Winx the undoubted star of the autum
While the Sydney autumn carnival was the stepping stone to greatness for Winx, her trainer Chris Waller admits to a couple of disappointments.
Waller was the leading trainer with four Group One wins, three courtesy of the Cox Plate winner.
Her Doncaster Mile victory impressed the international handicappers enough for them to rate her the equal of Dubai World Cup winner California Chrome in the latest rankings.
But by his own high standards, Waller’s autumn was good but not great.
“We had a good carnival and Winx was obviously the star of the show,” Waller said.
“And for Preferment to win the BMW was special because it was a race we haven’t won before.
“But the Sydney Cup would have been nice. It was disappointing not to win that race.”
The Sydney Cup went to the Lloyd Williams-owned Robert Hickmott-trained Gallante with Waller’s three runners filling the next three positions.
The jury is also out on a couple of Waller’s other spring stars, Kermadec and Press Statement, who came up short of a Group One win.
Kermadec’s best was second to Winx in the George Ryder Stakes while Press Statement was upset by the Kris Lees-trained Le Romain in the Randwick Guineas.
Lees also produced Lucia Valentina in tip-top order to win Sydney’s richest race, the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Winx’s rider Hugh Bowman continued the form which has made him the country’s leading Group One jockey with Sofia Rosa’s win in the Australian Oaks adding to his four for the Waller stable.
And while Bowman is an old hand at Group One racing, 22-year-old Sam Clipperton is just beginning.
Clipperton opened his account with victory in the Coolmore Classic on Peeping for his old boss Ron Quinton and consolidated it with his win in the All Aged Stakes on the Gai Waterhouse-trained English.
And while there were great highs for many, Kathy O’Hara’s win on the Vinery Stud Stakes on Single Gaze was tempered by her fall from the filly in the Australian Oaks.
O’Hara remains in hospital after undergoing surgery for an injury which hampered her breathing and is expected to be out of action for three months.
Away from the Group One racing, the Country and Provincial Championships series gathered strength with the Greg Bennett-trained Clearly Innocent winning the country final and Lees taking the provincial prize with Danish Twist.