Champion trainer Chris Waller said that everything has gone to plan for his super star Winx in the lead up to the Group 1 $3m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on Saturday.
Winx, above, has had a trouble free preparation for the Ladbrokes Cox Plate at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Winx will be aiming to win her third successive Ladbrokes Cox Plate trophy to emulate the feats of the legendary Kingston Town who is the only horse to claim the winning trophy on three occasions with his wins in 1980, 1981 and 1982.
Winx will also be lining up for her twenty-second consecutive win and Waller said that he couldn’t be happier with the mare in her final preparations for Saturday’s ‘Weight For Age Championship.’
“Everything has gone to plan with Winx,” Waller said.
“She worked well as she has done in the last three weeks since her impressive win in the Turnbull.”
Winx is marked as the $1.16 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au to win her third Ladbrokes Cox Plate, but Waller said that he still respects the other eight runners in the field and admits that you also need luck to go your way.
“Obviously you still need luck in racing. It might not be the strongest Cox Plate but still is a field that you give respect to,” Waller said.
“You have got international horses, good Australian horses, you have got young horses all coming together.”
“It is a race like very few other races, it’s a high intensity race and obviously she relishes that type of pressure.”
Waller is happy with Winx’s barrier draw at six in the nine horse field and expects regular Hugh Bowman will have no problems giving the Queen Of The Australian Turf a trouble free run from that gate.
“Barrier six I think it is a good draw. Hugh is happy with it. Hugh is very happy with the horse as we are,” Waller said.
“Let’s hope everything goes to plan and we turn up there on Saturday and enjoy the moment.”
“We have a great horse, a great sport that we are involved in and it will be a big day.”
Waller also acknowledged the public support that Winx has generated since her arrival in Melbourne to defend her Ladbrokes Cox Plate title.
“She is held in great regard, her fans are out there in full force in Melbourne at the moment. At Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning it was abuzz,” Waller said.
“Very proud of her and what she has achieved throughout her career and on the eve of a history equalling race of Kingston Town. But all that aside, when we won the first Cox Plate it was something and then going back there last year to defend her title was the pinnacle of any horses career.”
Winx’s domination of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate betting is so great that her nearest rival in the market order is the Tony McEvoy trained three year old Royal Symphony at $16 ahead of the Darren Weir trained pair of Humidor and Gailo Chop at $20.
