Super mare Winx claimed her thirtieth win in a row in a canter with an effortless win in the Group 2 $250,000 The Star Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick today.
Winx, above, scores an effortless first up win in the 2019 Apollo Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Chris Waller turned Winx ($1.10 favourite) out in superb order and another faultless ride from Hugh Bowman saw the mighty mare treat her opposition with content to record a two and a quarter lengths win easing down.
The Pat Webster trained Happy Clapper ($11) ran his usual honest race but was no match for Winx to run second with the champion mare’s stablemate Egg Tart ($51) filling third spot.
Winx was having her first run back since scoring an historic fourth straight win in the Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley during the 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival and Waller said the mare has had a trouble free preparation for her last racing campaign.
“Making sure the fans from world wide now get to see her at her best and she certainly was today first up,” Waller said.
“Every race is always different. The first race is always hard, the grand final is always hard.”
“Today’s race was the most important race. Seeing her come back like that and there will be natural improvement there for two weeks time will be the plan in the Chipping Norton.”
“Last year we didn’t have the beauty of having a first up run, she went straight into it so look out in two weeks time.”
Winx will now be trying to win her fourth straight Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on March 2 before heading into the Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on March 23 before making her final race day appearance in the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 13.
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