Turnbull confirmed target for Winx

Winx galloped the Melbourne way in Sydney on Thursday and on Friday her trainer Chris Waller confirmed a pre-Cox Plate run in Melbourne was the aim for the great mare as she strives for history at The Valley this spring.

The world's premier turf horse will run in the Group 1 Colgate Optic White at Randwick on September 15 and, given she comes through the race unscathed, is likely to then continue on her spring course of 2017 and again be aimed at the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington three weeks later before another three weeks into the Cox Plate.

Asked on RSN927's Racing Pulse about whether Winx would again run in the Turnbull Stakes, after winning the race by a breathtaking 6.5 lengths last year, Waller indicated that was the plan.

"I would say so but as I've said always, we are taking it one run at a time and concentrating on that and not getting too far ahead of ourselves but everything is looking pretty good at the moment," Waller said.

"The Caulfield Stakes is obviously a back-up plan if something - God forbid - went amiss holding her up.

"People say 'Why don't you just go to the Caulfield Stakes?' but if you go to the Caulfield Stakes and miss that run, you're on the back foot.

"I always like to keep a week spare if we need it so the Turnbull does look likely.

"We've got options in Sydney at the same time but there's always a risk in travelling horses so you'd like to get her down there a little bit early and that would be the reason for probably going for the Turnbull."

Even though Waller does not dare think too far ahead with Winx, he is already preparing her for that moment of truth at The Valley on October 27.

"She had a gallop yesterday, we went to the reverse way, getting her warmed up for Melbourne," Waller said.

"The track down the back straight as Rosehill is perfect at the moment so she galloped basically on carpet and stretched out well.

"She was really happy. She'll have a similar gallop same time next week before the race in about eight days' time."

Even though Winx won't be racing or trialling or galloping between races in Sydney this Saturday, Waller remains the hot focus as two more of his expected spring stars headline his stable's assault on the Rosehill meeting.

The unbeaten Redoute's Choice colt The Autumn Sun is first-up in the G2 Stan Fox Stakes over 1500m on his way to the $1 million G1 Golden Rose in two weeks before a shot at the $2m G1 Caulfield Guineas next month.

Waller said: "The horse is picture perfect. He's got a great attitude. He's very athletic and a good looking horse.

"He's won races - including a Group 1 race - before he was fully matured so that goes to show what type of ability he has.

"He's gradually getting into a more mature mould now and we're looking forward to the spring.

"We decided 1500 (metres first-up) instead of 1200 (of The Run To The Rose) because of the penalty he would have incurred for being a Group 1 winner.

"This race is set weights and even though it's a bit further than I would have liked, with an athletic horse that's clean-winded, you can get away with running them over a bit further first-up."

As for his immediate future and beyond: "I think he'll get as far as we want to get him.

"The owner is keen to win a Derby with him and I think we'll be looking towards the autumn to do that because I don't think he needs to step up to a 2500-metre Derby so early in his three-year-old life so I'd love to get him to the Caulfield Guineas and make a decision after that if we can."

Also stepping out for Waller on Saturday is Rosehill Guineas winner D'Argento, who races second-up in the G2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) on his way to a run in the G1 Epsom Handicap on September 29.

"He did win the Rosehill Guineas over 2000 (metres) but I don't have him down as a middle distance horse yet," Waller said. "I've got him as a sprinter-miler.

"The reason we chose this race is because I think he's one of our main chances in the Epsom. As a four-year-old that just has won one group 1 race, he'll still get in fairly at the weights so I needed to find a race to get him to the Epsom and this is the right race. Three weeks in."

Waller was also quizzed about Racing Victoria's decision to warn trainers against the use of altrenogest in the wake of positives to steroids.

Waller said that Winx had never used the substance that is designed to control a mares' cycle but did not want to comment further on the issue.