Racegoers at Randwick on Saturday witnessed a host of impressive displays headlined by Winx in the Colgate Optic White Stakes.
Randwick’s nine race program boasted six stakes events and the results highlight how the addition of next month’s Everest Day meeting is breathing new life into the Sydney Spring Carnival.
The Colgate Optic White Stakes (1600m) was Randwick’s feature event where Winx stretched her winning sequence to 20.
Settled worse than midfield behind a solid tempo, there were again nervous moments for Winx’s legion of fans as she was urged along at the top of the straight.
Her acceleration once balanced up was impressive and a 1.3 length win ensued over Happy Clapper with a further 4.5 lengths back to Foxplay in third.
2️⃣0️⃣ in a row for the wonder mare!
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 16, 2017
WINX continues her remarkable win streak in the G1 George Main Stakes at #Randwick!#GoWinx pic.twitter.com/UKegN4sLUh
Winx continues to re-write the record books with her 20th straight win seeing the champion mare become the first horse to claim consecutive renewals of the George Main Stakes since Kingston Town in 1981/82.
Her display returned a Timeform rating of 123, a pound clear of her 2016 Colgate Optic White Stakes victory and her best run so far this campaign by five pounds.
Twelve months ago, Winx ventured to Melbourne for the Caulfield Stakes three weeks after winning her first Colgate Optic White Stakes.
While this is the likely scenario again, the revamped $500,000 Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m) at Randwick on October 14 under Weight For Age conditions at least provides connections with another option for her next start.
It will be four weeks until Winx again graces us with her presence under race conditions.
In the meantime, Colgate Optic White Stakes runner up Happy Clapper will take a power of beating in the Epsom Handicap (1600m).
After winning the Tramway Handicap first up with an effort assessed at 122, Happy Clapper has improved by two pounds in finishing second behind Winx.
124 sits above the five year winning average of the Epsom Handicap.
Uncanny about Happy Clapper this spring is how he’s followed the same path as 2016 Epsom winner Hauraki to a T.
The Pat Webster-trained gelding resumed by winning the Tramway Handicap by three quarters of a length as did Hauraki before he finished second to Winx in the Colgate Optic White.
On Saturday, Happy Clapper was even beaten by the exact same margin.
A further four Group races were conducted at Randwick on Saturday including the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m).
The nine horse field included six Group 1 performed sprinters and it was the ultra consistent Redzel who can boast claiming such a strong renewal of the event.
Prominent throughout, Redzel produced a Timeform rating of 124, a new master figure for the son of Snitzel.
Look out #TheEverest!
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 16, 2017
Redzel does it again, breaking the track record in the G2 Shorts at #Randwick! pic.twitter.com/GXy00niMMA
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained gelding can now boast being the highest rated winner of The Shorts, surpassing equal holders of that title in Terravista (122+, 2011) and Moss Rocket (122, 1995).
Last Saturday’s renewal of The Shorts was arguably the strongest line up the race has ever attracted with six runners having measured up at Group 1 level.
It is no coincidence at least four of them (Redzel, English, Fell Swoop and Chautauqua) are bound for The Everest at the track in four weeks time.
Libran led in a Chris Waller First Four when winning the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).
The UK import’s display returned a Timeform rating of 116, the best we’ve seen from Libran since Autumn 2016 where he won the Group 3 Manion Cup (2400m), the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) and ran second as favourite in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
Encouraging about his Kingston Town Stakes win is the fact Libran produced it running three pounds shy of his best achieved during that autumn 2016 campaign.
Libran charges through the pack for a convincing win in the G3 Kingston Town Stakes at #Randwick! pic.twitter.com/AfG6CUEGhf
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 16, 2017
The Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick in a fortnight is next for Libran and Chris Waller seemingly has the race in his keeping looking at the stable’s first four in the Kingston Town Stakes.
Libran is their firm tracker, runner up Antonio Giuseppe is their soft tracker, Life Less Ordinary will be the lightweight hope while the old boy Who Shot Thebarman is simply as honest as they come.
Following The Metropolitan, Waller will be able to separate his glut of quality stayers with greater ease courtesy of Everest Day.
While the program’s focus is obviously the $10millon sprint feature, the revamped St Leger Stakes (2600m) now worth $500,000 gives stables another option with their stayers.
The Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) provided a pair of potential lightweight Epsom hopes in the form of Comin’ Through and Tom Melbourne.
Comin’ Through won the event with a performance assessed at 110 while Tom Melbourne ran to a Timeform rating of 116 giving Comin’ Through 4kg and only being defeated narrowly.
The winner Comin’ Through will carry just 50.5kg in the Epsom Handicap and can continue the strong record four-year-olds have in the event.
Comin' Through digs deep for a tough win the G3 Bill Ritchie Handicap at #Randwick! Tom Melbourne second again... pic.twitter.com/RK9Eu7C7MU
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 16, 2017
During the past two decades, 14 of the last 20 Epsom’s have been claimed by this age group.
The last horse to claim the Bill Ritchie Handicap – Epsom Handicap double was Boban in 2011, trained by Chris Waller.
Tom Melbourne will meet Comin’ Through 3kg better at the weights in the Epsom Handicap for just a slender defeat, he also meets Happy Clapper 3kg better at the weights for running second to him in the Tramway.
Age is however against Tom Melbourne with the last six-year-old winner of the Epsom being Final Fantasy in 2001.
Alizee rounds out the stakes winners through George Main Stakes Day having taken out the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m).
Awarded a Timeform rating of 112, the daughter of Sepoy gets her chance to build on the run contesting the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in two weeks time.
The Tea Rose Stakes – Flight Stakes double has been achieved 14 times in the past with the last to achieve it First Seal who beat Winx on both occasions.
Alizee closes off strongly and rounds up Champagne Cuddles to win the G2 Tea Rose Stakes at #Randwick! pic.twitter.com/qQaCzNgky6
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 16, 2017
