Source: Michael Manley, Sunday Herald Sun //

TRAINER Chris Waller has given the strongest indication yet that champion mare Winx could head overseas this year to target feature races at Royal Ascot.

Speaking to RSN 927’s Matt Stewart on Saturday morning, Waller outlined the hurdles Winx had to jump before they committed to the long haul trip across the globe.

“If she wins the George Ryder by three lengths, and the Queen Elizabeth by two lengths she’ll be on the plane,” Waller said. “She will go if she’s 100 per cent.”

The six-year-old has won 22 consecutive races with her last-start being the 2017 Cox Plate in which she completed a famous hat-trick of victories in Australia’s premier weight-for-age race.

Winx is warming up nicely for her return to racing next month.
Waller is delighted with how his star mare has returned to the stable in recent weeks.

“She had a gallop this morning and I came back [from the Gold Coast] to watch it specifically, so I was pretty happy with the way she worked,” he said.

“She’ll have two more gallops and then trial in nine days’ time”

Winx will return to racing in the Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on February 17.