Winx wins her 30th in a row
Australian super mare Winx extended her winning streak to 30 with an effortless canter in the group two Apollo Stakes.
Winx set another record, winning the Apollo Stakes for the third time, erasing former great Kiwi mare Sunline from the record books and also became the first Australian horse to pass 30 consecutive wins.
It could well have been four wins in the event, but for jockey Hugh Bowman being suspended before last year’s event, causing the mighty mare to miss the race, which was won by Endless Drama.
Resuming this year, Winx was once again a heavy favourite, her fixed odds price of $1.10 to win the race 10 times that which the secondranked Happy Clapper was paying at $11.10.
But those odds looked a steal as Winx cruised midfield early, sauntered up and past Happy Clapper with 300m to go, before easing to the line, incredibly with a race record for good measure.
With the crowd hanging from every vantage point at Royal Randwick, her trainer, former Kiwi Chris Waller feels the weight of expectations heavily.
“I’ve just got a sense of relief,” Waller said. “She can’t tell us when she’s had enough and we’ve made the decision to push on a bit further but she’s pretty good.
“It’s quite unbelievable, it’s racing of years gone by. We got a glimpse of it with Black Caviar of course, your Makybe Divas and now Winx following on from that. It’s indescribable for any sport and racing, and it’s exactly what we need.”
Before the race, Waller said he’d been nervous for weeks, knowing how huge Winx’s place in racing and Australian sporting folklore will be.
Speaking on Australian TV, he said she may still be around in spring and could even chase a fifth Cox Plate, which could get her closer to the top five consecutive wins.
Regular jockey Hugh Bowman said Winx won as well as ever, after resuming from a summer spell.
“It’s something we’ll look back on in years to come,” Bowman said.
“Now it’s about the next race for her, so two weeks in the Chipping Norton Stakes here at Randwick and we expect a similar performance.
“She gives a lot of people a lot of joy and happiness.”