Sydney to California, via Deauville : a global racing feast awaits

If you like taking your International Racing in large doses, this is a weekend to savour.

Randwick, Deauville, Newbury, Del Mar....they all feature in what could be an enlightening 48 hours globally.

Notwithstanding the incredible media build-up that Winx regularly generates, the great Australian mare attempting her 26th consecutive victory on Saturday at Randwick, Sydney, is an extraordinary story, in any country in any era.

Unfortunately, there has been a tendency to undervalue the merit of her wins — this is particularly so in Europe — with the argument regularly forwarded that she meets much the same opposition in Australia these days.

On Saturday, she will contest the G1 Winx Stakes, and yes, if you use official ratings as your guide, she has an enormous amount in her favour. Contesting the race named after her — one in which she triumphed in 2016 and 2017 — Winx is officially 23 points (or pounds, as it would be in certain jurisdictions) clear of her nearest rival, Godolphin’s Kementari. Additionally, as it is a weight-for-age race, she is receiving 1.5kg from Kementari.

As I say, there is plenty in her favour, but to make it even more interesting, factor in her vulnerability over 1,400m, and a previous case of missing the break, and you have enough variables to repeat the old saying: there is no such thing as a certainty in racing.

Kementari has the opportunity to set the scene for a Saturday of significance for Godolphin. At Deauville, Charlie Appleby sends over Hadith, a lightly-raced New Approach filly, to contest the G2 Prix de la Nonette, over 2,000m.

The Andre Fabre-trained, Classic-placed Music Amica was a late withdrawal.

Appleby also runs well-regarded Al Hilalee in the Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l’Elevage and Beyond Reason in the G2 Prix du Calvados. Both juveniles are expected to acquit themselves well.

But Appleby will also have an eye on Newbury, where Hamada and Walton Street attempt to qualify for the G1 Melbourne Cup when both line up in the G3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes, which has attracted eight runners after the race was reopened.

Both horses need to finish in the first three to pass the balloting clauses applicable to the Melbourne Cup.

Internationally, Saturday’s G1 TVG Classic at Del Mar features an attempt by the John Sadler-trained Accelerate to make a clean sweep of the big California handicaps when he breaks from gate 5 in this competitive renewal.

Accelerate has already picked up the Santa Anita Handicap and the Gold Cup.

Then, on Sunday at Deauville, the two-year-old stars feature in the G1 Prix Morny and the older fillies in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet.

Indeed, there is a large dose of racing, with an international flavour, awaiting us all.