SAHorseracing.com
SAHorseracing.com
Champion Winx Passes $7 Million

Champion mare Winx will head to Melbourne after winning her eleventh straight race, her seventh at Group One level and pushing her earnings past $7 million with a soft win in today's Group One George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

Only asked to extend late in the race, the superstar performer raced to Hauraki and then drew clear to win by a widening length and a quarter margin.

The win delighted racegoers at Randwick as well as connections led by champion trainer Chris Waller

"It is a big team that has now evolved and we all feel it come raceday and obviously appreciate her at the same time. It is a huge privilege. She’s a fantastic horse."


"There is nothing like that winning feeling. It lets everything settle down for another few weeks. The dream continues," Waller said.

"Today’s win was not a gap job, it wasn't intended to be either, she has had four weeks between runs and I just need to know where she is, plus we needed to win heading to the bigger targets."

And now attention turns to Melbourne where Australia's best racehorse will head to defend her crown in the WS Cox Plate, but before that she will step out in the Group One Caulfield Stakes (2000m).

"That has always been the original plan and nothing has changed there," Waller noted. "You always look at other races. It looks to fit in nicely, gives you the run over 2000m on the left leg. 

"Caulfield is probably not perfect for a Sydney horse first time, but she just has got that ability to put herself around and finish off," Waller added.

Winning rider Hugh Bowman again expressed how it was an honour to be associated with a horse of Winx's calibre.

"I am just enjoying the ride, it is a very special ride for all of us involved with her," Bowman said.

"She is going to meet better horses now, she has ticked this box. She has come through it well today, she has had a good blow."

"My job is to ride her, focus on her, I’ve got plenty of other rides as well, it is not just her. She is a lovely headline act to have of course. I am just trying to do my job and trying my not to get too wrapped up in it all."

"Though I'm sure I'll look back on it in years to come and really appreciate what she has done for me, Chris Waller, her owners and everyone involved with her, the vets, the farriers and just for people in racing."

"Other trainers, other owners and other jockeys really respect a horse like this, I have done it before with champions in the past, she is just ticking every box as she goes and it is just an honour to be a part of it," Bowman summed up.

A $230,000 purchase from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Winx was purchased by Magic Bloodstock. From 21 starts she's won 15 races, seven at Group One level, with earnings of $7,135,425.

 

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