By Kelsey Riley
Sydney, AUSTRALIA–The Sydneysiders turned out in full-force to get a glimpse at Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) at The Championships at Royal Randwick on Saturday, and the world's highest-rated mare and turf horse did not disappoint, strolling to her 17th straight victory in the A$4-million G1 Longines Queen Elizabeth S. The 5-year-old broke smartly, but dropped back to settle midpack in the nine-horse field under Hugh Bowman as No Doubt (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) set the tempo from Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) on the rail and The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Hartnell began to pull his way closer passing the 800-metre mark as Winx waited in behind, and it wasn't until they were approaching the top of the straight that she loomed up ominously on Hartnell's outside. Hartnell had inherited the lead after No Doubt packed it in early, but his advantage was short-lived. Winx swept to the lead on the outside under a motionless Hugh Bowman, who gave her one smack with the whip in midstretch to draw away to score by 5 1/4 easy lengths. The win provided Bowman a Group 1 double after he scored a similarly easy win aboard Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) in the G1 Australian Oaks a race earlier, and solidified his third Nathan Berry medal as the leading rider at the meeting.
The win was Winx's 17th straight, and pushed her earnings close to the A$13-million mark. The streak began at the end of Winx's 3-year-old season in May 2015 when she won the G1 Queensland Oaks. She had three more wins later that year in the spring, capped by a 4 3/4 length tour-de-force in the G1 Cox Plate. She ran through four perfect starts last autumn including the G1 Chipping Norton S., G1 George Ryder S. and G1 Doncaster Mile at this meeting before being sent out for a much-deserved winter spell. Last spring she ticked off the G2 Warwick S., G1 Colgate Optic White S. and G1 Ladbrokes S. before recording an even more impressive title defense of the Cox Plate, running away with the prestigious event by eight lengths from Hartnell. Winx's autumn campaign this year had, until Saturday, mirrored last year's, starting out with a win in the G2 Apollo S. on Feb. 13 before repeating in the Chipping Norton and George Ryder. This year, connections opted to bypass the A$3-million G1 Doncaster Mile on day one of The Championships and target the Queen Elizabeth, and that decision paid dividends.
“She is just so dominant,” Bowman told Racenet.com.au. “What a supreme athlete she is and what an honour it is to just be a part of her career. I don't whip her too often, but I wanted that supreme effort today. The grand final and when I gave her one she extended again.”
“Just look at her: she's a supreme athlete, she's the ultimate professional, I love her and I could really feel the crowd's love for her,” Bowman added.
Trainer Chris Waller said post-race that both he and his great mare “need a spell.”
“I'm a racing fan through and through and like everyone I die to see horses like her, so having the responsibility that comes with training her makes you very emotional when it's over,” Waller told Racenet.com.au. “It's just a big relief. It's indescribable really. It's me putting undue pressure on myself but it's hard not too. Get back to reality now; she's ready for a break and so am I.”
Connections had previously stated Winx's 2017 spring campaign would be centered around a three-peat in the Cox Plate, with the potential for international travel to come in 2018.
Pedigree Notes…
Winx is the second foal out of the stakes-winning 2-year-old Vegas Showgirl, who has proven to be a blue hen producer for John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds. Not only is she responsible for Winx, but her current 3-year-old is 'TDN Rising Star' El Divino (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), who dead-heated for the win in last year's G3 Kindergarten S. at The Championships. The week after both Winx and El Divino won at The Championships, Vegas Showgirl's yearling Snitzel colt topped the Inglis Easter sale with a bid of A$2.3-million from trainer Gai Waterhouse. Vegas Showgirl was barren in 2015, and produced a filly by Snitzel at Segenhoe Stud last season.
Saturday, Royal Randwick, Australia
QUEEN ELIZABETH S.-G1, A$4,044,500 (US$3,033,395/£2,451,515/€2,864,237), ATC, 4-08, 3yo/up, Open, WFA, 2000mT, 2:07.22, sf.
1–WINX, 57.0, m, 5, by Street Cry (IRE)
1st Dam: Vegas Showgirl (NZ) (MSW & GSP-NZ, SP-Aus,
$148,523), by Al Akbar
2nd Dam: Vegas Magic, by Voodoo Rhythm (USA)
3rd Dam: Vegas Street (NZ), by Sovereign Edition (IRE)
(A$230,000 Ylg '13 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale). O-Magic
Bloodstock Racing (Mgr: P G Tighe), R G Treweeke & Mrs D N
Kepitis; B-Fairway Thoroughbreds NSW; T-C J Waller; J-J
Bowman; A$2,454,500. Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year-
Aus, Ch. Grass Horse-Aus, Ch. Middle Distance Horse-Aus, Ch.
Older Horse-Aus, 27-21-3-0, A$12,893,425. *1/2 to El Divino
(Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), GSW-Aus, $122,576. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus*.
2–Hartnell (GB), 59.0, g, 6, Authorized (Ire)–Debonnaire (GB),
by Anabaa (USA). (45,000gns Ylg '12 TATOCT). O-Godolphin;
B-Rabbah Bloodtock Limited; T-J A O'Shea; J-J Doyle;
A$760,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Sense of Occasion, 59.0, g, 6, Street Sense (USA)–Saywaan,
by Zabeel (NZ). (A$80,000 Ylg 2012 WI Sydney Easter Yearling
Sale). O-A J Hall, D R S Hall, The Estate Of J W B Wragge, D W F
Blunden, R F Scott, L E Curtis & S M Bilich; B-Shadwell Stud
Australasia Ltd NSW; T-K A Lees; J-C W Brown; A$400,000.
Margins: 5.3 len, 5.7 len, 6.5 len. Odds: 0.11, 17.00, 150.00.
Also Ran: The United States (IRE), Happy Clapper, No Doubt, Exospheric (GB), Harlem (GB), Singing (FR).
Click for the Racing Post chart, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. NSW Video.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
