Winx to line up with the world’s best on Dubai World Cup Day
Most of the world’s top horses – including Australian superstar Winx – have been nominated for the Dubai World Cup raceday.
Billed as the richest raceday on the global racing calendar, the nine-race $30-million (R361 140 000) card has attracted 739 nominations.
The $6,000,000 (R72-million) Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic over 2410m on turf is topped by champion Cracksman, the world’s top-rated 3-year-old of 2017, as well as Group 1 Japan Cup winner Cheval Grand and Group 1 winner Cloth of Stars.
The $6,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Turf over 1800m attracted the world’s top-rated horse in training, Australian superstar Winx, a daughter of Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry, as well as champion World Approval and last year’s winner Vivlos.
The card’s two sprints showcase some of the fastest horses on the planet.
The $2,000,000 (24-million) Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen over 1200m on dirt is topped by defending champion Mind Your Biscuits, while the $1,000,000 (12-million) Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint over 1200m on turf features defending champion The Right Man, Group 1 British Champions Sprint winner Librisa Breeze and UAE’s top-rated horse, Ertijaal.
Earlier it was reported that Winx’s trainer Chris Waller will use Winx's Chipping Norton Stakes return as a test run for the mare's possible first-up run at 1600m in the United Kingdom.
Winx had been scheduled to return in the Apollo Stakes on 17 February but Bowman will be serving the second of two careless riding suspensions after failing in an appeal on Monday.
Waller said Bowman was a crucial part of Winx's 22-race winning streak and will now have plenty to ponder when the threetime Cox Plate heroine returns over the tough Randwick 1600m, a possible precursor to her running in the Lockinge Stakes over the same distance.