Winx Stakes Tips & Preview 2023

Looking for Winx Stakes tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2023 Winx Stakes at Randwick.

WINX STAKES BETTING SNAPSHOT

A quality field of 16 gallopers are set to line up in the first Group 1 of the season, the Winx Stakes. A familiar name heads the top of the betting at BoomBet in the form of Zaaki, who has been installed as a $4.10 favourite after the barrier draw, just ahead of Fangirl at $4.40. 

They are the only two contenders in single figures. The first emergency, King Colorado, will be out to sneak into the field and is at $10.40, while Mo’Unga and Think It Over are at $10.60. Golden Mile is a $10.80 shot. Osipenko ($11.80),Princess Grace ($13),  Lindermann ($14.20) and Hinged ($14.80) head the rest. 

WINX STAKES FORM ANALYSIS

16 of the 19 runners will be resuming and it might pay to delve into the first up form in a bit of depth. Golden Mile, King Colorado and the Group 1 winning mare, Duais, are the only contenders that have had a run this preparation. You could just about count Golden Mile out of that after he was pulled up following some severe interference in the Missile Stakes (1200m) a fortnight ago when resuming. 

Zaaki flies fresh and has gone more than 11 lengths faster than standard when first up at his past two campaigns, claiming the Tramway Stakes (1400m) a year ago, before finishing runner-up behind Giga Kick in the All Aged Stakes earlier this year. Both of those were at the track and trip. 

The other major hope in the market, Fangirl, has placed at her past two fresh runs. One was in this race last year when filling the exacta behind Anamoe, while she was 3rd behind that horse earlier this year in the Apollo Stakes (1400m). She went four and six lengths faster than standard in those runs. 

Others with notable first up stats are Think It Over, Going Global and Princess Grace. Think It Over has gone more than nine lengths faster than standard benchmark at his past two campaigns, which have also been at the track and trip. He has not been seen since claiming the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in the autumn of 2022 but trialled well behind Mo’unga a fortnight ago. 

Going Global is a Chris Waller import that has won five of eight first up runs but failed in her only start in Australia with that coming in the Doncaster Mile (1600m) earlier this year. Princess Grace has won two of four first up runs and is another Waller import. She ran on for 3rd behind Zapateo at Group 2 level at her first run in Australia before taking out the Hawkesbury Crown (1300m). 

Waller has eight contenders in the race, including the accomplished Montefilia, as well as a couple of new season four-year-olds in Osipenko and Lindermann. I suspect that trio might need it longer. Hinged is another from the stable and split Anamoe and Fangirl in the Apollo Stakes earlier this year, finishing runner-up. 

King Colorado is the only three-year-old in the race and has had the three career starts, taking out the JJ Atkins Stakes (1600m) at Brisbane back in June. The Maher/Eustace colt is likely to need to produce a big p.b but has trialled well and will carry just 50.5kg should he sneak into the field. 

WINX STAKES TIPS AND BEST BETS

This does look to be a bit of a raffle but plenty points to Zaaki. The Anabel Neasham-trained galloper just needs to produce as an eight-year-old but we can take confidence out of his recent trial behind Shinzo. While he was disappointing at his most recent start when 7th as a $2.15 shot in the Doomben Cup, it is worth noting that his best figures at his past two preparations have come while fresh over the 1400m. Jamie Kah makes her return to racing after a nasty fall at Flemington earlier in the year and the pair draw barrier 8. Monitor betting moves for Think It Over. Nash Rawiler rides and has had 14 rides for the stable, winning on six occasions, providing an 86% profit on turnover for punters. 

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