Cox Plate 2016: Winx’s credentials speak volumes but the ‘new’ Hartnell doesn’t know that

TALE OF THE TAPE: ON the scoreboard it’s a one-horse race — but the betting market for Saturday’s Cox Plate tells a different story.

Winx takes out the Caulfield Stakes ahead of Black Heart Bart (left). Picture: AAP

ON the scoreboard it’s a one-horse race — but the betting market for Saturday’s Cox Plate tells a different story.

The scoreboard has Winx three-nil over Hartnell; comprehensively, too. In three meetings, Winx has beaten Hartnell by an average margin of six lengths.

WEEKEND WIND-UP: WINX SPREADS WINGS AT VALLEY

The margin between them in last year’s Cox Plate — Winx a runaway winner, Hartnell fifth — was 10 lengths.

But the betting suggests something has changed in recent weeks.

Winx was an odds-on favourite a month ago but now clings to favouritism with the TAB at $2.10, with ever-shortening Hartnell now on her heels at $2.80.

What’s changed? Hartnell.

Last spring’s easybeat has become this season’s revelation.

Hartnell makes easy work of Caulfield Cup winner Jameka in the Turnbull Stakes. Picture: Ian Currie

Hartnell’s first-up second to Winx at Randwick back in August, when he ran her to 3.3 lengths, suggested the imported horse had begun to narrow the gap.

Since, Hartnell has simply scorched.

Winx, outside, cruises in track gallop @TheValley this morning. Chris Waller very happy with the hit-out. @superracing #sheisflying pic.twitter.com/usaZXVJ74k

— Danny Russell (@dannyandrussell) October 14, 2016

Huge margin wins at his last three starts had ratings experts adamant Hartnell had become as good as the champion mare. Some have ranked his wins higher.

Winx held Hartnell’s stablemate Hauraki to just 1.3 lengths at Randwick last month and Godolphin is adamant Hartnell has a big “margin” on Hauraki.

Jameka’s brilliant Caulfield Cup win strengthened the case for Hartnell, who easily beat her in the recent Turnbull Stakes, and edged him even closer to Winx in betting for a Cox Plate that once looked foregone but now shapes as an epic.

Some would say Cox Plate favourite Winx walks on water and they might be right. Picture: Colleen Petch

WINX VERSUS HARTNELL

WINX

5YO mare

22 starts 16 wins 3 seconds. $7,498,175

LAST THREE STARTS

WON Warwick Stakes (1400m), Randwick August 20. Margin 3.5 lengths, from Hartnell.

WON Colgate Optic (1600m) Randwick September 17. Margin 1.3 lengths.

WON Ladbrokes Stakes (2000m) Caulfield October 8. Margin: 2 lengths.

HARTNELL

6YO gelding

26 starts 10 wins, five seconds. $2,233,999.

LAST THREE STARTS

WON Chelmsford (1600), Randwick September 3. Margin 7.8 lengths.

WON Hill Stakes (1600m) Randwick September 17. Margin 5.8 lengths.

WON Turnbull Stakes (2000m) Flemington October 2. Margin: 3.3 lengths, from Jameka.

HEAD TO HEAD

WINX 3, HARTNELL 0

2015 COX PLATE (October 24): Winx first, Hartnell fifth. Margin: 10 lengths.

2016 CHIPPING NORTON STAKES (February 27) Winx first, Hartnell fifth. Margin: 4.7 lengths.

2016 WARWICK STAKES (August 20). Wins first, Hartnell second. Margin 3.5 lengths

High Bowman and Winx (centre) prove too strong for Black Heart Bart (left) and He or She in the three-horse Caulfield Stakes. Picture: AAP

LIKELY COX PLATE FIELD

WINX (Hugh Bowman) $2.10 57kg

HARTNELL (James McDonald) $2.80 59kg

VADAMOS (Joao Moriera) $15 59kg

BLACK HEART BART (Brad Rawiller) $15 59kg

YANKEE ROSE (Dean Yendall) $15 47.5kg

HAURAKI (Craig Williams) $17 59kg

LUCIA VALENTINA (Kerrin McEvoy) $17 57kg

AWESOME ROCK (Steve Baster) $51 59kg

HAPPY CLAPPER (Brenton Avdulla) $51 59kg

SIR ISAAC NEWTON (Colm O’Donoghue) $51 59kg

HAPPY TRAILS (Ben Melham) $101 59kg

Market: TAB Fixed Odds

Dean Yendall saviours his first Group 1 success aboard Yankee Rose in the Spring Champion Stakes.

Yendall: Don’t forget about the Rose

LIGHTWEIGHT jockey Dean Yendall believes the weight advantage over key rivals can help his three-year-old filly Yankee Rose to upstage Winx and Hartnell in Saturday’s Cox Plate.

“She’s got no weight on her back and it’s a big advantage. The way she won last start was full of merit,” Yendall said at Warrnambool races on Sunday.

Yendall rode Yankee Rose to win the Spring Championship Stakes at Randwick and can’t wait to partner her on Saturday.’

“She drops seven kilos on her last start and she’ll have nothing on her back. It’s going to make a difference with the other horses carrying a bigger weight,” he said

Yankee Rose will carry 47.5 kilos on Saturday.

“She travelled really well in the Spring Championship and hit the line really hard.”

“I rode her on Saturday morning at Moonee Valley and she felt enormous,” he said.

Yankee Rose is a $15 chance with TAB fixed odds.

Yendall will ride Yankee Rose at Breakfast With The Best at Moonee Valley on Tuesday.

Darren Weir’s Warrnambool stable foreman Jarrod McLean said Real Love who finished fifth in the Caulfield Cup was galloped on in the run.

“She’ll be fine. She’ll be right for the Lexus Stakes,” McLean said.

McLean said Hellbent who was a late scratching on Saturday had pulled up “a bit stiff and sore” but would also recover quickly.

He said that the two Weir horses who were going to contest Group One races on the weekend Lucky Hussler (Manikato Stakes) and Black Heart Bart (Cox Plate) would gallop at Warrnambool on Tuesday morning.

“Both horses are progressing really well towards their respective races,” McLean said.