Winx Heads to Flemington in Turnbull Stakes for 21 Consecutive Wins!

Written on the 6 October 2017

Chris Waller-trained Winx will be making her debut at Flemington on Saturday at the Group One $500,000 Turnbull Stakes. No doubt if she wins for the 21st time in a row, she will also be crowned Australian Horse of the Year for the second successive season in Brisbane on Sunday night.

Winx is rated $1.18 to win the Turnbull Stakes and would be even shorter in Horse of the Year betting.

Winx has been faultless in her 2016-17 season, winning her eight races, six at Group 1 level including her second Cox Plate by a record margin of eight lengths.

Apart from being a certainty to retain the Horse of the Year title she won in 2015-16, Winx will most likely collect the Middle Distance category as well.

Waller's focus is currently on Flemington however, in retaining her winning streak at the Turnbull Stakes, Winx's final race before attempting to equal Kingston Town's three Cox Plate wins.

During trackwork at Flemington on Thursday morning, Waller said he was very happy with how well Winx has progressed since her George Main Stakes win three weeks ago.

"She's obviously been here (Flemington) twice before and in fact we feel she's more comfortable here," Waller said. "It's a great open area, it's like they're in a natural environment. There's so much room to move so she's adapted very well.

"My indication is with a horse, how their body language is when they are going on and off the track, and if they're a little bit tense they'll shuffle on and off the track. But she's just flowing out there so I think that's great. Her eating has been good, that's the other sign we look for."

Waller recalled the early days of Winx's career on SEN when she was winning every two or three starts. He likened it to Richmond winning the AFL Premiership, describing her as "an underdog". Then after her earlier inconsistent wins, "something just clicked. She went to a whole new level."

Waller said that Winx has never looked in better condition as she does now.

"Yesterday would have been the best I have seen her. A horse goes through different stages, but yesterday she looked in the best possible condition," Waller said.

"She was picture perfect, a horse that looks good on the outside, they say, is all good on the inside."

Waller said they were very lucky to have Hugh Bowman as Winx's rider.

"It's hard to explain to non-race goers, as he doesn't panic. He doesn't just sit there for a ride, he has to make a lot of decisions, just like the bounce doesn't go your way in footy, you have to reassess, she's been behind in a few, you have to make decisions."

(Photo: Winx, Photo source: Daily Telegraph)