Chris Waller’s champion mare Winx is listed alongside ten other horses in the nominations for the 2018 Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Winx, above, and ten others are among the nominations for the 2018 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Australian Turf Club has extended the nomination deadline for the George Ryder Stakes until 11am on Tuesday, March 20, after Winx was one of six Waller trained horses among the eleven original entries.
Waller’s other entries for the weight for age Group 1 are Foxplay, Endless Drama, D’Argento, Mister Sea Wolf and One Foot In Heaven.
Winx is chasing her third successive win in the George Ryder Stakes and her twenty-fourth consecutive win when she line ups on the weekend and is coming off a last start win in the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on March 3.
The three times Cox Plate winner rounded off her George Ryder Stakes preparation with an exhibition gallop in between races at Rosehill last Saturday and stand-in jockey Kerrin McEvoy said that the world class mare felt fantastic.
“I’ve ridden her twice previously and that is the best she has felt for me,’’ McEvoy told The Daily Telegraph.
“She feels likes she has come on from her first-up win, she is in fantastic order.’’
Trainer James Cummings has elected to test his star three year old Kementari against the older horses in the George Ryder Stakes as oppose to sticking to his own age group in the Group 1 $600,000 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (2000m).
Kementari stamped himself as a star of the future with a dominant win against the three year olds in the Group 1 $1m Mostyn Copper Group Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on March 10.
Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has nominated Group 1 winner Clearly Innocent and his classy mare Invincible Gem for the George Ryder Stakes.
Invincible Gem, third, and Clearly Innocent, sixth, both chased home Happy Clapper in the Group 1 $500,000 Bisley Workwear Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick on March 10 and as well as facing Winx on the weekend, will also have a re-match with the Canterbury Stakes winner.
The Pat Webster trained Happy Clapper has been runner-up to Winx on two occasions in the past but at their latest clash the seven year old gelding was well beaten by Waller’s stable star when sixth in the Group 1 $3m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker’s new stable acquisition Crack Me Up has been nominated for the George Ryder Stakes and is coming off a first up win in the Group 3 $150,000 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Randwick on March 3.
Early betting for the George Ryder Stakes has Winx as the $1.10 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au well ahead of her nearest rival Kementari at $8.
Early betting for the 2018 George Ryder Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $1.10 Winx, $8 Kementari, $13 Happy Clapper, $31 D’Argento, Invincible Gem, Endless Drama, $61 Clearly Innocent, Crack Me Up, Foxplay, $101 Mister Sea Wolf, One Foot In Heaven.
The final field for the 2018 George Ryder Stakes will be released on Wednesday, March 21.
Nominations for the 2018 George Ryder Stakes (1500m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 113x385x66 | CLEARLY INNOCENT | G | 6 | Kris Lees | 110 |
| 2 | 211×214191 | CRACK ME UP (NZ) | G | 4 | Bjorn Baker | 106 |
| 3 | 11×137 | D’ARGENTO | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 88 |
| 4 | x0x360x314 | ENDLESS DRAMA (IRE) | H | 6 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 5 | 1x23475x38 | FOXPLAY | M | 4 | Chris Waller | 110 |
| 6 | 5x121262x1 | HAPPY CLAPPER | G | 7 | Patrick Webster | 116 |
| 7 | 41112x13x3 | INVINCIBLE GEM | M | 4 | Kris Lees | 108 |
| 8 | 1x4320x111 | KEMENTARI | C | 3 | James Cummings | 109 |
| 9 | 3x128x25x2 | MISTER SEA WOLF (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 99 |
| 10 | 13x72x203x | ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN (IRE) | R | 6 | Chris Waller | 108 |
| 11 | 11x11111x1 | WINX | M | 6 | Chris Waller | 132 |
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