Nominations for the Winx Stakes closed on Monday morning, with 15 horses entered for the first Group 1 of the 2022/23 Australia racing season.
The $750,000 feature will be contested over 1400m on August 20 at Royal Randwick under weight-for-age conditions.
Of the 15 nominations, there are nine individual Group 1 winners, including the headline act, Anamoe.
The four-year-old will start favourite with online bookmakers as he looks to bring up a ninth career victory and take his prizemoney beyond $5 million.
Anamoe is one of two James Cummings-trained gallopers nominated for the race, with Cascadian likely to take his place following two brilliant trials at Warwick Farm over the past month.
The eight-year-old gelding was last seen winning the Group 1 All Aged Stakes at this track and distance in April, so Cummings and Godolphin will be going into the Winx with plenty of confidence.
While James Cummings only has two horses nominated, brother Edward plans on starting the current Melbourne Cup favourite’s spring campaign in the Winx Stakes.
Duais already has three Group 1 victories to her name, all coming at 2000m or beyond, so while the 1400m assignment first-up will be short of her best, plenty of eyes will be on her late.
Although runners like Stockman, Zeyrek and Benaud are also unlikely to feature over the seven furlongs, those three horses hold nominations for the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup, so they too will be doing their best work late.
Mo’unga is looking to join the likes of Lonhro, Pinwheel and Winx to have won this race more than once, with the Annabel Neasham-trained entire aiming to go back-to-back after a narrow victory 12 months ago.
Chris Waller has won this race six times, and he will be trying to add another when two of his star fillies of the autumn resume.
Fangirl and Hinged will be trying to take next step as mares when they step out on Saturday ahead of races like the Epsom Handicap and Empire Rose Stakes later in the spring.
John Hawkes hasn’t won the Winx Stakes since Lonhro claimed it for the second time in 2003 (then the Warwick Stakes), and he – along with sons Michael and Wayne – will be hoping that either their stayer Zeyrek can cause an upset, or four-year-old Hilal can find his best form following a disappointing run first-up in the Missile Stakes.
Following a winless autumn, Group 1-winning entire Profondo has been nominated, with Richard Litt hopeful that his son of Deep Impact can return to form.
Also coming off a winless autumn was consistent mare Icebath.
The Brad Widdup-trained six-year-old finished third in both the Doncaster Handicap and Queen Of The Turf, with a maiden Group 1 victory still evading the daughter of Sacred Falls.
Beating Icebath in the Queen Of The Turf at this track over the mile in April was Nimalee.
Both Nimalee and Forbidden Love were disappointing first-up in the Missile Stakes behind $101 chance Hard Empire, so connections will be hoping their Group 1 winners can return to their best ahead of big spring campaigns.
Rounding out the list of nominations is Kris Lees’ seven-year-old Special Reward.
Although not a Group 1 winner, the son of Demerit heads into the race with solid second-up form following a pleasing-enough effort in the Missile a fortnight ago.
Acceptances for the Winx Stakes program at Royal Randwick will be completed by 9am AEST on Wednesday, August 17.
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