Mad Monday: Winx Stakes Day in review
For the Time Poor:
| How The Track Played | Off rails in run with lanes 5–10 in the straight ideal. |
| Steer of the Day | Alysha Collett – sectional masterclass aboard Nellie Laylax (R5). |
| Moment of the Day | Winx Stakes – Master (Via Sistina) vs Apprentice (Aeliana). |
| Tactics Questioned | Ceolwulf (R8) – blundered start, back in run, then taken very wide in straight. |
| Flashing Lights (Follow) | Ceolwulf (R8), Autumn Glow (R7), Within The Law (R7). |
| They Left It In The Bag | Saltcoats (R5), Corniche (R9). |
| What You May Have Missed | Star mares Commemorative & Sunshine In Paris retired to stud. |
| Social Media Sin Bin | Chris Waller – pre-meeting comments about the track before training the G1 quinella. |
| Forgive Runs | Corniche (R9 – slow recovery), Agarwood (R6 – issue?), Ceolwulf (R8 – wide run). |
This table provides a race-by-race snapshot of how each event at Randwick on Saturday was run and won. Using sectional time data benchmarked against historical standards, it delivers an easy-to-digest breakdown of early speed, late speed, and an overall race rating – giving you a clear picture of tempo and performance at a glance.
| Race | Winner | PIR @ 800m | Lane @ 800m | PIR @ 400m | Lane @ 400m | Early Speed | Late Speed | Overall Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Signor Tortoni | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | Even | Even | Fair |
| 2 | Neil | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | Even | Slow | Poor |
| 3 | Wuddzz | 9 | 1 | 7 | 10 | Slow | Even | Fair |
| 4 | Kerguelen | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 | Even | Even | Good |
| 5 | Nellie Laylax | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | V.Slow | Fast | Fair |
| 6 | Savvy Hallie | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | Even | Slow | Fair |
| 7 | Autumn Glow | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | Even | Even | Elite |
| 8 | Via Sistina | 8 | 1 | 8 | 10 | Slow | Fast | Good |
| 9 | Lazzura | 8 | 2 | 8 | 6 | Even | Even | Good |
| 10 | Glad You Think So | 5 | 2 | 4 | 10 | Slow | V.Fast | Fair |
How The Track Played?There was a clear advantage for runners travelling off the rails and into lanes 5–10 in the straight. Horses forced into lanes 12+ generally struggled to let down effectively. Extra merit should be given to those that covered the wider ground.
Steer of the Day – Alysha Collett on Nellie Laylax (R5)A sectional masterclass: positive early, controlled mid-race tempo, then lifted through the line to skip clear late. A ride that maximised Nellie Laylax’s strengths while making rivals chase in tough conditions.
Moment of the Day – Master vs ApprenticeThe Winx Stakes produced a stirring finish. Via Sistina (the master) edged Aeliana (the apprentice) by 0.36L. Via notched her 9th G1 in just 12 Australian starts, while Aeliana lost no admirers in her WFA debut. Both now head towards the Cox Plate.
Via Sistina goes back-to-back in The Winx Stakes 🔥🔥
— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) August 23, 2025
Tactics Questioned – Ceolwulf (R8)Chad Schofield came under scrutiny after Ceolwulf settled well back and was forced wide. Trainer Joe Pride later clarified the plan was to be positive. With on-pace runners faring best, Ceolwulf’s effort holds plenty of merit ahead of the Chelmsford.
The Flashing Light
-
- R8 – Ceolwulf: Outstanding return after blundering the start and being forced wide. Dynamic late splits – Chelmsford a key target.
- R7 – Autumn Glow: Huge first-up run, slick overall time on heavy track. Late strength screams 1400m+ horse – Epsom ideal.
AUTUMN GLOW 🌟
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) August 23, 2025
- R6 – Within The Law: Resumed off one short trial on testing ground. Market supported, ran accordingly. Will improve sharply second-up on firmer footing (Furious/Tea Rose).
They Left It In The Bag
- R9 – Corniche: $11 into $3.90, loomed but faded. Pulled up with slow recovery – forgive run.
- R5 – Saltcoats: Heavily backed $2.10 into $1.70 but peaked late, with Nellie Laylax proving superior.
