Winx is the world’s best horse on turf and she will look to etch her name further into racing folklore in Saturday’s featured Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on Day 2 of The Championships at Royal Randwick.
The six-year-old daughter of Street Cry has been a strong and consistent performer since making her debut for Chris Waller in June of 2014, but her legendary status has been built throughout nearly three years of undefeated racing, dating back to her impressive win in the Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) in 2015.
Twenty-four starts, seventeen Group 1 races and three-consecutive Cox Plates are the major stats that are thrown around in any conversation about Winx, but there is almost countless reasons why she has become the country’s sweetheart of racing. She has produced two typically brilliant performances this time in but will face her biggest test of the year on Day 2 of The Championships after drawing the outside barrier for the Queen Elizabeth.
To celebrate the champion mare’s final campaign appearance, we’ve taken a quick look back on her three runs at The Championships to date.
2017 – Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m)
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes has been the showpiece race of the season since The Championships were first conceived in 2014 and it has been won by several outstanding horses, including It’s A Dundeel and Criterion.
Having been set for the race in 2016 before connections elected to pull stumps on her campaign, Winx drew the ideal barrier 3 for her run in last year’s edition and subsequently jumped the $1.10 favourite.
Jockey Hugh Bowman settled Winx midfield and was merely a passenger as the mare easily put away the quality field in the Randwick straight.
2016 – Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m)
Winx was gunning for nine in a row when she took her position in the 2016 Doncaster Mile field and justified her $1.80 favouritism with an impressive performance to beat Happy Clapper and Azkadellia.
She was settled on the rail and towards the tail of the field after jumping fairly and was faced with a wall of horses rounding onto the final straight.
Appearing to simply have too much work ahead of him, Bowman threaded the needle with the four-year-old and weaved through the field; finding clear running with 300m to travel and storming home to secure her sixth win at the highest level.
2015 – Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m)
Before an appearance at Moonee Valley or a major win, Winx was just another talented horse under the care of leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller. Nothing incredible was expected of her career, but she showed above-average ability and looked like a filly capable of posting a win at the highest level.
Following a smart victory in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) and a luckless run for fifth behind Fenway in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), Winx was sent off the $2.80 favourite in the Australian Oaks on Day 2 of The Championships in 2015, but allowed Gust Of Wind too great a head start leading into the straight and had to settle for second.
It would be the final time that she would taste defeat before launching her now world-famous undefeated streak.