Winx all set to capture a third HOTY title

Winx is assured of her third successive Horse of the Year title ahead of her Turnbull Stakes bid.

Champion Winx is set to claim a third Australian Horse of the Year title when it is announced in the lead-up to her next start in the Turnbull Stakes.

The finalists in the seven categories have been announced for the awards which will be revealed in Melbourne next Thursday.

Winx, who arrived in Melbourne from Sydney earlier in this week, is expected to run in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October 6 ahead of her bid for an unprecedented fourth Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.

The champion, unbeaten in her past 27 starts, raced on eight occasions during the 2017-18 season.

Winx will join unbeaten Black Caviar and Sunline as a three-time winner of the top award which Makybe Diva and Might And Power won twice.

Performances on Australian racetracks are taken into account for voting.

Below is a list of finalists in each category (with trainer) while the Australian Horse of the Year is awarded from all finalists

* Champion Two-Year-Old – Estijaab (Hawkes Racing), Oohood (Tony McEvoy), Seabrook (Mick Price), Sunlight (Tony McEvoy), Written By (Grahame Begg)

* Champion Three-Year-Old Filly – Alizee (James Cummings), She Will Reign (Gary Portelli), Shoals (Anthony Freedman), Unforgotten (Chris Waller), Youngstar (Chris Waller)

* Champion Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding – Ace High (David Payne), Kementari (James Cummings), Levendi (Peter Gelagotis), Merchant Navy (Aaron Purcell), Trapeze Artist (Gerald Ryan)

* Champion Sprinter – Redkirk Warrior (Lindsay Park), Redzel (Peter & Paul Snowden), Santa Ana Lane (Anthony Freedman), Trapeze Artist (Gerald Ryan), Vega Magic (Lindsay Park)

* Champion Middle Distance – Gailo Chop (Darren Weir), Happy Clapper (Pat Webster), Humidor (Darren Weir), Tosen Stardom (Darren Weir), Winx (Chris Waller)

* Champion Stayer – Ace High (David Payne), Almandin (Liam Howley), Johannes Vermeer (Aidan O’Brien), Rekindling (Joesph O’Brien), Who Shot Thebarman (Chris Waller)

* Champion Jumper – Cougar Express (Jarrod McLean), Gold Medals (Symon Wilde), Self Sense (David Brideoake), Wells (Kathryn Durden), Zed Em (Patrick Payne)

* Chris Waller will be awarded the Bart Cummings Award for securing most Group One wins for the season with Hugh Bowman awarded the equivalent for jockeys