Winx on Track for Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2017

An historic shot at a third Ladbrokes Cox Plate trophy in 2017 is still months away but already anticipation is growing around Hall of Famer Winx who is pleasing trainer Chris Waller in her early campaign build-up.

Winx is on track to become just the second horse in history to win three editions of the Cox Plate in 2017. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Winx made it 17 wins on the trot during Sydney’s ‘The Championships’ on April 8 with her 12^th consecutive Group 1 success in Randwick’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

She didn’t just salute as the odds-on favourite that day, she blitzed a very good field of gallopers including regular rival Hartnell (2^nd) by a minimum five and a quarter-lengths.

Undefeated since May of 2015 the now five-year-old daughter of Street Cry continues to defy the history books and will be out to do so again when she returns in the spring.

Two weeks ago Winx began pre-training and Waller told Racing Victoria this week that all early reports were that she’d come back as good as ever.

“All reports are good,” the master Sydney trainer said.

“She’s having a working holiday at the pre-training farm and they are very happy with the progress she’s made.

“Roll on the spring.

“We’re looking forward to it, she’ll have four or five races and there’s no reason to say she can’t get back to that same form she was in over the autumn.”

Last season Winx won all three of her spring starts including going back-to-back in Australasia’s weight-for-age championship with an historic eight length win in the $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m).

That Moonee Valley classic on October 21, 2017 is again on the agenda for the $12.8 million earner.

Winx became the first back-to-back Cox Plate winner since So You Think (2009-10) last year and the first mare to do so since Sunline (1999-2000).

Since its inauguration in 1922 the only horse to win three consecutive Cox Plates to date is Kingston Town (1980-82), but Winx is already under $2 to repeat the feat this spring.

Pre-nomination Cox Plate betting at Ladbrokes.com.au has the superlative mare at $1.60 with the next best horses in those futures markets sitting at $26.

Winx is also expected to shoot for a third success in Sydney’s Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in September as well as the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) a fortnight before the Cox Plate.

Early Cox Plate nominations close the first week of August.

To back Winx to win the Cox Plate 2017 at the right price head to Ladbrokes.com.au today.