Winx among friends
Waller nominates nine stablemates for race
HAPPY Clapper’s trainer will be satisfied with a second placing, Aloisia is taking up the challenge and then there are her stablemates – all nine of them.
This sums up the likely opposition to Winx when the mare begins her final race campaign in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Winx’s trainer Chris Waller has another nine horses nominated for the race – Brimham Rocks, Egg Tart, Endless Drama, McCreery, Noire, Patrick Erin, Performer, Tom Melbourne and Unforgotten.
How many of her stablemates actually take their place in the final field for the weight-for-age feature is unclear but with “equine traffic” Winx’s main danger, it is doubtful the Waller stable will have 10 starters.
Winx is chasing her 30th consecutive win with Ladbrokes rating her a nearcertainty at $1.10 in early betting.
Happy Clapper has finished behind Winx in eight previous clashes and his trainer Pat Webster isn’t about to predict a different result when Sydney’s two most popular racehorses clash again on Saturday.
“I’m not happy to have to take on Winx, I’m never happy having to go up against her but ‘The Clapper’ does run well at Randwick and we have to start somewhere,’’ Webster said.
“Winx is a champion, the best I’ve seen, and if he can run second or third to her we know we are on track.’’
Happy Clapper has not raced since suffering a bleeding attack in September but Webster said the eight-yearold showed in his recent barrier trial win that he retained his zest for racing.
Trainer Ciaron Maher has nominated Villiers runnerup Aloisia for Saturday.