Queensland Oaks winner Winx scored an astounding last to first win in the Group 2 $200,000 Theo Marks Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill today.
Winx storms down the outside to win the Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Chris Waller trained Winx was having her first run back after winning the Group 1 $500,000 Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Doomben during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
James McDonald, who was fresh from winning the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at his previous ride, always had Winx at the tail for the field and was still last at the 350m.
McDonald was then able to get Winx ($3.40 favourite) balanced up and the Street Cry mare put in a whirl wind finish down the middle of the track to grab the lead right on the line to record a head win over the roughie Sons Of John ($31) with Ninth Legion ($13) holding down third spot a nose away.
Winx was McDonald’s fourth winner for the day, as it was for Waller as well, with the pair also combining to win the $85,000 Mack Trucks BenchMark 85 Handicap (1200m) with Good Project and the Group 3 $125,000 Irresistible Pools Sheraco Stakes (1200m) with glamour mare Catkins.
Waller also teamed up with Brenton Avdulla to win the Group 3 $125,000 Thoroughbred Central Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) with Silverball.
The Group 1 $1m The Star Epsom (1600m) at Randwick on October 3 is now high on the agenda for Winx.
“She will press on to the Epsom now. It looks a nice race for her over the mile in three weeks time,” Waller said.
Waller said that he had learned about the way Winx races during her Queensland Winter Carnival camapaign and he wasn’t frightened to run her from a wide barrier today.
“We are still learning about her. I think we learned quite a bit about her when she won in Queensland,” Waller said.
“Not the Oaks but the Sunshine Coast Guineas, the way she unleashed her run that day.”
“That gave me the confidence to come back today and try and get in from the wide gate.”
“I might have to change her name from Winx to Wings. She has golden wings.”
In her lead up to the Queensland Oaks Winx produced a similar last to first finish as she did today to win the Group 3 $125,000 XXXX Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast.
Theo Marks Stakes results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | WINX | Chris Waller | James McDonald | – | 11 | 54.5kg | $3.40F |
| 2 | 13 | SONS OF JOHN | Jason Attard | Jeff Penza | 0.2L | 7 | 53kg | $31 |
| 3 | 5 | NINTH LEGION | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tye Angland | 0.4L | 1 | 57kg | $13 |
| 4 | 3 | STRAWBERRY BOY | Chris Waller | Jim Cassidy | 0.6L | 5 | 58kg | $15 |
| 5 | 1 | FAMOUS SEAMUS (NZ) | Noel Mayfield-Smith | Ms Kathy O’Hara | 1.6L | 13 | 59kg | $31 |
| 6 | 15 | TURBULENT JET | Lee Curtis | Ms Winona Costin (a) | 2.8L | 14 | 53kg | $26 |
| 7 | 12 | VASHKA | John O’Shea | Joao Moreira | 3.6L | 6 | 53kg | $5 |
| 8 | 2 | MESSENE | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tommy Berry | 3.7L | 2 | 58.5kg | $7.50 |
| 9 | 9 | DECISION TIME | Clarry Conners | Christian Reith | 4.3L | 10 | 53.5kg | $61 |
| 10 | 6 | HEART TESTA | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 6L | 9 | 55.5kg | $14 |
| 11 | 4 | AMANPOUR | Gai Waterhouse | Brett Prebble | 8.6L | 8 | 57.5kg | $20 |
| 12 | 10 | BOSS LANE | Ron Quinton | Sam Clipperton | 8.8L | 12 | 53kg | $15 |
| 13 | 11 | NOSTRADAMUS | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tim Clark | 9L | 4 | 53kg (cd 53.5kg) | $14 |
| 14 | 7 | AOMEN (IRE) | Anthony Cummings | Brenton Avdulla | 12.5L | 3 | 55kg | $19 |
