All’s well with Winx ahead of George Main

Winx will aim for her 20th consecutive win when she runs in the Group One George Main Stakes.

Far from being concerned Winx has had to fight for her two wins this campaign, trainer Chris Waller believes they have shown just how good she is.

In the Group Two Warwick Stakes, Winx had to chase down stablemate Foxplay to win and gave away many lengths to Red Excitement in the Chelmsford Stakes before catching him 50 metres out.

Those two will be among her opponents again in Saturday’s Group One George Main Stakes (1600m) as she aims for her 20th successive victory.

“She has come through her last start well and has put on three kilograms,” Waller said.

“We went through the sectional times and she can’t run much faster.

“I think she is as well if not better than last time. Her coat is coming through and she is as sound as you could dream of.”

Waller is also likely to run Mackintosh, Tom Melbourne and McCreery who races in the same colours as Winx.

The trainer withdrew Foxplay from Saturday’s Theo Marks Stakes because she was badly weighted and took some time to get over the Warwick Stakes.

“She was giving weight away and I didn’t want to flatten her twice,” he said.

“She was rated 112 which is a lot for a horse that has won one Group One.”

Winx has followed her usual routine since the Chelmsford Stakes and was given a gallop in the left-handed direction on Saturday in preparation for Melbourne.

But there has been no decision when she will head south and her attempt at a third Cox Plate could be her first run this campaign in the southern capital.

“Working the reverse way is not just because of going to Melbourne. It just mixes it up a bit,” Waller said.

“And the grass we work on down the back is not used so often.”

Winx may well go four weeks between runs after the George Main with the Craven Plate at Randwick and the Caulfield Stakes, both on October 14, her options two weeks out from the Cox Plate.

“We have planned her program to miss a race and it would likely be the Hill Stakes,” Waller said.

“Missing a race doesn’t concern me as much as over-racing her.”