The battle for Winx
Up to eight overseas racing jurisdictions have registered an interest in luring Winx for her first international start as Moonee Valley Racing Club bosses pledged to go all-out to induce Australia’s wonder mare for a tilt at an unprecedented fourth Cox Plate.
Trainer Chris Waller is due to fly into Melbourne on Tuesday to make a decision on whether the three-time winner of Australasia’s weight-for-age championship will have a spring carnival swansong in the Emirates Stakes at Flemington in a fortnight.
Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club have also pitched the idea of Winx racing in next year’s The Everest – Waller holds a slot in the $10million race – as the pursuit to host international racing’s most marketable asset heats up.
Waller and Winx’s owners were still basking in the glow of a heartstopping third Cox Plate win on Sunday, stressing it was not a fait accompli the horse would embark on a European campaign next year which could take in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
And it hasn’t stopped local administrators throwing their hat in the ring to lure Winx, which extended her winning run to 22 races when equalling Kingston Town’s three Cox Plate successes.
‘‘We’ll be throwing everything at her to get her back for a fourth Cox Plate,’’ Moonee Valley chief executive Michael Browell said.
‘‘If she’s still racing in Australia next year, we want her at the Valley. Criterion went to Ascot in
2015 before coming back and running second in a Cox Plate, so it can be done. There are many ways to skin a cat.’’
Moonee Valley Racing Club is also angling for an increase in Cox Plate prizemoney, which has been stagnant at A$3 million for 17 years.
Any purse boost won’t be able to match The Everest, which could receive a prizemoney increase as soon as next year following the stunning success of the inaugural running of the world’s richest race on turf at Randwick this month.
‘‘If she wants to prove herself over all distances The Everest is the race she needs to run in,’’ Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys said. ‘‘We would love to have her. She would give the race the X-factor and we’ve spoken to the owners so they can think about it.’’
Winx won as a two-year-old filly over 1100 metres, but hasn’t raced over less than the 1300 metres of
2015’s Theo Marks during her winning run. Winx has been inoculated in preparation for next month’s Japan Cup – although the chances of that appear relatively slim.