Winx has win X-factor
It can’t be repeated what James McDonald mouthed to Hugh Bowman, first idling and then strolling past Winx in a Cox Plate match race for the ages which just wasn’t.
Bowman chuckled quietly one moment, then was so far out of earshot the next he wouldn’t have heard anything McDonald bellowed even at the top of his voice.
‘‘It’s embarrassing,’’ McDonald shrugged, shaking his head as Winx found another cast of punching bags in a Cox Plate demolition for the record books.
‘‘My horse is not as effective around these circuits, but she’s an absolute weapon. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. He went great, but she’s just a superstar.’’
That she is. Cox Plates aren’t meant to be like this.
Cox Plates aren’t meant to be run and won by the time the field just passes the school. Cox Plates aren’t meant to be so lopsided the result is a foregone conclusion virtually once they step onto the track.
But Cox Plates don’t usually feature horses like Winx.
From the moment Hugh Bowman stepped onto the track, there was a different feel. The crowd cheered her onto the track. Barely a ripple was heard for any of the other seven rivals which led her out.
Bowman, a staunch and laconic bushman, admitted to a little emotional moment. Man and animal at peace.
And then they whipped around the beaten brigade at the 500 metre mark and obliterated the field by eight lengths, headed up by Melbourne Cup favourite Hartnell and featherweight filly Yankee Rose in third.
They were in a different postcode – and are still favourites for Australia’s great race and Australian Oaks respectively. Then the superlatives started flowing.
‘‘I thought, ’f***, where’s her tail? I need to grab onto her tail’,’’ Yankee Rose’s jockey Dean Yendall joked. It was blurring into the distance. Fast. ‘‘I’ve got goosebumps and I ran third,’’ Yankee Rose’s trainer David Vandyke said. ‘‘We saw the way she went ’bang’ and just left us.
‘‘Our filly is just top class and she’s run second in a Golden Slipper, third in a Cox Plate and she’s won two group 1s in between. She had her first start less than a year ago. I couldn’t be any prouder of her. It was just an amazing performance and it was amazing to be here today.’’
And so said the rest of those in attendance on a bitter Melbourne day – the coldest Cox Plate record – which waited for arguably the greatest two minutes in Australian sport to warm the soul.
Bowman doesn’t paint targets on rivals. He rides his own race, not others. But he knew exactly where McDonald and Hartnell were the entire way and then knew how far he would gap them by when he sent Chris Waller and Winx into the history books.
‘‘I knew [Hartnell] would take me where I needed to get to, but he couldn’t take me far enough,’’ Bowman said. ‘‘He had a nice run too. I just enjoyed the ride like everyone else.’’ And a whole lot more than McDonald. The Kiwi owned Lucia Valentina was disappointing when finishing back in seventh.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy told media after the race that the Savabeel mare did not perform to her best when she finished 12 and a quarter lengths behind Winx.
New Zealand three-year-old Sacred Elixir has been promoted to the top of Victoria Derby betting with his win in a lead-up race at Moonee Valley.
Sacred Elixir took out the Lucrf Super Vase on Saturday, the final lead-up for the three-year-olds heading to the Derby and had his odds cut from $8 to $4.40 for next week’s Classic.
The Vase last year was taken out by last week’s Caulfield Cup winner Jameka who went on to win the VRC Oaks while Tarzino finished third before going on to Derby success.
Ridden by Damian Lane, Sacred Elixir was sent out the $4.60 favourite in scoring a half-length win from Morvada ($51) with So Si Bon ($6) 1-1/4 lengths away third.
Trainer Tony Pike was pleased to see his Derby plans were back on track following his win on Saturday.
After scoring first-up at Caulfield last month, Sacred Elixir finished eighth to Divine Prophet in the Caulfield Guineas on October 8.
‘‘After getting beaten in the Guineas there was a little bit of doubt creeping in, but it was a good strong win today and he relaxed well,’’ Pike said.
Pike removed the blinkers from Sacred Elixir on Saturday in an effort to get the gelding to settle.
‘‘He got fired up before the Guineas and over-raced which was probably the telling factor,’’ Pike said.
‘‘He was good today, he switched off without the blinkers off and was strong strong to the line.
‘‘The bigger flatter Flemington track and the extra ground is going to suit him.’’