Five-time winning trainer Chris Waller is in with a huge chance to secure a record sixth win in the Winx Stakes 2020 on Saturday with the master horseman saddling-up five runners including two of the top fancies in betting Funstar and Verry Elleegant.

Chris Waller’s classy mare Funstar runs favourite first-up in the 2020 Winx Stakes on Saturday in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.

Waller has dominated the results of the now Group 1 $500,000 Winx Stakes (1400m), the weight-for-age Randwick feature formerly run as the Group 2 Warwick Stakes.

He prepared Metal Bender to victory in 2010, Royal Descent in 2015 and then celebrated a three-peat with the event’s now namesake Winx (2016-18) who was also the first winner of the race post its Group 1 upgrade.

It is a star-studded edition of the Winx Stakes on Saturday with the season’s opening elite level drawing a capacity field of 16 plus two emergencies.

Waller is represented by five horses including the current $5.50 favourite Funstar drawn well in gate three with Glen Boss to partner the Group 1 Flight Stakes winning daughter of Adelaide first-up.

Debuting as a four-year-old, Funstar goes well fresh and is a Randwick specialist (6:3-3-0).

She is also a proven mudlark with an outstanding Heavy track record (3:2-1-0) and was last seen running second in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) during ‘The Championships’.

Occupying the third line of Winx Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au is Waller’s 2020 Caulfield Cup-bound Verry Elleegant at $7.50.

Jumping from barrier 10 for her campaign kick-off with James McDonald in the saddle, the now five-year-old daughter of Zed is a multiple Group 1 winner most recently in the Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill last March.

Like Funstar, she too was last seen running second in a Group 1 at Randwick when runner-up to Addeybb in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on April 11.

Despite being a genuine stayer, Verry Elleegant also looks well-suited to 1400m first-up and will be finishing strong late on a suitable rain-affected track.

Waller has also accepted for the widely-drawn trio of Imaging ($21), Star Of The Seas ($26) and Kolding ($51) who have all drawn right out in barriers 17, 15 and 18 (excluding emergencies) respectively.

In an open edition of what is shaping-up to be an outstanding start to Group 1 racing for the spring, there are a further three single-figure fancies under $10 in the Winx Stakes odds.

Between the Waller-trained mares at $7 is the second elect Master Of Wine, the Hawkes Racing-trained stayer current favourite in the all-in Caulfield Cup betting markets for October.

Tommy Berry is booked to ride the highly-rated son of Maxios for his spring starting point, the ultra-consistent import having won four straight races before his last start fourth in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Rounding out the hopes under double-figures to win the Winx Stakes in 2020 are the John Thompson-trained market mover Dreamforce ($11 into $8) and Tony Pike’s multiple Group 1 winning Kiwi The Bostonian drawn the rails.

Dreamforce is a class middle-distance performer, the veteran eight-year-old winning the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) back in March, but he failed in the all Aged Stakes next up and has work to do from the wide alley (16).

Runner-up in the George Ryder, The Bostonian is a versatile New Zealand-trained galloper who will relish the track conditions fresh and a first-up specialist (7:6-0-0) representing nice value.

Further adding to the form on The Bostonian is his win in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) in March when defeating Savatiano who won last Saturday’s Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Click here for the latest Winx Stakes 2020 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Winx Stakes Field & Barriers

Table Credit: Racing Australia.