Super mare Winx makes her Flemington debut next start in the Turnbull Stakes 2017 and hoop Hugh Bowman is confident the six-year-old will be right at home her preferred way of racing.
Champion mare Winx will have just her fourth Melbourne run in Saturday week’s 2017 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington Racecourse. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Chris Waller-trained daughter of Street Cry may be based in Sydney and a nine-time Group 1 winner in New South Wales, but Bowman believes the champion is actually better racing the anti-clockwise direction.
Plenty on her outstanding record to date suggests Bowman, who knows what it’s like to be aboard the Hall of Famer better than anyone, could be right.
Three of Winx’s four other elite level victories have been the Melbourne way of racing including most famously her back-to-back wins in the weight-for-age Group 1 $3 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley.
This October she will look to emulate Kingston Town (1980-82) and take out the Cox Plate for the third straight year, with her final lead-up scheduled Saturday week in the $500,000 Group 1 Seppelt Turnbull Stakes (2000m).
Futures Turnbull Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au has Winx at a short $1.20 for the win despite the fact she is yet to race at Flemington.
She hasn’t raced in Victoria since her Cox Plate title defence last spring, which followed a Group 1 Ladbrokes Stakes (2000m) in at Caulfield Racecourse.
Even though Winx, who shoots for a 21st consecutive win in the Turnbull Stakes, has only officially had three Melbourne starts, she is undefeated in Victoria and according to Bowman actually more comfortable galloping the Melbourne way.
“I tend to look forward to riding her all the time but she’s definitely more comfortable going the Melbourne way, I will say that,” Bowman said.
“She just seems to enjoy galloping on her Melbourne leg. I don’t know why that is. Some horses are like it but she certainly prefers leaning into her Melbourne leg when she’s going through her gears.”
Hartnell won last year’s Turnbull Stakes defeating subsequent Caulfield Cup winner Jameka by over three lengths.
Next start that Godolphin galloper was second past the post behind Winx in the Cox Plate quienlla, beaten a record eight lengths as the mare made history with the runaway victory.
That form certainly bodes well for Winx heading into the Turnbull Stakes and then the Ladbrokes Cox Plate in 2017.
If the mare does as she is tipped to do and win both races, her prize money won will be the highest-ever for an Australasian racehorse surpassing that of the mighty triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva ($14,526,685).
The latest Cox Plate odds online have Winx at $1.50.
To back Winx next race at the right price and to access all of the spring’s top racing markets visit Ladbrokes.com.au today.
