Super mare Winx not only leaves her rivals in her wake, she also leaves them feeling flat.
Trainer Chris Waller has seen first hand what the champion mare can do to her rivals.
He says it can take horses weeks to get over races when pitted against Winx who has strung together 21 consecutive wins.
“The best example was last year,” Waller said.
“We had two really good colts in Press Statement and Kermadec. They were good Group One horses in the peak of their careers.
“It was the George Ryder Stakes and they ran second and third behind Winx.
“They ran good races and gave her a challenge, but they were buggered for a week.
“Pat Webster with Happy Clapper said he knew he’d had a race (George Main) but fortunately he bounced back to win the Epsom.”
The Waller-trained Group One winner Foxplay was another to feel the effects of getting run down by the champion who lives in the next door stall.
Foxplay almost caused an upset when Winx grabbed her in the final few strides when the two mares met first-up in the Warwick Stakes first-up in August.
It was another four weeks before Foxplay made it back to the races.
“For the first week after the run she left a bit of feed at night,” Waller said.
“She didn’t lighten up because you’re not working them as hard.
“She did very light work for two weeks which meant she maintained her weight but she couldn’t have raced for at least three weeks.
“She was ready to race three weeks later but she had top weight against the boys so we decided to wait four weeks which was good.
“It definitely took it out of her.”
Foxplay has had two runs since, finishing third to Winx in the George Main Stakes and then fourth in the Epsom Handicap.
Waller said she came out of those races in much better condition.
Foxplay has made her way to Melbourne and runs on Saturday in the Group Two Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield as a lead-in to the Group One Myer Stakes at Flemington on November 4.
“She’s travelled down well so we’re hoping she can get back on the board,” Waller said.
