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Winx has claimed her second Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes win (1600m) in as many years with another strong display at Randwick on Saturday.
Extending her winning streak to 15, Winx settled just worse than midfield before moving up to the leaders on the turn, doing enough in the straight without being pushed, to claim a two length win over Lasqueti Spirit with Who Shot Thebarman third.
Winx returned a Timeform figure of 124+, three pounds higher than her 2016 win and four pounds below her returning win in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m).
With a career peak Timeform figure of 133p (2016 Cox Plate), the Chris-Waller trained runner only did what Hugh Bowman asked her to do on the heavy 9 track.
Since 1980 just four mares have been able to win the Chipping Norton Stakes, Emancipation (1984), Heat Of The Moment (1986), Tuesday Joy (2009) and Winx (2016/17) – but at the same time it is fair to say that not many high Timeform rated mares have contested the race – Emancipation and Winx being the exceptions of those winners Timeform rated 127 and 133 respectively.
Winx Became the second horse to complete the Cox Plate- Chipping Norton Stakes double in the same season in 2016, joining Carbon Copy (1948/49) and is now the only horse to complete the double twice.
Winx is the seventh horse to win the Chipping Norton Stakes back to back with Lough Neagh (1936/37), Katanga (1944/45), Carbon Copy (1949/50), Super Impose (1991/92), Tie The Knot (1999-2002) and Shoot Out (2012/13) also achieving the feat.
The win also brought up Chris Waller’s seventh Chipping Norton Stakes win in eight years with Winx and Shoot Out both winning twice with Boban and Danleigh also claiming victory.
Quite clearly going as well as ever, Winx will now head towards the George Ryder (1500m) at Rosehill, a race she won last year before making her way to Randwick for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
Lonhro was the last horse to win the George Ryder in Consecutive years (2004/05) with Emancipation (1983/84), Manikato (1979/80), Foresight (1968/69), Prince Regoli (1962/63) also completing the back to back double.
With a peak career Timeform figure of 133p, if she runs anything near that for the remainder of the Autumn, it’s hard to see her getting beat in both the George Ryder and Queen Elizabeth.
Of the beaten runners, placegetters Lasqueti Spirit in second ran to a clear new peak of 114 with Who Shot Thebarman running to 115, Hartnesll was disappointing back in eighth well below his best but certainly worth another chance.
Earlier in the programme La Bella Diosa picked up where she left off with a win in the Group 2 Surround Stakes.
The New Zealand galloper settled around midfield before running out and one-and-a-half length winner over Omei Sword in second with the favourite Global Glamour in third.
La Bella Diosa, who has now won five of her seven starts, ran to a clear new Timeform career peak of 113, eight pounds higher than her win at Riccarton Park in the Group 1 NZ Guineas (1600m) prior to a spell.
La Bella Diosa ran to the same number as 2016 winner Ghisoni and six pounds below 2015 winner First Seal, a race that also saw Winx lining up.
The daughter of So You Think has been nominated for the Australian Derby and Oaks during the autumn and an improving type could follow in the footsteps of fellow kiwi galloper Sofia Rosa who took out the 2016 Australian Oaks running to 111, following a second in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks.
Both Omei Sword in second and Global Glamour in third ran to 108, below their previous best performances with Foxplay well back in third running to 99, below her peak of 111.
