Winx seeks to win George Ryder Stakes for fourth straight year

The historic career of the Australian supermare Winx is winding down in the next few weeks.

On Saturday, Winx, a winner of 31 consecutive races since May 2015, will start in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney. Following the George Ryder, Winx is scheduled to have her final start in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick on April 13.

Winx’s appearance in the $708,700 George Ryder Stakes will not require travel. Rosehill Gardens is trainer Chris Waller’s primary base.

Judging from her recent performances and the competition on Saturday, there is little reason to believe Winx can be beaten in the George Ryder, which has a post time of 12:05 a.m. Eastern. As of Wednesday, she was paying $2.14 in the Australian future-book pools for a $2 win bet.

Winx is part of a field of eight, following the withdrawal this week of the Waller-trained Egg Tart. The 6-year-old mare Prompt Response, third in the Group 1 Canterbury League Club Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on March 2, may be the second choice.

Winx, an 8-year-old mare by Street Cry, has won twice since returning from a break during the Australian summer, taking the Group 1 Apollo Stakes at seven furlongs by 1 3/4 lengths on Feb. 16 and the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes at a mile by 2 1/4 lengths on March 2.

None of the runners who finished behind Winx in those races are part of the Ryder field. The other runners on Saturday will start against Winx for the first time.

Winx has won the George Ryder three times, for the eighth win of her streak in 2016, the 16th in 2017, and the 24th last year. She was named Horse of the Year for those seasons.

Later on the card, Waller has the leading contender for the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes with Yes Yes Yes, the winner of the Group 2 Todman Stakes at Randwick on March 9. The $2,480,450 Golden Slipper is run at six furlongs for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds.