Death of horse upstages Winx
EVEN the hoodoo of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes couldn’t stop Winx as she blazed to her 17th straight win at Randwick yesterday.
But just when it looked as though nothing could upstage the mighty mare, an unsavoury incident in the Sydney Cup did just that.
One race after Winx’s jawdropping victory, the Sydney Cup was called off mid-race after Almoonqith collapsed on the first lap, breaking its leg.
The A$2 million Group I Sydney Cup was declared a no-race and Almoonqith was later euthanised.
It was an unfortunate climax to the day at Randwick following on from the wonder mare Winx refusing to cave to the Queen Elizabeth hoodoo.
Greats of the turf in Ingham cerise, Octagonal and Lonhro, had met with defeat in the Queen Elizabeth, and Winx’s owner Debbie Kepitis remembered that.
‘‘I came here today thinking about it,’’ said Kepitis, who is Bob Ingham’s daughter. ‘‘It was a hoodoo that got two horses dad owned which came to this race as their final race. Both times I was crushed.’’
The biggest crowd at Randwick since the new grandstand was finished saw 26,801 punters building the pressure. They were there to see one horse - Winx.
She was at her best again, winning by five and a quarter lengths from the second best in the country, Hartnell with Sense Of Occasion a long neck back in third.
It completed successive unbeaten seasons and came as ‘‘a relief’’ to trainer Chris Waller.
‘‘To get it to come all together every day for 17 days is bloody hard. There are the elements, track conditions and luck in running you can’t control,’’ Waller said.
‘‘You don’t learn about this at school or at trainer’s college - how to deal with days like this. Deal with emotions and the good pressure.’’
Waller then paid tribute to his jockey.
‘‘Hugh is the ultimate under pressure. He is there at the right time for Winx and he has made my job a whole lot easier,’’ he said. ‘‘His calmness, I bounce off him all the time. I don’t have to ask questions. I can see from body language what he is feeling.’’
Hugh Bowman got her to the place he wanted in the field three back-one out, and when Hartnell made his dash topping the rise she just ambled up and went away. GETTY IMAGES
‘ You don’t learn about this at school or at trainer’s college – how to deal with days like this’ CHRIS WALLER
Bowman gave her one slap with the whip to make sure she kept going away.
‘‘I don’t whip her too often, but I wanted that supreme effort today, the grand final and when I gave her one she extended again, I could really feel the crowd’s love for her,’’ Bowman said.
‘‘Just look at her, she’s a supreme athlete, she’s the ultimate professional, I love her.’’
Once again the beaten brigade could only look on in awe. Godolphin chief executive John Ferguson came to see Winx and Hartnell.
‘‘It is good to have the second best horse to Winx,’’ Ferguson said. ‘‘It is great to see a horse like because that is what makes our sport great.
‘‘When you see a Frankel or a Winx, you know you are looking at greatness.’’
There is no decision yet on whether the Sydney Cup, that featured Kiwi interests Who Shot Thebarman, Pentathlon, Mister Impatience and Chance to Dance, will be scheduled for another date.