Winx has made her first public appearance ahead of the spring carnival, cruising around Randwick in a barrier trial.
The champion mare ran fourth behind Ramornie Handicap winner Smart Volatility with Hugh Bowman clicking her up in the final 100 metres after giving her an easy time throughout.
“I was happy with her,” Bowman said.
“She wasn’t out to do a whole lot this morning. She went through her paces and first public appearance for the preparation and I was pleased with how she felt.
“She’s certainly strengthened up physically, but as far as attitude and action go, (she’s) very similar and it seems as though that engine’s still there.”
Bowman has ridden Winx to all her six Group One victories including the 2015 Cox Plate and this year’s Doncaster Mile.
Her trainer Chris Waller wants to keep her in Sydney for three runs leading up to her defence of the Cox Plate in October.
“I think because she’s based here we see it as a responsibility that she does quite a bit of her racing here,” he said.
“We’ve planned three races for Sydney, the Warwick Stakes, Chelmsford and George Main.
“Any of those races could change.
“There’s so many options through the spring but that’s our preferred option and then she’ll head down to Melbourne after that to have one run – probably the Caulfield Stakes before the Cox Plate.”
While Bowman didn’t ask too much of Winx, he worked a little harder on her Gai Waterhouse-trained younger brother El Divino who pushed Golden Slipper winner Capitalist to the line in their heat.
Capitalist won by a head under Kerrin McEvoy who rides the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt at 51.5kg in Saturday week’s Missile Stakes.
