Winx Goes Eight Straight

By Harley Walden

Winx being ridden home in the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill yesterday. Photographer: Katrina Partridge

SUPERSTAR mare Winx confirmed her status as one of the world’s best racehorses when she cruised home to beat a high class field in the Group One George Ryder Stakes over 1500m at Rosehill on Saturday.

Almost certain to be declared the Australian Horse of the Year for 2015/16 racing season.

The win was the eighth straight group success for the daughter of Street Cry – now a five time Group One winner.

Her connections including trainer, Chris Waller, jockey Hugh Bowman and part owner Debbie Keptis were all delighted with the latest victory adding “the mare was phenomenal and they were happy to call her a champion”.

Winx, bred by the Camilleri family’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, she was sold to Magic Bloodstock for $230, 000 at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale through the draft of Coolmore Stud.

As it stands her outstanding record reads 12 wins and three seconds from 18 starts and earnings of $4,746,925.

Winx will now most likely have her next start in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes as connections chase the country’s richest and most prestigious races to add to a Cox Plate, Queensland Oaks, Chipping Norton Stakes, Epsom Handicap and George Ryder Stakes.

The glamour mare is the first runner from four named foals for the New Zealand stakes winning Al Akbar mare Vagas Showgirl.

Triple Crown Numbers Are Down

The total of 368 three-year-olds have been nominated for the 2016 Triple Crown series at the first nomination phase.

The series consists of the $US2 million Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7, the $US1.5 million Preakness Stakes at Pimilico on May 21 and the $US1.5 million Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 11.

The early nominations list is the smallest since 2011 when there were 364 nominees.

Later entries will need to pay a $US 6000 fee open until March 21 while supplementary nominations can be made after that date at a cost of $US200,000 for the Kentucky Derby, $US 150,000 for the Preakness and $US 75,000 for the Belmont.

The nominations list is headed by the Doug O’Neill-trained champion juvenile male Nyquist, raced by the same connections as the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another.

Other notable hopefuls include G1 Breeder’s Futurity hero Brody’s Cause, G1 Los Alamintos Futurity scorer Mor Spirit, G1 Champagne Stakes winner Greenpointcrusader, G1 Hopeful Stakes hero Ralis, the G2 winners Airoforce, Annual Report, undefeated Mohaymen and the well performed Exaggerator and Swipe.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert landed the Triple Crown last year with American Pharoah, taking his career classic victories to 12. He leads the trainers’ nominations with 35 led by Mor Spirit, Collected, Let’s Meet in Rio, Toews On Ice and Drefong.

Seven-time champion trainer Tod Pletcher has 26 entries, D. Wayne Lucas 10, Mike Maker 10 and Mark Casse 11.

Zayat Stables leads the owners’ list with 15 nominations from Calumet Farm 11.

There are 17 entries from overseas including Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hit It a Bomb.

First-crop sire Uncle Mo leads the sires list with 19 Triple Crown nominees, followed by Tapit (16) and Bernardini (13).