Aloisia set ‘daunting’ task in WFA Apollo

Aloisia will take on Winx for the first time when they start autumn campaigns in the Apollo Stakes.

They train Winx’s unraced baby sister Courchevel, but family links will mean little at Randwick on Saturday when Ciaron Maher and David Eustace saddle up Aloisia against the champion.

Eustace can’t recall the stable having had a runner against Winx before and has mixed feelings about Aloisia becoming the first when she resumes in the Group Two Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.

“Exciting might be the wrong word. Daunting is probably closer to the mark,” Eustace said.

“And I don’t think I’d really want to be there if we were to beat Winx because I don’t think we’d be very popular.

“But that is highly unlikely.”

While two-year-old Snitzel filly Courcehevel is yet to kick off her career, half-sister Winx is approaching the twilight of hers and is expected to retire at the end of the Sydney autumn carnival.

Winx will have seven rivals the Apollo Stakes, five of them barn mates from the Chris Waller stable.

Only Aloisia and the Pat Webster-trained Happy Clapper hail from outside yards.

While Eustace is resigned to Aloisia finishing in Winx’s wake, he says the Apollo is a perfect starting point for the Group One winner, who has been freshened since finishing second to Sky Boy in the Villiers Stakes in December.

“She had 10 days in the paddock and then prepped up down at the beach at Balnarring,” Eustace said.

“She’s had an official trial in Sydney, trialled nicely and we think she’s in good nick.”

The Group One Coolmore Classic at Rosehill on March 16 will be the immediate goal for Aloisia, who will be ridden by Tim Clark.

Winx opened at $1.10 for the Apollo Stakes but quickly firmed to $1.08 after one TAB punter outlaid $150,000 on her to land her 30th win in succession.

Grand campaigner Happy Clapper, who is returning from a bleeding attack, is the only other horse at single figure odds at $9 with Aloisia a $26 chance.