Winx motor ticking over nicely for Queen Elizabeth Stakes farewell
Chris Waller and Hugh Bowman have turned over the motor of the world’s greatest thoroughbred machine and say Winx is ready to go in her farewell appearance.
Winx had her usual exhibition gallop a week before a run at Randwick on Saturday morning and thankfully there wasn’t much to say for Chris Waller and Hugh Bowman.
Winx galloped over 1000m in 1min02.59sec and she was cranked up to 85 per cent capacity over the final 600m to run it in 34.67sec.
“We’re just making sure the horse is staying the same and today is important to settle the nerves,” Waller said.
“I just told Hugh to give her a nice workout and to let her go through her gears.
“Everything looks good to me. I just wanted to make sure everything is sharp.”
Meanwhile, Winx is the $4.50 favourite to win the DailyTelegraph’s ‘Wonder Race’ against 11 other past champions of the Australian turf.
The race will be run on Wednesday at 12.30pm when John Tapp calling the simulated event.
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KEPITIS: I’M READY FOR EVERYTHING
Winx’s part owner Debbie Kepitis has been saying for years that she’s prepared for her champion to lose and it won’t change ahead of her last race next Saturday.
“In racing you have to be ready for that,” she said.
“I do wake up sometimes in the middle of the night in pinch myself about how fortunate I am and how on earth has this happened.”
BRIDEOAKE: ‘I’M AN ANTI-CHEATER’
Princess Jenni was a late scratching from the Adrian Knox Stakes after a raised lump of 5mm to 8mm on its near side jugular was discovered.
“That’s exactly where she (vet) took the blood (pre-race sample) from,” trainer David Brideoake said.
But Racing NSW vet Dr Toby Koenig said the pre-race sample was taken further up the neck and was not consistent with an injection made before the horse’s final inspection at 7.45am on race morning.
Racing NSW inspectors checked the horse at 8.30am on Friday and didn’t feel or see any injection marks.
“I’ve had 25 years in training and we’ve had a lot of cheats but I’m an anti-cheater,” Brideoake said. The matter was adjourned pending the results of post-race samples.
RON LONG OVERDUE FOR RECOGNITION
We think it’s about time Racing NSW named a race after Hall of Famer Ron Quinton. Who would be more deserving?
He won six Sydney jockeys premierships and a stack of Group 1s to be remembered as one of the greatest riders of his generation.
He’s since done what few before him have — become a multiple Group 1-winning trainer. That’s just on the track. Ask jockeys like Hugh Bowman how much he’s influenced their careers off the track as a mentor. He needs a Group race named in his honour.
SOLO STAR GWENDA DOES IT IN STYLE
She stood there without an entourage. Gwenda Markwell was actually on her own watching the ATC Derby. But when Angel Of Truth crossed the line to win she turned to the first person she saw and said: “I don’t know who you are but I’ll still give you a cuddle”.
HOW TO STAND OUT IN A CROWD
These country men certainly stood out at Randwick on Saturday. The group from Cowra put one of their mates in charge of selecting the race day clothes.
He surprised with them at the last minute and made them wear them. They were loud but looked comfortable.
SNOWDEN: DON’T BE FOOLED, MONEY TALKS
Peter Snowden once said “we go where the prizemoney is” and that’s why certain races are big events in Australia.
The Everest has quickly proved that. They can’t live off tradition. Chris Waller said even Saturday’s $3 million Doncaster Mile wouldn’t remain as great as it is if a richer option was available somewhere else.
“If the ($7.5m) Golden Eagle (run in November) was the week before they’d all be running there,” Waller said.
WINX RACE WILL STOP THE NATION
Expect the race after next week’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes to be put back 10 minutes or so to accommodate the Winx celebrations and the commitments Hugh Bowman will have to make post-race along with Chris Waller. They only do it for the Melbourne Cup.
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