Hartnell and Winx meet again at Randwick

Reality will compete with hopes and expectations when Godolphin’s best Australian runner Hartnell renews battle with champion mare Winx in the G2 Apollo Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

Winx, after all, has beaten Hartnell in all four of their encounters, the most recent when she had him eight lengths astern in second place in the G1 Cox Plate last October, and is lining up for her 14th win on end.

But there is no sense of futility in the Hartnell camp ahead of a race that is the first of three in which the pair are scheduled to meet this Autumn.

“Hartnell’s come back in great shape, I couldn’t be happier with his attitude and his fitness level,” said trainer John O’Shea.

“She’s a champion, we know that, but we’re looking forward to a good positive day.

“These are the right races for him, so you go out there and race.”

As well as Hartnell, who will be ridden by James Doyle, O’Shea will saddle the handy mare Ambience (Kathy O’Hara) and the veteran stayer Magic Hurricane (Christian Reith) in the Apollo, both of who are heading toward next month’s G1 BMW.

If there is a positive to support Hartnell, it is the expectation of a wet track which O’Shea said would be helpful to all three of his runners.

Hartnell hasn’t started since finishing third over the 3200m of the G1 Melbourne Cup, but he will be kept to a maximum of 2000m this preparation with the $4m G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 8 his target.

Before it is intended that he will run in the G1 Chipping Norton Stakes over 1600 at Randwick on February 25 and the G1 Ranvet Stakes over 2000m at Rosehill on March 18.

O’Shea’s other stakes-race entrants at Randwick are Impending (Brenton Avdulla) in the G3 Southern Cross Stakes, Gridelin (James Doyle) in the G2 Light Fingers Stakes and Pearls (James Doyle) in the G3 Triscay Stakes.

Impending, who was ranked second only to the stables’ top colt Astern last Spring, finished third to that colt in the G1 Golden Rose before winning the G2 Stan Fox Stakes and then finishing fourth in the G1 Caulfield Guineas.

But O’Shea intends to keep the colt to sprint trips this preparation.

“He’s had one trial and put in an acceptable effort,” the trainer said.

“What he has going for him is that he’s well treated under the conditions here with 53.5kg.”

Gridelin is the winner of her past two starts and will have fitness on her side when she steps up in class in the Light Fingers while Pearls is expected to be competitive against her own sex when first-up in the Triscay.