Traffic problem for Winx

BIGGER FIELD IN CHELMSFORD COULD BE A CONCERN FOR OZ SUPERSTAR ʂ Winx will be running wearing earmuffs.

Champion mare Winx’s presence in the weight-for-age Group 2 $250,000 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) hasn’t deterred the connections of another 15 runners from nominating for the race.

Winx has won her last 18 races in succession with 10 of those wins coming in Sydney weightfor-age races.

In those Sydney wins, she has met an average of eight rivals, with the biggest field being one of 12 runners. If all the Chelmsford entries accept for Saturday’s race, this would be the biggest field Winx has ever contested. She won the 2015 Doncaster Mile against 14 opponents.

Winx goes into the Chelmsford Stakes after her memorable comeback win in the Warwick Stakes where she blew the start by four lengths yet still unleashed an irresistible late surge to run down stablemate Foxplay near the line.

Winx after overcoming a horror start to make it 18 consecutive victories.

Trainer Chris Waller has been given stewards approval to use ear muffs on Winx in an endeavour to prevent the great mare from missing the start again.

“It (earmuffs) just helps to block out the background noise,’’ Waller said at Rosehill last Saturday. “She’ll still hear Hugh Bowman say ‘it’s time to go’.

“She wears ear muffs when she works and when she parades before they come off prior to the start.

“This time they will stay on for the race.’’

Despite the surprisingly large number of Chelmsford entries, Winx is likely to start at the shortest price of her celebrated career as TAB Fixed Odds has already posted the great mare at $1.06 in early betting with Foxplay next at $15 then it is $26 the field.

The shortest odds offered about Winx so far is the $1.09 bookies bet before her George Main Stakes win last year.

But Winx will almost certainly start at shorter odds on Saturday as Foxplay is an unlikely Chelmsford runner.

Waller has indicated Foxplay could contest the Group 2 $200,000 Tramway Stakes (1400m) instead this Saturday or be reserved for Rosehill next week.

She has also been entered for the Group 1 $1 million Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield this weekend.

SPEEDSTERS. Australian superstar Winx, known as the Usain Bolt of horseracing, will be aiming for her 19th consecutive victory when she runs in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes over 1600m at Randwick in Sydney on Saturday.