Australia’s favourite race horse Winx is set to kick off her 2019 Autumn Carnival campaign in the Group 2 $250,000 The Star Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Winx, above, is set to resume in the 2019 Apollo Stales at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Winx will be up against seven opponents in the Apollo Stakes field that includes five of her stablemates, Patrick Erin (barrier 4), Tom Melbourne (barrier 6), Brimham Rocks (barrier 5), Unforgotten (barrier 8) and Egg Tart (barrier 7).
The Pat Webster trained multiple Group 1 winner Happy Clapper and Thousand Guineas winner Aloisia from the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable make up the eight horse Apollo Stakes field.
Sam Clipperton takes the ride on Happy Clapper who drew the inside gate while Aloisia will jump from barrier two with Tim Clark in the saddle.
Hugh Bowman will maintain his association with Winx who has drawn barrier three as she chases her thirtieth win in succession and her third win in the Apollo Stakes.
Winx continues to re-write the history and is having her first run back since claiming an unbelievable fourth straight win in the Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley during the 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Regular ride Hugh Bowman was aboard Winx in her two recent trials at Rosehill that produced a seventh and a third and the champion hoop was also in charge when the mighty mare went through her paces in a special exhibition gallop at Randwick last Saturday morning.
Winx was matched up against her stablemate Egg Tart in a specially convened gallop on the course proper and the world’s number one race horse warmed up the afterburners to claim victory at the end of the hit out.
Bowman said that he could feel the mare’s mighty engine roaring but didn’t push the throttle to full as Winx went through her gears down the Randwick straight.
“In her trials she does tend to look after herself but judging on what I felt this morning I’m looking forward to the race next Saturday,” Bowman said
“She really put the afterburners on this morning. Although I didn’t let her use them, I certainly felt them.”
“I hadn’t felt that will to go and attack the line this preparation until this morning because she’s done all her work on her own at Rosehill.
“At home on her own she can get a little bubbly, when she comes into the public eye she takes in all in her stride and I would have to say she likes the attention.’’
Final field for the 2019 Apollo Stakes (1400m)
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2x1213x75x | HAPPY CLAPPER | Patrick Webster | Sam Clipperton | 1 | 59kg | 118 |
| 2 | 14656x641x | PATRICK ERIN (NZ) | Chris Waller | Sam Wheaterley | 4 | 59kg | 106 |
| 3 | 22x332222x | BRIMHAM ROCKS (GB) | Chris Waller | Jay Ford | 5 | 59kg | 103 |
| 4 | 8x260408x1 | TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | 6 | 59kg | 102 |
| 5 | x111x1111x | WINX | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 3 | 57kg | 132 |
| 6 | 0121x6138x | UNFORGOTTEN | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 8 | 57kg | 109 |
| 7 | 521x53330x | EGG TART | Chris Waller | Brenton Avdulla | 7 | 57kg | 107 |
| 8 | 768x83002x | ALOISIA (NZ) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Tim Clark | 2 | 57kg | 105 |
