Procession for Winx in Cox Plate

Fourth Cox Plate victory seems guaranteed for supermare Winx.

Saturday’s Cox Plate is likely to be a procession for champion racehorse Winx as she attempts to become the first in history to register a fourth win in Australia’s premier championship race. If she wins, she will surpass the great Kingston Town who three-peated from 1980-1982. It will also be her 29th straight victory, the 22nd at Group One level.

The mare will have only 7 opponents, as many were literally frightened off by the enormity of the task of beating the World’s best horse.

The prospect of losing was enough for trainers of at least two emerging superstars to seek other agendas, as unblemished careers would enhance their colts’ future careers at stud.

It’s a great pity that the star 3YO’s are dodging the Cox Plate, as some of the greatest Cox Plates were won by 3YO’s who enhanced their profile no end. Even honourable losses to older champions did not do their reputation any harm. Arguably the Hawkes-trained 3YO Viscount’s greatest performance was losing, to some unluckily, to the champions Northerly and Sunline in the 2001 Cox Plate.

3YO’s have a good record in the Cox Plate and since the 80’s the winners list has included So You Think, Shamus Award, Savabeel, Octagonal and Red Anchor. The 3YO winners in earlier years reads like a Who’s Who of Australian racing; Surround, Taj Rossi, Daryl’s Joy and Noholme to name some.

Aside from Winx, the race this year has been robbed of star factor by the withdrawal of up and coming superstars The Autumn Sun and Thinkin’ Big. How mouth-watering would a clash with Winx have been. A race for the ages.

Unfortunately, both connections have opted for easier routes. The Autumn Sun going to the paddock until next year’s carnivals and Thinkin’ Big opting for the VRC Derby where he is not expected to meet anything near his class. A great pity.

The value of these horse is enormous. Arrowfield Stud purchased 50% controlling share of The Autumn Sun, prior to him winning the Caulfield Guineas, which valued him at around $30M. His value now, after decimating the Guineas field, is beyond imagination. By Redoute’s Choice from a Galileo mare, The Autumn Sun has an exciting breeding career ahead at Arrowfield. Thinkin’ Big also has enormous stud value being by high class stallion High Chaparral from the well-related dam Nothin’ Leica Cat. Understandably, connections are rather protective of their horse’s reputations.

Racing fans can only dream of watching these star 3YO colts racing into the final stretch at the Valley with champion Winx on their heels. As Winx draws closer, with Bowman about to flick the switch, the thunderous noise of the crowd would likely be heard across the country.

Would she get there? Would the The Autumn Sun’s unlimited reserves of stamina hold him in good stead down the straight. Would Thinkin’ Big, with memories of the great dual Melbourne Cup winner Think Big in our hearts, summon all his undoubted class to draw on level terms. But Winx hasn’t shifted into overdrive yet, that mysterious gear she has that we saw put the Turnbull field away in an instant. Her 170 strides per minute (spm), which, although short in length, far exceeds the average cadence of Group One performers. Will she unleash this phenomenal finishing class of only true greats before her; Sunline, Surround, Octagonal, have shown to us mere mortals. Sadly, such are the dreams that will never see the light of day.

Like every year, we will tune in, watch, savour and enjoy her fourth consecutive win in Australia’s true championship race, but all the while, knowing that this year we missed an opportunity to see horse racing at it’s most epic, like no other.

Australian punters are clamoring to find the best odds for Winx in what should be a guaranteed result. Her current price is around the $1.22 mark however some bookmakers are offering more attractive odds in order to increase their betting volumes. There are Free Bookmaker Bets on offer for the punters. Bookmaker Free Bets are a good way to maximise returns on short-priced favourites.

Such odds are minuscule for small punters and perhaps only the serious gamblers who invest thousands of dollars would be interested in betting on Winx. To them, a twenty two percent profit is a good investment. In the Turnbull Stakes, one punter placed a $170,000 bet on Winx, taking home a healthy $27,200 profit.

Always remember to gamble responsibly. Despite the odds on offer, remember that these are horses, living and breathing, and subject to illness, bad luck and jockey error. That’s just what makes betting on horses more fun and thrilling.

Second favourite for the Cox Plate is Godolphin raider Benbatl who bravely held off stablemate Blare House in the Caulfield Stakes on Guineas Day. Humidor, the only other Cox Plate contender under 20-1, plugged away into third place in that race. Remember the super effort of Humidor in last year’s Cox Plate when he chased down the great mare and only missed by less than half a length? His form this season doesn’t appear strong enough.

Godolphin trainers Saeed bin Suroor and James Cummings are “happy to compete” against the great mare with Benbatl and Avilius, respectively. Both have an uncanny knack of getting their horses at their peak for the feature races and must be treated with respect.

Category: Racing, Uncategorized