progress Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday has been scrapped as it attracted only four runners, three of them trained by Candice Bass-Robinson.
However the Fillies Progress Plate over the same trip stands even though only six have been declared, half of them trained by Mrs Robinson.
Snaith
Justin Snaith (2) and Vaughan Marshall are the only other trainers represented in the race.
The first of what is now a sevenrace card is due off at 12.05pm
In-form Richard Fourie forsakes the meeting to take nine rides at Turffontein including the Mike de Kock-trained Dame Eleanor in the Sycamore Sprint and Professor Brian for Joey Ramsden in the Senor Santa Stakes. SYDNEY – Australian super-mare Winx’s recordbreaking performance at the weekend has inevitably led to ever-louder calls for her to be campaigned internationally.
A mooted visit to the UK’s Royal Ascot meeting later this year has been in the air for some time.
But the competing attraction of a possible fourth consecutive victory in the Cox Plate, one of Australia’s most prestigious horse races, is also weighing on the minds of Winx’s connections.
After her remarkable victory in the George Ryder Stakes over 1 500m at Rosehill on Saturday, trainer Chris Waller hinted a decision on making the trip to Royal Ascot in June could be made as soon as this week.
“To be fair to the owners we haven’t even discussed Royal Ascot yet,” Waller told the Herald Sun.
“Obviously we know when it is and what the races are in Europe but today was very important to see her come back and be fairly dominant.
Queen Elizabeth
“For now, it’s on to the Queen Elizabeth in three weeks’ time. It’s the signature race in Sydney, which we were never really going to miss.”
“But we’ve got to talk about coming back, if she went to Europe, to race in her fourth Cox Plate.
“She can only really go there for one run, possibly two, but we’ve got to put all the cards on the table. We will let you all know. Her career has never been hidden and we do respect everyone that follows her here and on the other side of the world.”
Winx carved out another piece of racing history as she set a new world record for Group or Grade 1 wins on the flat with her 17th success at the highest level in the George Ryder.
Steered home by regular jockey Hugh Bowman, the mare registered her 24th consecutive victory, eclipsing American star John Henry’s previous record of 16 Grade 1 wins.
John Henry’s mark was set across five seasons in the early 1980s. Waller said he was just pleased she had preserved her winning streak.
He added: “It’s like you’re playing for the All Blacks and you’re about to get dropped. It’s a sick feeling in your guts every time she goes around.”
Happy Clapper
Such is Winx’s versatility that she was able to drop back in trip to claim a third straight George Ryder, although she was made to work for victory by Happy Clapper, who chased her home by three parts of a length.
On the pressure that comes with trying to maintain Winx’s streak, Waller added: “The intensity is just unexplainable. I don’t know why, or if it is just me. You enjoy the after part of the race, crossing the line.
“You are just thinking of her all the time. Not for everything else, but to make sure the horse is alright.”
That pressure is not only felt by Waller, as partowner Peter Tighe explained.
He said: “It’s much more of a relief now. The old adage is with every win you get closer to a loss. And you feel that.
“She was great again today, but it just gets harder.”
Randwick
The pressure cooker for connections will be turned back on for Winx’s participation in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on 14 April, where she will attempt to match Australian sprinter Black Caviar’s record of 25 consecutive wins.
Someone else who was probably sweating through Winx’s George Ryder success was the punter who staked A$114,000 (more than R1 million) to make a profit of A$11,400 (just over R100,000).
It was the biggest bet Australian firm TAB have taken on Winx through her brilliant career, though she shows no signs of feeling the weight of the expectations from the various quarters. – racingpost.com