Bowman amazed as mare hits peak

There was the moment as they topped the Randwick rise in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes that rider Hugh Bowman asked the question of Winx, and everyone in the stands seemed to know the answer.

The first 1700m of the race had been building to this point and the crowd let out a roar to match the acceleration of Winx as she let down.

‘‘I gave her a squeeze at the 300m, we saved that for race-day,’’ Bowman said. ‘‘I heard the crowd as we went. It is a bit of blur after that, it is hard to know how quick she went.

‘‘It is amazing really.’’

Winx sprints like Usain Bolt at the end of races that are tests of stamina rather than speed. She makes top horses look ordinary.

‘‘You don’t get to see how good she is, you get glimpses,’’ trainer Chris Waller said. ‘‘That’s what you saw when Hughie went for her. Then there isn’t anything to go with her and that is what is so exciting.’’

Winx moved to more than $19 million in stakes with her 18th Group One victory, taken out in a manner that that could only be called supreme, superior and special.

She had several lengths to make up on leader Galio Chop at the 300m mark and in a couple of strides that was done. She was in a world of her own at the 200m, like so many times before.

The margin by the post was 33⁄4 lengths – it could have been more – to Ranvet Stakes winner Galio Chop, who finished just in front of Doncaster winner Happy Clapper.

These are the best horses in the country, on form and at their peaks, yet they are no match or Winx. She always seems to have something left, which teases us how good she could actually be.

Bowman had sat back last on Winx and moved into the race from the 800m.

By the turn, Bowman had her poised. Her sectionals told the story: she was fastest in the three final 200m sections and ran the last 600m three-quarters of a second quicker than anything in the field.

‘‘The bottom line is she’s got 10 to 12 length on her rivals, it makes it easy for me,’’ Bowman said. ‘‘I knew on Tuesday how well she was going. I just let her stride and it was as good.

‘‘It is what you saw there. She just felt so good.

‘‘She’s just an exceptional athlete, she creates so much attention. I’m so proud of her and I’m just so proud to be a part of it.’’

The Sun-Herald