Premiership winning trainer Chris Waller has a great chance to win his fifth straight Group 1 $500,000 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday when he saddles up four of the ten starters.
Verry Elleegant, above, is one of four runners for the trainer Chris Waller in the 2019 Winx Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Kings Will Dream, Unforgotten, Youngstar and Verry Elleegant will all line up in the weight for age race named in honour of his champion mare Winx who won the race three times, twice when it was called the Warwick Stakes (2016 & 2017) and once when it was called the Winx Stakes (2018) while Waller also saddled up 2015 winner Royal Descent.
Kings Will Dream will be having his first run for the Waller stable and has drawn barrier two in the ten horse Winx Stakes field with Jason Collett taking the mount.
Waller’s three Oaks winners have drawn across the board with Verry Elleegant (James McDonald) drawing alongside of Kings Will Dream at three, Unforgotten (Brenton Avdulla) coming up with barrier seven while Youngstar (Tommy Berry) will jump from the outside gate.
James McDonald sticks with Verry Elleegant after the pair combined for a hat trick of wins during the 2019 Autumn Carnival and culminated with a victory in the Group 1 $1m Heineken 3 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on Day Tow of The Championships on April 13.
McDonald has also been aboard the new season four year old mare in her two recent barrier trials and was happy with her hit out at Rosehill on Tuesday morning.
“James McDonald was aboard and gave me the thumbs up post work,” Waller told Sky Racing.
“I am really happy with where she is at. The only difference is that she is a bit stronger, wouldn’t say she has gone overboard, didn’t put on lots and lots of weight, but she certainly looks bigger and stronger.”
James Cummings will saddle up two runners in the Winx Stakes, Avilius who has drawn barrier eight with Kerrin McEvoy aboard and Best Of Days with Nash Rawiller from gate six.
Kris Lees will also have two starters with Invincible Gem and Le Romain drawing at the opposite ends of the starting gates.
Invincible Gem came up with the rails draw for with Rachel King booked to ride while Le Romain will jump from barrier nine with Glen Boss holding the reins.
Hugh Bowman takes the ride on Happy Clapper (barrier 5) and the champion jockey will be trying to win the race for the fifth consecutive year after taking the honours in 2015 on Royal Descent before scoring a hat trick of wins with Winx.
Final field for the 2019 Winx Stakes (1400m)
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 140x11511x | AVILIUS (GB) | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 8 | 59kg | 118 |
| 2 | 3x75x2284x | HAPPY CLAPPER | Patrick Webster | Hugh Bowman | 5 | 59kg | 117 |
| 3 | 42x28496x3 | LE ROMAIN | Kris Lees | Glen Boss | 9 | 59kg | 113 |
| 4 | 713211x5Nx | BEST OF DAYS (GB) | James Cummings | Nash Rawiller | 6 | 59kg | 108 |
| 5 | 11x43236Px | KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 2 | 59kg | 105 |
| 6 | 151241915x | SAMADOUBT | Bjorn Baker | Tim Clark | 4 | 59kg | 97 |
| 7 | 45x73810x2 | INVINCIBLE GEM | Kris Lees | Rachel King | 1 | 57kg | 108 |
| 8 | 138x53403x | UNFORGOTTEN | Chris Waller | Brenton Avdulla | 7 | 57kg | 107 |
| 9 | 63276x059x | YOUNGSTAR | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 10 | 57kg | 107 |
| 10 | 3157x2111x | VERRY ELLEEGANT (NZ) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 3 | 56.5kg | 106 |
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