By Daithi Harvey
Australia's darling Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) has completed her spell and has returned to her training base at Chris Waller's stable. The 6-year-old is now set to resume training again as connections look forward to an autumn campaign having enjoyed a glorious spring capped by a history equaling third win in the G1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Oct. 28. “She's back in the stable but I'm not sure yet where she will start off,” Waller told Racing And Sports. “And there is no decision yet whether she goes overseas,” was his answer to the refrain he will no doubt begin to hear more and more of in the New Year.
A new year will also bring potential fresh challengers to Winx and one that could possibly step up to the mark is Aloisia (NZ) (Azamour {Ire}). The Aaron Purcell trained filly won the G1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas at Caulfield in October and followed up in the G2 Drummond Golf Vase two weeks later at Moonee Valley before a beaten favourite when upped to a mile and a half in the G1 Kennedy Oaks at Flemington in November.
“She's back in work with the pre-trainer and has spelled really well and looks good,” said Terry Henderson of owners OTI Racing. Mapping out a potential campaign for the 3-year-old Henderson told Racing.com. “She'll resume in the [G3] Vanity [in February] and then head to the Australian Guineas, the Vinery Stud Stakes and then the ATC Oaks. If she was to win the Australian Guineas then we might give some thought to the Queen Elizabeth rather than the Oaks.”
That latter target opens up the potential of a clash with Winx in April and given the great mare's dominance against her domestic rivals some fresh new opponents are badly needed to keep her next campaign as exciting as the one gone by.
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