Australian superstar Winx broke Back Caviar’s record for consecutive victories in great style at Randwick on Saturday when she stormed in to win the A$500 000 Gr1 Winx Stakes.
Hugh Bowman steers Winx to victory (Pic – Australian Turf Club)
Having her first run as a 7yo, the daughter of Street Cry’s 26th victory in a row, and her 19th Gr1 win, came amid cheers and applause from an adoring crowd as regular pilot Hugh Bowman rode a confident race.
Families turned up with kids on parent’s shoulders watching what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many.
The victory was Winx’s 30th from 36 starts, with her prizemoney earned in excess of A$19 million
Glyn Schofield rode Godolphin’s smart four-year-old Kementari who was seen as being a genuine challenger for the great mare – but Winx was never threatened.
Schofield said: “He had his chance, he loomed up with the mare and couldn’t quite sprint with her, he ran okay I suppose.”
In media reports, winning trainer Chris Waller told www.racing.com that he was watching keenly.
“Just looking for signs of her losing that dominance,” the trainer admitted. “Haven’t seen one ounce of it. If anything I’ve seen improvement.
“It’s quite staggering. It shouldn’t be about me, it’s about that amazing animal. What she is doing for sport in Australia – we should all take a bow and say well done.
“She’s the same as the last 25 starts. She never looks like she’s dominant. You are always just hoping to see her do it.
“The pressure came into the race and her and Kementari loomed large. What she does to horses is simply break their hearts. She can maintain it and some other very good horses can’t.”
Winx, a daughter of former leading Darley sire Street Cry, was bred by the Camilleri family of Fairway Thoroughbreds after they purchased her dam, the stakes winning Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl from the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale through leading bloodstock agent Colm Santry.
Fairway Thoroughbreds offered the filly through the draft of Coolmore Stud at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where she sold for A$230,000 to the bid of Peter Tighe’s Magic Bloodstock.
Peter shares in the ownership of Winx with his good friends Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis.
