There will only ever be one Winx (Street Cry), but Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) can go some way towards emulating her former stablemate when she chases back-to-back wins in the event named after the champion galloper.
Winx won the race three years in succession from 2016 to 2018 and Verry Elleegant can add her name to the honour roll for a second time with a victory at Randwick on Saturday.
The topline mare will be one of five runners for trainer Chris Waller along with Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park), Imaging (Oasis Heart), Hungry Heart (Frankel) and last year’s runner-up Star Of The Seas (NZ) (Ocean Park).
Verry Elleegant is a clear-cut $2.90 favourite and Waller sees no reason she won’t justify her quote from a handy draw in gate five.
“Last spring she came of age and raced as a mature horse and now she’s in that same mould, so we can go into the spring with some confidence,” Waller said.
“I think barrier five is perfect for her. She likes to have a bit of room, and it has cost her in a couple of races in the past, but ideally you’re saving a bit of ground on a good track.
“You don’t want to be three-wide and giving away an unfair advantage, so I’m happy with the draw.”
Regular jockey James Mcdonald will partner Verry Elleegant in the Winx Stakes (1400m), the first Group One race of the Sydney season.
She is likely to follow a similar path to 12 months ago and head to the George Main Stakes before connections decide whether to stay in Sydney for the Epsom Handicap day meeting, or travel to Melbourne and bid for successive Turnbull Stakes.
While Verry Elleegant has established herself as one of the country’s eminent gallopers, barn mate Hungry Heart faces an important career challenge.
Having proved herself against Sydney’s best three-year-old fillies with a brace of Group One victories in the autumn, she takes on older horses at weight-for-age for the first time at Randwick.
Hungry Heart was a $16 chance with TAB fixed odds on Thursday, with Kolding regarded as Waller’s second string runner at $5.
Imaging was a $21 chance with Star Of The Seas the outsider of his quintet at $26.
