This was published 7 years ago

Chipping Norton Stakes facts and figures

AAP

February 28, 2019 - 7.28am

CHIPPING NORTON STAKES

1600m, $600,000, weight-for-age

HISTORY

* First run in 1925 when won by Wallace Mortlake

NOTABLE WINNERS

* Phar Lap (1930), Bernborough (1946), Comic Court (1951), Delta (1952), Sky High (1962), Rain Lover (1969), Gay Icarus (1971), Emancipation (1984), Our Waverley Star (1987), Octagonal (1997), Lonhro (2003), Tuesday Joy (2009), Winx 2016 and 2017.

* Tie The Knot won the race four years in a row from 1999-2002.

TALKING POINTS

* The first Group One race of the Sydney autumn carnival

* Trainer Chris Waller is chasing his eighth win. Winx has won the past three . Waller's others winners: Danleigh (2011), Shoot Out (2012, 2013) and Boban (2014)

* If Winx wins she will claim a record 23rd Group One victory, one more than retired champion northern hemisphere jumper Hurricane Fly

* Winx bidding to stretch her winning streak to 31 races

* Winx can join Tie The Knot as a four-time winner of the Chipping Norton. Tie The Knot won from 1999 to 2002.

* Five of Winx's six rivals in the race will be stablemates, with the Pat Webster-trained Happy Clapper the only horse in the race from another stable

WHAT THE KEY PLAYERS ARE SAYING:

"Her fitness levels have improved and she is following similar trends to previous preparations where her coat is starting to come through and she is pleasing us in every possible way," - Trainer Chris Waller on champion Winx

"He came through the Apollo Stakes well and hopefully he can run second to Winx again. He can't beat her on what she showed in the Apollo," - Happy Clapper's trainer Pat Webster