Happy 21st for Winx
World-class mare Winx has provided her legion of Melbourne fans with a masterclass performance on her way to recording her 21st consecutive victory yesterday.
Making her Flemington debut, Winx smashed her rivals in the A$500,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) in front of a huge adoring crowd.
Jockey Hugh Bowman positioned Winx midfield after she jumped well from barrier two of seven before accelerating away to register a 61⁄2-length win on a near-perfect Flemington surface.
The win was described by racecaller Matt Hill as “a picnic”.
Winx firmed from $1.40 into $1.25 to win an historic third Cox Plate in three weeks time.
Winx settled fifth in the run about eight lengths behind bolter Magicool who led from Sir Isaac Newton.
Bowman pushed the mare into the race before the turn and she strolled up to her rivals before sprinting clear to win easing up.
Her Sydney-based Kiwi trainer Chris Waller was overcome with emotion after the race.
“This mare makes me feel pretty special. She was pretty scintillating over the last 600m,” he said.
Waller said they were happy with her wins in Sydney but they were looking for her to get to Flemington and 2000m.
Bowman described the win “as smooth sailing”.
When asked after the race if there was a Flemington test, Bowman remarked: “Was there a test? Yeah, she is a brilliant horse.
“Whatever you ask her to do, she does. Yeah, as simple as that.
“She makes us all look great. It’s just great that the public embrace her, not just here at Flemington today, but back home and around Australia.
“She makes us all look good in what she does.
“There is no training manual for a horse like Winx. We’ve managed to get it right, but she makes us get it right.”
The mare ran her last 400 in 22.91sec without being pushed out.
In the battle between the $201 bolters for last, Magicool held off Skyfire; 26 lengths off Winx.
The only horse to have won more races in succession in Australian racing than Winx was the unbeaten Black Caviar with 25 wins.
The world record belongs to Hungarian mare Kincsem who won all of her 54 races back in the 1870s.
Winx now moves on to her grand final where she will attempt to equal Kingston Town’s impressive record of three Cox Plates later this month.