TIGHE KNOWS EVEN WINX NEVER A SURE THING
BEFORE her air of invincibility set in, there was a time when Australia’s racing Queen Winx was beatable.
Winx is out to emulate Black Caviar with a 25th consecutive win, in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
A win will take the Chris Waller-trained mare’s earnings to almost $19 million.
But part-owner Peter Tighe learned long ago not to take anything for granted and still vividly remembers Winx’s most “recent” defeat.
Yesterday marked three years to the day since she was last beaten – in the ATC Oaks on April 11, 2015 – when Hong Kong’s Magic Man Joeo Moreira earned the wrath of punters for failing to find a way home on the $2.80 favourite.
“I certainly do remember it,” Queenslander Tighe said. “They expected her to come to the fore over that distance (2400m) but it just didn’t go to plan that day.
“I would say she was an unlucky second.”
Queensland race fans have that race to thank for Winx kicking off her winning streak in this part of the world, where she won the Sunshine Coast Guineas and Queensland Oaks.
Had she won the Oaks in Sydney, the need for her to come to Queensland would have been redundant.
“It was always the plan to spell her,” Tighe said.
Winx’s owners still take nothing for granted.
“This is a very good field we are going up against (on Saturday) and she’s drawn the outside barrier. It will be a tactical race,” Tighe said.
“We want to be gracious winners and also gracious losers.”