Latest News

By Brad Gray

Winx rounded out her build-up towards her resumption in the Apollo Stakes at Randwick with a final piece of fast work at Rosehill in the early hours of Thursday morning.

“Very satisfied with this morning’s work,” said Chris Waller.

“(She’s) a bit stronger (and) a bit heavier but she’s come together very well and I couldn’t be happier with the way the preparation has gone.

“This preparation has been the best one she has had. Everything has just been faultless. There’s been no rushing to get her back.

“She hasn’t got to this status by fluking wins, simply she is a very good horse and that gives us confidence towards Saturday (Monday) and hopefully continue that winning sequence a little longer.”

Winx gallop in blue light #WinxWatch https://t.co/SRm1RYm9DG

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) February 8, 2017

The expectation of Winx making it 14 straight wins is not lost on Waller.

“She is now not just my horse, the owner’s horse or Hugh Bowman’s horse, she is the general public’s. We are aware of that and try to keep things as simple as we can.”

Hugh Bowman handles the pressure cooker of Winx and her status as the world’s best turf horse in his own way.

“It’s certainly a high level of responsibility to do the right things by the horse but that’s exactly how I cope with it. I think about her as the number one. Ultimately it’s up to her to perform all I can do is make sure she is in a position where she can do that. (I) just try to keep it simple and relay that message to myself,” said Bowman.

“It’s starting to become real, again. There is always an exciting build up to this mare running but up until yesterday when the final field was released I didn’t get too carried away.”

“I think she is really progressed since her last trial. She worked really nicely here on Tuesday morning in company. She had her main gallop then and this morning she wasn’t asked to do quite as much but I’m really pleased with how she is feeling.”

Winx's Apollo Stakes win last year

All the the fields and form for Monday's Randwick meeting