Will this be the last time that we see the world’s best racehorse first-up?
The Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday has been selected as the 2019 Autumn Carnival launching point for equine superstar Winx and understandably, excitement is continuing to increase daily.
The ledger currently reads twenty-nine consecutive wins since May 2015; twenty-two of which at Group 1 level (a world record) and four-consecutive Cox Plate victories, all for more than $22 million in prize money.
This certainly won’t be the first time that the champion seven-year-old has taken her place in the Apollo Stakes field – she ran in and won the race in both 2016 and 2017 and was due to resume in last year’s edition of the race before jockey Hugh Bowman was suspended.
Before the brave contingent of challengers attempt the seemingly impossible on Saturday, we’ve taken a quick look back at Winx’s two Apollo Stakes victories so far.
2017 Apollo Stakes
Winx understandably jumped an unbackable favourite in the 2017 Apollo Stakes and justified the quote when she jogged clear in the straight to beat Hartnell by more than three lengths.
The win extended her record to fourteen-consecutive victories and subsequently tied the mark set by Phar Lap.
2016 Apollo Stakes
Bowman elected to slot in on the rail, slightly better than midfield in 2016 as classy mare Solicit took up the early running.
The leading hoop allowed Winx plenty of time to balance when the field turned for home and he was merely a passenger as the mare went through her gears and easily put away her ten rivals. It was her sixth-consecutive win.