Undefeated Winx goes for season-ending glory in Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick

Winx will make her season farewell on the second day of The Championships as the world’s highest-rated turf horse and equal first Longines World best horse bids for her 17th consecutive win.

Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day is the second day of the grand finals of Australian racing, featuring four Group 1 races including the headlining race, the $4million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes. As one of the richest races in the world it inevitably brings together a class field of runners from right around the globe, and although another strong field is in prospect for this year’s renewal, Winx is the one they will have to beat.

Two of Winx’s last three races were over a distance of seven furlongs, but she steps up to a trip of a mile and a quarter for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes – a distance she last raced over when running away with the Cox Plate by eight lengths from Hartnell.

A bid for a third Cox Plate will follow in the spring before there are strong indications from connections of the possibility of a European campaign in 2018.

“She’s already had three races this preparation but this is the race we’ve been building towards basically since she won the Cox Plate in the spring,” said trainer Chris Waller.

Winx’s eight rivals are headed by Godolphin’s Hartnell, who will be ridden by James Doyle and will be out for some sort of redemption from that Cox Plate defeat.

Trainer John O’Shea said: “We’re very happy, he’s been set for one race and he really looks to be coming to a nice peak.”

There are also a further three Group 1 races on the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day undercard, with the Australian Oaks, Legacy Stakes and Schweppes Sydney Cup. The latter will see Godolphin run three horses, including the Charlie Appleby-trained pair Polarisation and Penglai Pavilion.

Appleby’s assistant trainer James Ferguson said: “Polarisation isn’t an unknown, but there’s improvement in him and if he gets a clear run I think he’ll go really well.

“The boy who rides Penglai Pavilion every day says he’s the best he’s felt in a long time.”

Swiss watch brand Longines has the honour to lend its name to the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes, as well as being the Official Timekeeper and Watch of the Royal Randwick racecourse and the Australian Turf Club.