Winx heading out onto the track on Tuesday morning (Image: Karl Kaldawi)
The world's greatest racehorse, Winx, enjoyed a dress rehearsal of sorts at The Valley on Tuesday morning when she went through the routine she must replicate in four days to achieve history.
The wonder mare, who is aiming at Cox Plate No. 4 and consecutive win No. 29 on Saturday, came onto the course for Breakfast with the Best shortly before 6:30am and her rider Hugh Bowman took her to the top of the straight, where the Cox Plate will begin late on Saturday afternoon.
She then trotted up the straight to the delight of hundreds of her fans that rose early to see her before starting a canter at around the 1200-metre mark that stretched into three-quarter pace. Bowman asked her for a slight increase in tempo on the turn and she flattened out nicely to the line.
Her performance was one of two things that Waller wanted to see on Tuesday morning. The other came a few minutes later when Bowman trotted her back.
"Hughie gave me that customary smile and that's always good to see," he said.
"She looks perfect to my eye. I haven't been able to fault any part of her preparation. I wouldn't have changed anything."