Big believer: fearless punter set to cash in as Winx primed to make more history

Preview: Australia, Saturday (3.45am GMT, live on ATR)

Rosehill: George Ryder Stakes (Group 1) 7½f | turf | 3yo+

If you want to back Winx then you need to have deep pockets, but that has not deterred one punter from nailing their colours well and truly to her mast as the mighty mare seeks to set a new world record for Group/Grade 1 victories on the Flat.

Winx (Chris Waller/Hugh Bowman) is out to win a third consecutive George Ryder – one of five Group 1 events on a card highlighted by the world's richest two-year-old race, the Golden Slipper (5.10am GMT), worth A$3.5 million (£1.9m).

If Winx extends her overall winning streak to 24 in the George Ryder, she will also be claiming her 17th Group 1 victory, thereby eclipsing the world record of 16 Grade 1 wins established by US legend John Henry across five seasons in the early 1980s.

She will also net a punter A$11,400 (£6,239), which is not an insignificant amount of money, but it has required an outlay of A$114,000 (£62,397).

The bet is the biggest Australian firm TAB have taken on Winx during her career and she is long odds-on to deliver another win.

Firm spokesman Gerard Middleton said: "Winx faced something of a new challenge in the George Ryder last year when Chautauqua stepped up in distance and was no match.

"This year the boom colt Kementari will step into the ring, but the great mare seems to go to another level on wet tracks so we expect the big bets to continue."

Peak performance

Godolphin's Kementari (James Cummings/Brenton Avdulla) is the leading danger to end Winx's dominant winning streak, but connections of the all-conquering mare are expecting a big performance.

Trainer Chris Waller told the Sydney Morning Herald: "It was this race last year where she ran her peak rating and I would think everything points to her going just as well going into the race this year.

"She has had the perfect preparation and her gallop on Saturday was perfect. It is a worry going from 1600m to 1500m but she has done that before.

"I feel she is ready to run near a peak performance and she will have to against a pretty good field."

Winx's chances were given a further boost earlier in the week with regular partner Hugh Bowman given the all-clear to return to the saddle after suffering a concussion in a fall this month.

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