Waller’s flying machine Winx ready for takeoff in Turnbull Stakes

TRAINER Chris Waller has a simple message for Winx’s legion of fans before her Flemington debut in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes on Saturday: “Don't worry, she’s going fantasic”.

TRAINER Chris Waller has a simple message to Winx’s legion of fans on the eve of the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.

“Don’t worry, she’s going fantastic,” Waller said. “I just think she’s deadset flying.’’

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QUEEN SET TO TRUMP ‘THE KING’

Waller’s confidence will put at ease the doubters who have suggested Winx hasn’t been her dominant self in three Sydney wins this spring, or concerns the mighty mare has never raced at Flemington.

Trainer Chris Waller couldn’t be happier with champion mare Winx.

Winx is at $1.18 with TAB Fixed Odds for the Turnbull Stakes — her longest price since winning the George Ryder Stakes five starts back — and if she wins as expected, the mare will:

● Score her 21st successive win, moving closer to undefeated Black Caviar’s record of 25 consecutive wins;

● Register her 14th career Group 1 win, equalling Kingston Town’s feat and moving to within one major of Black Caviar’s all-time record; and

● Lift her career earnings to $13.75 million to trail only Makybe Diva on $14.52 million on the all-time prizemoney rankings.

Winx has thrived since arriving in Melbourne and is primed for her Flemington debut on Saturday.

Winx has only six rivals in the Turnbull with bookies rating Humidor ($4.40) the only legitimate threat. But Waller said one of Winx’s great strengths is her versatility which enables her to adapt to any situation in a race.

“Whether it be a three-horse field, whether it be a big field, whether it be a handicap, weight-for-age or set weights and penalties race,’’ Waller said. “Track conditions are the same. Some horses you’re watching the weather and every cloud that’s coming onto the horizon.

“But with a horse like Winx — wet tracks, hard tracks, it’s no problem. We won’t over-analyse things and that’s the beauty of (jockey) Hugh Bowman. He lets the horse be where she’s comfortable, and she does the rest.”

Meanwhile, trainer Amy Johnston has defended her decision to run $301 rank outsider Skyfire in the Turnbull even though the gelding is a restricted class galloper.

There has been criticism Skyfire should not have been allowed to start in a Group 1 race but Johnston said she was acting well within the rules of racing.

“At the end of the day, we had this Group 1 race open to — as the rule stands now — any horse, any trainer, that met their criteria with Racing Victoria had their chance to go in it,’’ said on Melbourne radio.

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“Every horse and every trainer in Australia had the opportunity to race against the wonderful mare and everyone’s scared of her. If there were only two horses in it, people would be going ‘Oh, this is rubbish’. You can’t please everyone.

“There are people out there with little babies and children that are dying and you’re carrying on about a horse that was eligible to run in a race who’s going for a kick around for some money. I think it’s a nice little reality check for everyone. There are bigger fish to fry.”

Skyfire is more than likely to run sixth or late in the Turnbull but that will still be enough to the gelding’s owners $10,000 prizemoney with Johnston already pledging to donate her $1000 trainer’s share to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for sick children.

Trainer Amy Johnston with Turnbull Stakes outsider Skyfire. Picture: David Geraghty

TURNBULL STAKES BETTING

BIG BETS ON WINX

$94,150 @ $1.15; $40,000 @ $1.18; $10,000 @ $1.15; $5,000 @ $1.18; $5,000 @ $1.15; $3,070 @ $1.15; $3,000 @ $1.18 (two separate bets) and $30,000 @ $1.03 on Winx to finish first or second.

BEST BACKED TO WIN

1) WINX ($1.18) 95%

2) Humidor ($4.40) 3.7%

3) Ventura Storm ($23) 0.4%

4) Magicool ($301) 0.3%

5) Skyfire ($301) 0.2%

6) Assign ($81) 0.2%

7) Sir Isaac Newton ($51) 0.2%

BEST BACKED TO PLACE (FIRST AND SECOND ONLY)

1) WINX ($1.02) 43%

2) Assign ($10.80) 14%

3) Sir Isaac Newton ($6.75) 11%

4) Skyfire ($37.25) 10%

5) Magicool ($37.25) 10%

6) Ventura Storm ($3.35) 6%

7) Humidor ($1.22) 6%

TAB’S MARKET

$1.18 Winx opened $1.15

$4.40 Humidor opened $5

$23 Ventura Storm opened $26

$51 Sir Isaac Newton

$81 Assign opened $101

$301 Magicool, Skyfire

FULL MARKET: TAB FIXED ODDS

Originally published as Waller’s flying machine Winx ready for takeoff in Turnbull Stakes