Champion mare Winx started working on her spring campaign with a quiet barrier trial at Rosehill yesterday.
The Chris Waller trained star was not asked for her full effort when she settled back in the field and wide for rider Hugh Bowman.
The 900m dash started with a shock when the world's former best sprinter, Chautauqua, refused to jump out of the barriers.
The grey galloper pulled the same stunt four times in trials last spring.
Chautauqua's career now hangs in the balance as he will need to jump out of the gates cleanly in two trials before he is allowed to race again.
Winx is a horse known to have issues of her own in the starting stalls, but she is nowhere near Chautauqua's level.
"She was a little edgy in the gates which is not unusual but jumped very well and felt superb in the trial,'' Bowman said at a press conference after yesterday's trial.
"I can only judge her by her temperament and her action and today suggested to me that she's excited to be back. I couldn't fault her."
"We've never seen her perform at her best in trials. This morning was about going through the motions and releasing that nervous energy.''
Trainer Chris Waller plans to trail the champion mare again in two weeks time.
"We still have a bit of fine-tuning to do with Winx. She will have another trial in a couple of weeks and then race in the Winx Stakes on the 18th of August.
"After that she will go to the George Main and then we'll decide whether she stays in Sydney or heads to Melbourne.''
Winx could win an unprecedented four consecutive Cox Plates this spring.
But Waller is not getting ahead of himself with his rising 7yr-old.
"We are just taking it one run at a time.
"We're conscious she is in the twilight of her career.''
