Winx Stakes 2020 betting tips, odds & form
The first Group 1 of the season arrives with the 1400m Winx Stakes kicking off the Spring Carnival at Randwick this weekend. The full field of 16 runners includes nine Group 1 winners alongside a number of place getters at the highest level. It’s a wide-open betting affair with Dreamforce, The Bostonian, Master Of Wine and Verry Elleegant heading the market.
With a number of stayers resuming, there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of speed in the race. Dreamforce and Quackerjack are the likely leaders, taking up the running from The Bostonian, Wolfe, Con Te Partiro and Flit.
Saturday racing tips for 2020 Winx Stakes
Master Of Wine @ $6.50 Sportsbet
In a race that seems nearly impossible to split, we have come up with a horse that many people are labelling as their pick of the spring. Interestingly, Master Of Wine is one of only four runners in the race to have never placed at Group 1 level. The Hawkes-trained son of Maxios strung together four wins last campaign before ending his autumn preparation with a brilliant fourth in the Queen Elizabeth. He’s never missed a drum when first up (5:2-2-1), likewise on soft going (4:1-2-1), which brings him right into this. He kicked off his autumn campaign with a win over 1400m in very similar conditions at Rosehill, which suggests he should be competitive over 1400m even though the distance is short of his best. Tommy Berry will land the gelding in a great spot from barrier 11, likely to be a few pairs back on the outside and making his run when it counts. He should hit the line strongly and improve next start again as he heads on a Caulfield Cup campaign.
Avilius @ $31 Sportsbet
One galloper that we believe is massive overs is Avilius, who is a three-time Group 1 winner and has to be considered as a $31 chance. The Godolphin gelding has won twice fresh in the past, and after two trials he should be ready to go first up. The only knock we have is that he has never won over 1400m, with the seven furlongs proving a tick too short for the son of Pivotal. He ran fourth in this race last year before going on to win another Group 1, so expect him to improve from this. He’s likely to settle towards the rear from barrier 13 and charge home late under Robbie Dolan. He gets perfect wet conditions here as he looks to add another Group 1 to his repertoire. Avilius must be included in your multiple bets and is worth a small each-way punt.
Brandenburg @ $23 Sportsbet
We’ll either walk away from Saturday with an Armaguard or with our tails between our legs, but another horse that we believe is a great chance at a huge price is four-year-old Brandenburg. The son of Burgundy won the Group 2 Hobartville over the 1400m in February when resuming on a soft track and has since been beaten under a length to run third in both the Group 1 Randwick Guineas and Doncaster Mile. He only has to reproduce any of those three runs to be ultra-competitive here for Rachel King. Drawn 12, King is likely to get the horse into a midfield position with cover and utilise his quick turn of foot to finish over the top of what looks to be a quickly run race. He’s had two trials leading up to this which have both been pleasing, so expect to see him run very well and make his claim on a race like the George Main or the Epsom Handicap.
Master Of Win – $50 win
Avilius – $10 each way
Brandenburg – $10 each way
2-3-7-11-12-15 boxed trifecta – $10 (8.3%)