Winx was at her brilliant best in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Friday as Chris Waller puts the finishing touches on her quest to win 11 races in a row.
Winx looked the goods in a Warwick Farm barrier trial on Friday. Photo: Steve Hart
Waller’s superstar mare stepped out in the first trial of the morning over 1000m on a track rated a soft (6) and cruised to the line in an awesome display of class and talent.
Regular jockey Hugh Bowman was content to take hold early, settling midfield out three deep before peeling four wide on the turn.
Peter and Paul Snowden’s Dothraki was fighting it out with the Clarry Conners-trained Decision Time whilst Winx closed strongly under Bowman’s vice-like grip.
Winx finished a close-up third, beaten a nose by a neck, with the trial run in 1:01:30.
The master trainer has Winx aimed at Saturday weeks’ Group I weight-for-age George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick as he plots a path towards defending the Cox Plate which Winx won in dominant fashion last year.
One surprise rival for Winx in the George Main will be former Japanese stayer Tosen Stardom, which is now trained by Darren Weir.
Tosen Stardom caught the eye with an unlucky fourth at his first run for the new stable in the Group II Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 3.
Interestingly, despite his dominance in Melbourne, Weir is yet to train a winner in Sydney.
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