Hall of Fame earned by Winx

OPINION: The elevation of Winx into the Hall Of Fame drew criticism from some quarters but it gives racing’s greatest honour relevance and allows comparison with her fellow inductees.

Alongside Black Caviar and Sunline, Winx became part of an elite trio to be placed in the Hall Of Fame while still on the racetrack. She has already had a Hall Of Fame career, winning two Cox Plates, a Queen Elizabeth Stakes, an Epsom and a Doncaster among her 12 Group I wins and is currently maintaining a 17-race winning streak.

It would be hard to argue Archer, Light Fingers and Saintly, which joined her in the Hall Of Fame on Friday, had better records than the great mare.

Once you reach the level where you are compared to Hall Of Famers and hold your own, you should be alongside them.

The other parts of the Winx team, Chris Waller and Hugh Bowman, are getting to the stage where the committee should consider putting them into the Hall Of Fame, too. Few trainers can boost Waller’s record and by the end of his career he will surely be awarded the honour. Lloyd Williams, who was also inducted on Friday, was right to say Waller should be put in alongside the greats.

Bowman is clearly the best of his generation in the pigskin and for the third consecutive season will lead the Group I standings for jockeys this term.

Winx has given Waller and Bowman their only taste of grand slam success in the Cox Plate.

They probably need to add a Golden Slipper, Caulfield Cup or Melbourne Cup to get the nod