“There is nothing like that winning feeling. It lets everything settle down for another few weeks. The dream continues,” Waller said.”Today’s win was not a gap job, it wasn’t intended to be either, she has had four weeks between runs and I just need to know where she is, plus we needed to win heading to the bigger targets.”
And now attention turns to Melbourne where Australia’s best racehorse will head to defend her crown in the WS Cox Plate, but before that she will step out in the Group One Caulfield Stakes (2000m).
“That has always been the original plan and nothing has changed there,” Waller noted. “You always look at other races. It looks to fit in nicely, gives you the run over 2000m on the left leg.
“Caulfield is probably not perfect for a Sydney horse first time, but she just has got that ability to put herself around and finish off,” Waller added.
Winning rider Hugh Bowman again expressed how it was an honour to be associated with a horse of Winx’s calibre.
“I am just enjoying the ride, it is a very special ride for all of us involved with her,” Bowman said.
“She is going to meet better horses now, she has ticked this box. She has come through it well today, she has had a good blow.”
“My job is to ride her, focus on her, I’ve got plenty of other rides as well, it is not just her. She is a lovely headline act to have of course. I am just trying to do my job and trying my not to get too wrapped up in it all.”
“Though I’m sure I’ll look back on it in years to come and really appreciate what she has done for me, Chris Waller, her owners and everyone involved with her, the vets, the farriers and just for people in racing.”
“Other trainers, other owners and other jockeys really respect a horse like this, I have done it before with champions in the past, she is just ticking every box as she goes and it is just an honour to be a part of it,” Bowman summed up.
A $230,000 purchase from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Winx was purchased by Magic Bloodstock. From 21 starts she’s won 15 races, seven at Group One level, with earnings of $7,135,425.
The Fairway Thoroughbred bred champion is raced by Peter Tighe’s Magic Bloodstock Syndicate in partnership with Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis.
She is one of two stakes winners from two to race for the stakes winning Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl.
A winner of the listed Soliloquy Stakes as a two-year-old, Vegas Showgirl has quickly established herself as one of the country’s most valuable broodmares. Her other runner is last season’s group winning juvenile El Divino.
It was another successful day at Randwick for the Waller stable with Foxplay scoring the most impressive of wins in the Group Two Tea Rose Stakes (1400m).
Sent out the warm favourite after an impressive win in the Group Two Furious Stakes, Foxplay was tightened for room in the straight but was able to overcome difficulties under Hugh Bowman and win.
She will most likely race next in the Flight Stakes, or there is the option for connections of the Thousand Guineas in Melbourne a week later.
Foxplay, a daughter of Fastnet Rock’s Group One winning sprinter son Foxwedge, is turning out a great money spinner for her connections.
The bonny filly was purchased by Denise Martin of Star Thoroughbreds for $160,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Newgate Farm.
As it stands, with Group One missions on the agenda, Foxplay has earned over $312,000 with three wins and two minor placings from just seven runs.
Guard of Honour will head to the better class group races after a head bobbing victory in the listed Heritage Stakes (1100m) earlier on the Randwick card.
Trainer Kris Lees said the Roman Consul Stakes at Group Two level in Sydney looked a nice option for the lightly raced by highly promising three-year-old sprinter.
The Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day is also being talked about as a future possibility.
The good looking son of Encosta de Lago’s ill fated son Northern Meteor, was purchased by John Hutchinson of Scone Bloodstock Services for $300,000 from the Mill Park draft at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Guard of Honour is the pin up performer from two runners to date for Victory Cry, a city placed full sister to stakes winner Victory Chant and half sister to Melbourne stakes winner Reldas.
Quality mare Secret Agenda added another feature win to her impressive record when she proved much too good in today’s Group Three How Now Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
A member of the Mick Price stable, Secret Agenda had no favours in the run, covering ground and punching the breeze, but her class really shone through.
In an all Magic Millions finish to the feature mares event, Secret Agenda was able to register career win number four and push her earnings to over $430,000.
Secret Agenda, a daughter of Not a Single Doubt, was purchased by Blueblood Thoroughbreds for $120,000 from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The win was an emotional one for Blueblood’s Carol Walsh and David Maroud, who only yesterday lost a sister after a cancer battle.
Price said Secret Agenda would continue through the carnival contesting sprint black type events for mares. “She will improve from that,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Adelaide the talented sprinter Illustrious Lad scored a second stakes win when he finished strongly in the listed WH Wylie Handicap (1100m) at Morphettville.
Prepared by Peter Gelagotis at Moe, Illustrious Lad was able to enhance his outstanding record when crossing the border, in beating home Shaf and others by three parts of a length.
A son of I Am Invincible, Illustrious Lad was purchased by connections for $40,000 at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud.
Having already won at stakes level at Flemington the five-year-old boosted his stakes earnings to over $353,000.
Illustrious Lad is the only named foal to date for the group performed mare Industrious, a daughter of Sleep Time Girl and half sister to Sally Magic, the dam of Publishing and Miss Mooney Mooney. It’s also the family of Blue Diamond winner Rancher.
Winner: Winx
Breeding: Street Cry-Vegas Showgirl (Al Akbar)
Race: ATC George Main Stakes G1 (1600m)
Sold for: $230,000
Sale: 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Coolmore Stud (As Agent)
Buyer: Magic Bloodstock
Earnings: $7,135,425
Owner(s): Magic Bloodstock Racing (Mgr: PG Tighe), RG Treweeke & Mrs DN Kepitis
Trainer: Chris Waller (Rosehill)
