The first Group 1 race of the new season is set to be run and won this Saturday at Randwick when a share in $1 million goes on the line in the Winx Stakes.
Now in its seventh year, the race named in honour of the mighty mare has attracted a quality field of proven Group 1 performers, starting with Fangirl and working down to the likes of Zougotcha and Riff Rocket.
Key Spring Carnival lead up races like the Silver Shadow Stakes and the Toy Show Quality are also set across the 10-race program, and you can find our best bets below!
Well Timed is a talented wet-tracker that only needs to improve slightly on his first-up effort to feature in the money.
The four-year-old son of Nicconi was across heels approaching the 200m mark, eventually bursting clear to finish a length second to Saturday’s rival Bundeena, who he meets better off at the weights.
Nash Rawiller remains in the irons and has a slightly awkward draw to contend with, but with likeable form around Ruby Flyer during the autumn, he should be tough to hold out again over further.
Kureder finds it tough to win but does warrant respect over his preferred trip again.
Chris Waller had this boy revved up off a three-week break over the track and distance earlier in the month, a race that saw him finish a distant second to Awesome Wonder after stoking up out of the turn off a midfield sit under James McDonald.
The pair combine again here from an identical gate and are likely to find the wet conditions suitable.
If he can be kept under wraps approaching the 200m mark this time, he should be up to running another nice race in a similar contest.
Don’t Call Me Honey likes the sting out of the track, as we saw first-up when he was unlucky not to run a place over 100m shorter.
Cameron Crockett’s lightly-raced gelding was squeezed late between a pair of runners along the inside before fighting hard to the line, beaten just over a length in the end by the fast-finishing Sir Freddie.
His form last time in work makes for pleasant reading, highlighted by a handy win in similar conditions second-up at Coonamble.
Fitter now and proving that he’s capable of racing at Saturday level, he just needs the right run from wider out to be a serious chance.
West Of Africa is going great guns for Annabel Neasham and company, and there’s no reason he can’t go on and win again.
The son of Not A Single Doubt put paid to his rivals by two lengths here over the mile a fortnight ago, winding up with a big run down the outside to draw clear with plenty left to give.
He’s shooting for his hat-trick now and should find similar conditions to suit, providing he handles the extra 3kg from the inside gate.
All eyes on the French import Eliyass on return from a good break of about two and a half months.
The last we saw of this talented six-year-old was here at Randwick on a very wet day in June where he came and won the Lord Mayor’s Cup in a gallop under Tim Clark.
The form from that has stacked up with Williamsburg going on to win his next start, and with two soft trials leading in, it’s hard to see him being troubled by the 2000m trip with some cut in the track.
With an eye towards the Cups later in the spring, this looks an ideal Melbourne Cup launchpad.
Manaal is first-up off a break looking to add to a resume that includes a win in the Inglis Sires’ during the autumn.
The filly by Tassort looked in superb order during a recent Warwick Farm trial a couple of weeks ago, letting down nicely down the outside for a soft win on the line that suggested there’s plenty in the tank.
She’s a proven performer first-up that handles all going, and also has the likeable form around Broadsiding from her last run in the Champagne Stakes here on a bottomless track in April.
As the market suggests, her best makes her very hard to beat.
Fascinating Group 3 with a few key chances, but I find it difficult to fault the form Joliestar has produced over the last calendar year.
She’s still only lightly-raced for a four-year-old, but her resume includes a win in last year’s Thousand Guineas, before returning to claim the Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint in her only start of the autumn.
Chris Waller’s mare is armed with late speed under the hood, which we saw on full display when she nearly reeled in Winning Proposal from a long way back during a recent Rosehill barrier trial.
Two of her three wins have come fresh, she gets in carrying 54kg, and is the deserving favourite in my eyes with bigger races ahead.
Tricky race in my opinions with most of the field returning from a spell and a few wanting further.
Semana has gone up double figures, but she’s the one I want to be with coming off another game run for second to Bella Nipotina in the Tatt’s Tiara at Eagle Farm only a couple of months earlier.
The Winning Rupert mare charged home down the outside and worked through her gears nicely, a similar effort to the one she put forth to finish third to Zougotcha in the Queen Of The Turf during the autumn.
Like others, her recent trial win caught the eye and she should give a real nice sight up on the speed.
The Black Cloud arrives back in Sydney off a good break of two months in time for the spring.
Joe Pride’s mare really stamped herself as one to watch when winning first-up at Randwick during the autumn, before wrapping up her prep a clear winner down the straight Flemington where she put away some smart horses in the process.
Opal Ridge is one I’m keen to have an each-way wager on in the same race.
The Rubick mare failed to fire a shot in two starts up in Brisbane, but she did have excuses out wide in the Moreton Cup before being held up approaching the straight in the Tatt’s Tiara.
She typically flies fresh and goes well over this trip, while a soft track will be right up her alley.
Spring Lee presents fitter second-up for Bjorn Baker.
The mare by Zoustar was held up and struggled to find a run over the closing stages fresh at Rosehill a fortnight ago, but I thought she showed plenty through the line to finish runner-up.
Her form at this stage of her prep speaks for itself and she’s always presented as a horse that could go on and win a race at Group level sometime soon.
If she gets across early from the wide gate and lands off the speed, Mark Zahra should find himself with plenty to work with in the finish.