What a performance from Winx, going back-to-back – I am absolutely lost for words in describing the mare’s victory.
All the wash-up from the Cox plate:
» Who won, who lost
» Watch the replay
She was absolutely dominant with an eight-length win over Hartnell second, who recently had three wins for a combined length of 17 lengths.
Winx blew Hartnell away on the turn and simply didn’t look back. She becomes the first horse since So You Think in 2009-10 to go back to back and joins a group of greats in Sunline, Northerly, Kingston Town, Hydrogen, Young Idea and Phar Lap.
Oh and did I mention she’s now won 13 in a row?
Chris Waller “We’ll be back.”
Winx’s trainer Chris Waller declared that if the mare was fit and okay to race next year he wants to win three in a row. There is the temptation to take her overseas but all indicators are she will shoot for three consecutive Cox Plates.
Bigger things in mind for Hartnell?
He didn’t have the speed to go with Winx when the whips were cracking. But it looked like he still had plenty to give if he was to go to the 3200m.
He is the current favourite for the race that stops a nation, and connections will see how he pulls up before deciding whether he takes part.
Lots of comments from connections, including jockey James McDonald, that this one wasn’t her track.
Vadamos hangs on to fourth
The European Galloper went early, and was gutsy in holding on for fourth when he looked completely beaten. Will certainly benefit from his first run in Australia.
Yankee Rose was impressive
To run third as a three-year-old is a big effort from Yankee Rose when you consider her run to the Cox Plate. To finish not far behind Hartnell in the form he is in, you get the sense she has a promising career ahead of her.
Happy Trails is past his best
It was sad to see one of my favourites finish at the tail end of the field, once Happy Trails was a horse you would consider a good ‘roughie’ over 2000m in a Group 1.
Those days are gone, he was well below the best in this field.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
ummm, have you ever looked at a mare and a gelding side by side?
Raimond
Roar Guru
There's no doubt that Winx is the best racehorse in Australasia and possibly the the world. The problem is the antiquated weight-for-age system. The easiest way to solve this issue is dump the three-year-olds and have all the runners race with the same weight.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
She smacked Hartnell, who in turn did the same to Jameka his previous start, who in turn did the same to a Caulfield Cup field
no one in particular
Roar Guru
why?
kv joef
Roar Guru
Zenyetta was a champion, although, i've always had a soft spot for Rachel Alexandra. the thing about Zenyetta was she won 18 of her 19 wins against her own sex. Her other win was against all comers in the Breeders Cup and was against the good G1 horse, Go Ponti, who was an honest animal but never to be nominated in the annals of greats. And yes, she was terribly unlucky not to have beaten Blame at her last run but he too is NOT looked on as 'do-you-remember' horse. It is also important to note that Zenyetta dodged Curlin. Winx hasn't dodged anyone, she has just kicked the males in the googlys and sent the other girls to the back of the room. I would have unloaded on Winx to beat her at any distance ... Zenyetta could have never given Winx a start and run her down.
kv joef
Roar Guru
Comparing horses of different criteria is what good handicappers and officially, the IHFA board do. http://www.horseracingintfed.com/default.asp She also has carried top-weight in G1 handicaps and given weight and beaten Group One horses easily. If she had 'won by a head' she still would still be undefeated in 18 months, still have an impeccable record against genuine Group One horses ... but she didn't, she beat 3 mutliple Group One winners, who all ran to their mark by 8 lengths!!!!
jarijari
Guest
And where do all these great mares come from? Not that long ago we were sold on the maxim "a good colt will always beat a good filly". Nine times out of 10 or so it was true. Things started to change from the 1970s with the likes of Surround, who was every bit as good as Winx, but over-raced. She won a good Cox Plate as a three-year-old in 1976, one of 13 wins in 16 starts for the season. Not surprisingly, one of her legs gave out after that and she had to be retired. Then there were the likes of Sunline, Makybe Diva and Black Caviar. Winx is undoubtedly a great champion, yet not the very best daughter of the freakish sire Street Cry. That would have to be the amazing American mare Zenyatta. winner of 19 in a row, Check out on YouTube how far back Zenyatta gets before the mind-boggling finish in her last race.
Raimond
Roar Guru
That underlines the problem with the gallops code: distance specialization makes the evaluation of various horses impossible. There is also the fact that Winx is winning these races with significant weight relief compared to most of her competitors. The size of her Cox Plate victory made this a moot point on Saturday, but if she had won by a head?
AndrewS
Guest
She now belongs in a select group of modern day wonder mares in historical order Sunline Makybe Diva Black Caviar Winx Any further comparison is just silly. Personally I'd take the 3 Melbourne Cups, 1 Cox Plate and 14 mill tks
michael steel
Guest
Makybe Diva, Stayer, Black Caviar Sprinter, Winx, Middle distance horse. Why is there a need for useless comparisons? All have dominated there era and there era is a time from of about 4 years. Before Saturday I believed Winx to be the most sensational horse I've ever seen and can't believe "Experts' tipped against her. And first time I've ever seen punters clapping in a TAB. That was great to see too.
Raimond
Roar Guru
I can't believe the provincial-mindedness of Winx's connections. I'd be booking a plane to Japan if I owned this mare.
kv joef
Roar Guru
Actually, Johnny i just wrote about that very appraisal :) .
johnny nevin is a legend
Guest
No need to yearn for hypothetical match ups. How about Winx v Almanzor v California Chrome in next years Prince of Wales at Royal Ascot? Although judging by Wallers comments after race I don't think leaving Australia will be on her agenda.
Razzar
Guest
If YR pulls up well Andrew she's more like a even money chance. I think Prized Icon didnt appreciate the turns at the Valley...should b far more suited at Headquarters next week. Time for The MVRC to place all the gr1s on Sat, & friday is just the support meeting. And less races...because less is More.
peeeko
Guest
you cant compare 13 vs 25. over what distances? against which horses? how spaced were the runs? BC was nursed very carefully
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
She is THAT good, the downside is she may scare away opposition like Black Caviar did. The QEII in Autumn could be a very small field now. Hard to imagine an OS horse making the trip to take her on. Shame Frankel is retired. Can you imagine Winx v Frankel over one mile?
Rock
Guest
Better then BC. The difference is between the horses you've named + Winx is that they won over a range of distances. BC was a great great sprinter, if not the best, but we'll never know what she could have been at other distances as the owners and trainer never allowed it. That's only imho though.
andrew
Guest
as posted about this same time last sunday morning yankee rose was 'silly overs' for the oaks and at that time $4.50 was available. she is clearly the class runner. often the class runner in the oaks cant 'stay' but still wins (ie, mosheen) . but not only is she the class runner, there can be no question about her stamina either given the only 2 times we have seen at 2000m have been in a G1 race against the males which she won hitting the line hard and then in the G1 WFA championship of the nation when she ran 3rd. im sure there will be some spruik for whoever wins the wakeful, but really they will be panels behind yankee. last 4 fillies to run in the cox plate have won the oaks at there next run. none of this 4 ran as well (well, certainly not better) than yankee rose did. she is over the line to make it 5. if you are not already one, wait until after the wakeful, and then you might get a slight creep in the price for yankee rose, then fill up and take out on thursday arvo.
Beny Iniesta
Guest
Black Caviar - 25 wins in a row - almost twice as good as Winx - only 13 wins in a row! So what??? Long way to go to catch Black Caviar right. Just ask Gerard Whateley....... Just for perspective, I personally rate many horses in front of Black Caviar, including, for instance, Sunline & Northerly! & Saintly & So You Think for that matter. What say you Roarers?
Johnybulldog
Guest
Just breath taking,brilliant she's a champion!