Winx Stakes 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: The Winx Stakes has been a gun guide to the George Main Stakes trifecta in recent years

The Winx Stakes is a Group 1 race run in August during the early stages of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival at Royal Randwick Racecourse and was formerly known as the Group 2 Warwick Stakes up until its upgrade and name change in 2018.

The Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes, Group 3 Show County Quality and Group 3 Toy Show Quality are the key support races on the Winx Stakes Day card.

The weight-for-age feature is named in honour by the champion mare Winx who won the Warwick Stakes in 2016 and 2017 before making it a triple with her 2018 success.

Taking place over 1400m, the Winx Stakes is now also worth $500,000 in total prize money having had its stakes doubled in 2018.

Many runners resume racing in the Winx Stakes on their way to tougher assignments in the Spring like the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) both also held at Randwick. In 2016, 2017 and 2018 Winx did the Warwick Stakes – George Main Stakes double.

Earlier in 2015 Royal Descent won the Warwick Stakes first-up before subsequent seconds in the George Main and the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. She also ran second in the 2014 edition before seconds in the George Main and Epsom Handicap.

In 2020 trainer Chris Waller won the event for a record sixth time with his classy mare Verry Elleegant holding off her stablemate Star Of The Seas in a thrilling photo finish. Verry Elleegant went on to frank the Winx Stakes form winning a host of other Group 1 races including that season’s Caulfield Cup.

Verry Elleegant returned in 2021 for a title defence but had to settle for second behind Mo’unga in a race marred by the fatal fall of Brandenburg. 

The latest edition of the Winx Stakes took place on Saturday August 21, 2021 and saw Mo’unga fight off Verry Elleegant in a gutsy effort. 

Winx Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday August 21, 2021
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: Weight-for-age
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $500,000
• First Run: 1923

2021 Winx Stakes Results

• 1st: #11 Mo’unga
• 2nd: #12 Verry Elleegant
• 3rd: #13 She’s Ideel 

The 2021 Winx Stakes results saw Annabel Neasham’s resuming Rosehill Guineas champ Mo’unga ($11) enjoy a terrific first-up win for the spring as he fought off last year’s champion mare Verry Elleegant ($4.20). Sydney Cup fourth placegetter She’s Ideel ($11) was also eye-catching coming from last to third, while the event was marred by the late fall and subsequent euthanisation of Brandenburg. 

The full Winx Stakes 2021 Results and Finishing Order will be published below once the new Group 1 Sydney race is run and won on Saturday August 21, 2021.

Winx Stakes Betting

Betting on the Winx Stakes  is led by proven Sydney performers that race well first or second-up, have form around 1400m – 1600m and that have run well in similar or tougher company in recent campaigns.

Fit horses backing-up from a race like the Missile Stakes also run at Randwick Racecourse often feature high up the Winx Stakes odds, as do those that ran top three in the race the previous spring and have held their form over the past 12 months.

Looking for the Chris Waller runners in betting is also favourable as he has won the race six times most recently in 2020 running the quinella with Verry Elleegant (1st) and Star Of The Seas (2nd). Verry Elleegant returned to run second as the beaten favourite in 2021. 

2021 Winx Stakes Odds

The latest Winx Stakes 2021 betting odds on the runners in the one of the country’s newest Group 1 races, dominated by the now retired Winx from 2016-18, will be provided below once markets open the week of the race.

Formerly the Warwick Stakes, the new-look and upgraded Winx Stakes is named in honour of 2016-18 winner Winx. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

The Winx Stakes field attracts middle distance sprinters – milers, the majority of which are just kicking off or in the early stages of their spring campaigns.

If not resuming in the race, runners may come into the Winx Stakes field – formerly the Warwick Stakes field – via a race like Flemington’s Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington earlier in the month. In 2014 Tiger Tees completed the Aurie’s Star – Warwick Stakes double.

Another lead-up race into the race field held in Sydney is the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick a fortnight earlier. The last horse to complete the Missile Stakes – Warwick Stakes double was Pinwheel (2012).

Winx won the race from 2016-18 first-up so looking for resuming horses in the Winx Stakes field, especially those that won a Group 1 the campaign before during the autumn, is a good tip.

Mo’unga (2021) was the latest first-up Winx Stakes winner to claim the race fresh for the spring. 

2021 Winx Stakes Field

The official Winx Stakes 2021 final field and barrier draw is announced by Racing NSW on the Wednesday of race week with full acceptances to be listed below once released.

The 2021 Winx Stakes field features a star-studded line-up of 14 gallopers including last year’s champion mare Verry Elleegant back to defend her title and her All Aged Stakes winning stablemate Kolding with the fitness edge second-up.

2021 Winx Stakes Nominations

The Winx Stakes nominations for 2021 are taken on the Monday leading-up to the race and all the early entries will be announced right here.

The 2021 Winx Stakes nominations attracted 15 star spring hopefuls dominated by the race’s six-time winning trainer Chris Waller with five entries led by the defending champion Verry Elleegant.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Winx Stakes Tips

Good Winx Stakes tips including looking at past performers in the race that are still running well, horses with a nice Randwick race record and Group 1 runners heading into races like the George Main Stakes later in the spring.

With a recent upgrade to Group 1 status and boosted prize money, the Winx Stakes tips are likely to be dominated by proven Group 1 horses with strong form in similar class races from the autumn carnival earlier in the year or any horses finishing-up a winter prep chasing a shot at elite level success.

Chris Waller-trained mares have a gun recent record in the race so also make a good Winx Stakes betting tip if presenting in the right form and race fitness.

2021 Winx Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Winx Stakes 2021 tips and Group 1 Randwick racing selections will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the weight-for-age spring gallopers to back and sack.

• To Win: #12 Verry Elleegant ($2.90 at time of publish) 

This is an outstanding edition of the Winx Stakes, but hard to bet against the champion mare Verry Elleegant in her title defence. She’s drawn to win first-up in gate five with James McDonald aboard and has a solid record fresh. She’s a class mare and, although suited to a little further, if she jumps away well and gets the right run can salute over the 1400m here. 

Winx Stakes Form Guide

The Winx Stakes form guide features all the must-know information like the jockeys and trainers, barrier draw and lead-up runs of the horses in the field.

As many runners are kicking off their spring campaigns in the weight-for-age event, looking at the Winx Stakes form for first-up hopes with nice records when fresh is important. Royal Descent (2015) won first-up, improving on her second to Tiger Tees in 2014, before star stablemate Winx won the 2016, 2017 and 2018 editions fresh.

The Winx Stakes form, previously run as the Warwick Stakes, has held-up in tougher spring races plenty of times in recent years especially the George Main Stakes over the Randwick mile the next month.

2021 Winx Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Winx Stakes 2021 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Warwick Stakes / Winx Stakes Results

The Warwick Stakes results have been a mix of well-backed single-figure hopes and roughie hopes scoring the upset in the past decade with the last to salute at double-figures being shock 2019 winner Samadoubt ($41).

In recent times, there have been some notable winners of the Warwick Stakes include Chris Waller’s sixth winner Verry Elleegant (2020), her three-time champion Winx (2016-18) who the race is now named in honour of, Royal Descent (2015), Tiger Tees (2014), Pinwheel (2011-12), Metal Bender (2010) and Racing To Win (2008).

Winx Stakes / Warwick Stakes Winners