WINX CHASES HISTORY
IF THE Cox Plate is the race where legends are made, then there are two champions that stand out from the rest – Kingston Town and Winx.
They are the only threetime winners of the Moonee Valley showpiece and both are revered as all-time great racehorses.
Kingston Town completed his Cox Plate hat-trick in 1980-81-82 and was an inaugural Hall of Fame inductee back in 2001 alongside Phar Lap, Carbine, Bernborough and Tulloch.
Winx has won the past three Cox Plates and was given Hall of Fame honours earlier this year.
As the mighty mare prepares for an unprecedented fourth successive $5 million Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday, the inevitable comparisons are being made between Kingston Town and Winx.
Riding legend “Miracle” Mal Johnston was Kingston Town’s regular jockey.
He said earlier this week he had mixed feelings about Winx’s attempt at a historic fourth Cox Plate.
“I always wanted her to equal Kingston Town’s Cox Plate record although I’ve got to admit I’m not real sure I want her to beat his record,’’ Johnston said.
“But if anyone is going to knock him off I’m glad it is this mare because she is a freak.
“Winx is as good a horse as I’ve ever seen. She will win another Cox Plate – only bad luck can beat her – and I will be the first to stand up and cheer her home.’’
There is a gap of 35 years between Kingston Town and Winx’s Cox Plate hat-tricks and so much has changed in racing during this period.
But what is irrefutable is that Kingston Town and Winx were unbeatable at Moonee Valley, the venue for some of their finest career wins.
Form expert Gary Crispe of Racing And Sports accepted the unenviable and almost impossible task of trying to line up the two mighty racehorses and their three Cox Plate wins to determine to who was the race’s greatest champion.
“Kingston Town is the most apt comparison for Winx – for his Cox Plate record but also for his talent and his versatility,’’ Crispe said. “Timeform ratings bear this out – Winx is rated 134 and Kingston Town 137.
“In a theoretical matchrace, where Winx would receive a mare’s allowance, the Queen topples the King by a narrow margin.’’
The stage is set for a unique piece of Australian racing history on Saturday as Winx attempts a fourth Cox Plate win.
“Winx is sailing into uncharted waters on Saturday,’’ Crispe said. “She matched the deeds of Kingston Town, winning a third consecutive Cox Plate last year, and she’s out to dethrone The King by making it four against a cosmopolitan field.
“Winx is already assured of her place in the pantheon of the greats but a fourth Cox Plate will give her a legacy that will likely go unmatched for decades to come.’’