As a former TVN presenter and host of the much-loved RSN radio program ‘On The Punt’, Bruce Clark is one of Australia’s favourite racing pundits. Over the coming Spring Racing Carnival, Bruce will provide his thoughts and insights on all of the major races. If you’re a fan of ‘Snowy’ like we are, you can check out his racing project G1X.com.au and follow him on twitter: @snowyclark.

The last thing you want in a match race is for Dandy Andy to turn up, especially if you’re a punter and you’ve sided with one of the two “matched”. So just like Vo Rogue and Bonecrusher all those years ago in the 1988 Australian Cup, we have Winx and Hartnell eyeing off the weight-for-age championship spoils in Saturday’s Cox Plate.

Of course, 125-1 chance Dandy Andy spoilt the script way back then, but don’t worry punters, as much as Paul Beshara would love to be singing “Happy Trails” to anyone on Saturday about his own hero lining up in the race a fifth straight time, it won’t be happening.

I don’t even think it’s a match race. Winx will win. The $1.90 right now might seem a shade of unders in a Cox Plate but I don’t think so.

Hartnell is a challenger. Chris Waller, as he has done so politely and respectfully this week, told everyone that, but if there is unders in the Cox Plate it’s the $3.20 about Hartnell.

And yes you can shove the form guide in my face and say ‘hey didn’t you see Hartnell beat Jameka at a canter giving it 3kg in the Turnbull Stakes?’ And you all saw what Jameka did last week in the Caulfield Cup and yes, you’d be well right.

Until Saturday, that is! This is a Cox Plate. It’s my favorite race. It’s the build up, the trash talking (well sadly we haven’t had enough of that this week, might get it going here). It’s the pre-race; it’s the small mounting yard humming with anticipation and too many people.

It’s the faces peering out of the grandstand onto the warriors below, it’s coming through that tunnel – well it’s more a sheltered walkway isn’t it, to emerge ready for battle in the cauldron before a heaving crowd.

It’s Daryl Braithwaite reprising “Horses” again and racegoers in all sorts of states from euphoria to almost extermination giving their best “Australia’s Got Talent” audition when they warble “you’ll l be riding on…” along with Daryl. And that’s even before the race. There is nothing like it in our sport. It is unique.

And so is Winx. To think so soon after the other great mare Black Caviar, unconquered of course in 25, we get Winx – now on a 12 run romp against whoever has turned up.

And she’s exciting. I’m not sure you can get excited about Hartnell. Last year he was 10 lengths astern of her in the Cox Plate. Yes he has come on and improved, but there is no evidence to the contrary to suggest that she hasn’t. And in Waller’s always-measured words he confirmed that, while adding “she goes better the Melbourne way, she just likes to drop her near shoulder into the corners.” And the Valley has some great corners to lean into and accelerate off.

Until the race jumps, there will be breathless dissections and speed maps offered to you by people who want to prove they know what they’re talking about (like me) but I know a good thing when I see it. I am lucky enough to be a little bit close to the Winx camp and there is absolutely no hint of anything having gone wrong in this preparation, with all focussed totally on this day and this race and perhaps for greater greatness.

She would – sorry to bore you with stats, become the first mare since the mighty Sunline to go back-to-back – Sunline went around at $7.00 and $2.40 but couldn’t get the Kingston Town treble.

Without getting ahead of themselves and revealing any deeper secrets, if Winx were to win this Saturday, the whole focus ahead would be the treble a year later. But to do that she has to do this first. She will.

It is just a privilege to watch her race and as importantly for racing, to admire the time and effort and respect for the sport that the trainer, the jockey Hugh Bowman and the connections have in understanding her lot.

So it’s straight forward for me in the 2016 Cox Plate.

FIELD: View the Cox Plate Field

1 – Winx

2 – Hartnell

3 – Vadamos

4 – Black Heart Bart

And to get us the bank punters, just take the $2.25 on Chautauqua Friday night in the Manikato Stakes.

My mail is the big grey Houdini of the track is absolutely “ready to explode”. Beaten over 1000m in the Moir, but a brilliant run nevertheless, ensures the odds are better than what they should be for the world’s best sprinter.

Or just load up on the Sportsbet big G1 weekend double, sit back, enjoy what racing’s stars and pinnacles are about, and get ‘paid’ for doing it. Can’t ask for more than that, surely.