In front a large and adoring crowd, Winx made it six wins from six starts in Victoria when she scored one of her most impressive victories in the set weights and penalties event.
Near last on the corner and facing awkward traffic troubles, Winx was finally able to get a split in the straight and then charge through for what turned out a truly phenomenal performance.
The daughter of Street Cry is now just one win away from becoming the first horse in Australian racing history to win the Southern Hemisphere’s weight-for-age championship, the WS Cox Plate, on four occasions.
Her win in today’s Turnbull Stakes was her 21st victory at Group One level, further extending her world record for wins at the elite level among flat race performers.
She also extended her Australian record consecutive win streak to 28 and also her earnings haul as the nation’s highest stakes earning racehorse of all time.
“What more can you say,” Waller said. “She does each and everyone of us proud every time.”
“We are very proud of her and proud of where she goes and it’s great to see today’s turnout for her. It’s pretty special.”
“You get a few flutters but when she got the run you knew what would be, would be,” Waller added.
“Isn’t she just amazing,” winning rider Hugh Bowman said. “Usually I just ride her so arrogantly and I let her move into the race when it pleases me, but I didn’t have that help today.”
“I didn’t want to be there (on the inside), but I didn’t have much choice. When the pressure when on it was good because they slackened off. When we got into our positions they went quite steady.”
“But when the sprint went on it gave me more options but gee it was her champion qualities that came out in the end.”
“The final hundred (metres) was just extraordinary,” Bowman added. “She had to work in the final 600 and that will do her nicely and have her right for her fourth Cox Plate hopefully in three weeks time.”
The $5 million WS Cox Plate (2040m) will be run at Moonee Valley in three weeks time. Winx broke the track record in her first win in 2015, she smashed the biggest winning margin in 2016 and last year she beat her own track record when winning the race for three straight years emulating former champion Kingston Town.
Bred by the Camilleri family’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, Winx first major public appearance happened in front of thousands at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Simply catalogued as a bay filly by Street Cry from Vegas Showgirl, Winx went under the hammer at Lot 329 and she was presented at the auction by the Coolmore Stud team.
The Magic Millions link to Winx extends to Fairway Thoroughbreds’ purchase of her dam Vegas Showgirl as a breeding prospect straight off the track at the 2009 National Broodmare Sale.
Leading bloodstock agent Colm Santry signed for the good looking and multiple stakes winning Al Akbar mare for $455,000. As they say, the rest is history!
Winner: Winx
Breeding: Street Cry-Vegas Showgirl
Race: VRC Turnbull Stakes G1 (2000m)
Sold for: $230,000
Sale: 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Coolmore Stud (As Agent)
Buyer: Magic Bloodstock
Earnings: $19,884,920
Owner(s): Magic Bloodstock Racing (Mgr: PG Tighe), RG Treweeke & Mrs DN Kepitis
Trainer: Chris Waller (Flemington)
