Winx spanked her rivals in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes in the late afternoon sun on Monday, easily beating Hartnell and everything else in the race, to record her 14th race victory in a row, equalling the great Phar Lap.
The five-year-old mare is going better than ever, too. She appeared to be around at least three lengths better first-up than when she returned in 2016 in the same race, when pushed by Solicit. That’s a wonderful sign for her trainer Chris Waller, and racing generally.
Hartnell finished in second position, in another very good performance. He’s back in fine form too for Godolphin and trainer John O’Shea.
But it’s 5-0 to Winx now and it hasn’t really been close.
Many comments were made that Hartnell is now to Winx what Hay List was to Black Caviar – both just a rung or two below the world-class mares, and metaphorically making the boys the bridesmaids.
Hay List would’ve probably been ranked one of Australia’s best sprinters without Black Caviar taking at least four Group 1s from him. He was never closer than two lengths to her but gave us a thrill when they clashed.
And that pair were bound to clash in Group 1 sprinting grand finals – they were sprinters through and through, and neither were ever stretched beyond 1400m.
But Hartnell’s victories have all come between 1600m and 2400m, and he was third in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup over 3200m. Winx famously couldn’t stretch to 2400m in the Victorian Oaks but did win the Queensland Oaks over 2200m.
The point, more or less, is that Hartnell has such a range of distances up his sleeve that he probably doesn’t need to keep finding himself getting windburn from Winx.
The pair are still bound to clash in major grand finals such as the Cox Plate, and perish the thought that Godolphin should simply avoid her. But with Winx set for a campaign at home in Sydney, should Hartnell have gone down south to compete in the Group 1 CF Orr (1400m) to try and notch a victory, rather than the seemingly inevitable in running second in a Group 2?
And rather than take on the Chipping Norton and Ranvet, should Hartnell line up for the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m)? He’s only likely to avoid Winx in the Ranvet at this stage.
Further, could he switch to the Group 1 BMW (2400m) and the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) instead of the Queen Elizabeth, where he’ll likely face Winx again? Indeed, he won the BMW in 2015, and was fourth in the Sydney Cup, and is going far better now, so it’s not out beyond the realm of possibility.
What would you do, if Hartnell was your stable star?
Raimond
Roar Guru
Winx is clearly the better horse, but things can always go wrong in the race itself. There's no point in running away. I think the connections of Winx have been more interested in protecting her winning sequence than testing her against the very best. She should have contested the Japan Cup last year, or maybe she could have gone to the US this prep.
michael steel
Guest
To my knowledge the Cox Plate is currently the best race in Australia and she's won that twice. She's been set for the Sydney Queen Elizabeth which is vying to depose the Cox Plate as the number 1 race.
michael steel
Guest
You're a broken record on this Scott. and I again disagree. And as for the C.F Orr . It was a bunch of stayers except Black Hart Bart. I have huge issues with The C.F Orr being the first Group 1 of the year but that's another story
George
Guest
Winx didn't sidestep anything! She went to Melbourne to win the Cox Plate, which she had been trained to the minute to do. That was her Grand Final and quite naturally the end of her preparation. In Autumn they want the QE so why would they truck her all the way to Melbourne? As she has already been rated the best turf horse in the world without ever having set foot in Flemingon I don't really see how this has had any effect on her ratings.
Razzar
Guest
Addington, if you want to break a horses heart, quit arriving with carrots, that's what they Really care about.
Jeff dustby
Guest
She went looking for weak races
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Hi Tristan, A quick word about Winx, and this is not to bag her in any way as i have never seen a more impressive win than the last Cox Plate, but if connections really want her to be perched up there with Phar Lap, Tulloch and even Kingston Town then she must contest the best races against the best horses. It was disappointing that she side stepped the big Flemington Carnival after the Cox Plate and why did she not run in the Group 1 CF Orr (1400m) against Black Heart Bart and not a bunch of stayers in Sydney? Can you imagine TJ Smith doing that? One thing is clear, she is too good for Hartnell.
Tristan Rayner
Editor
That's one element I didn't touch on here - we'd always prefer to see Winx demolish the best fields possible to avoid the rear-view mirror angles which suggest she didn't much anyway. I don't particularly get on board with the criticism of Caviar's career. She beat all comers. It wasn't her fault she scared them off. Not trying 1600m ... I think we all wanted that but then again, we had no skin in the game other than being racing fans!
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Thanks for the throwback to Sir Dapper and Been There - not the only one to have been on Been There a few times no doubt! 25 on the trot would be something... hopefully her career gives her the chance
Tristan Rayner
Editor
I think before that race, people considered Hartnell at least some chance of besting her at his very very best, which he seemed to be.
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Ha, publicans for Winx! ;)
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Hey Jack, Quite right - thanks for that - quite different times of year too so that was a fun typo. I'm with you on the BMW and 3200m perhaps being too far - maybe if they aim him exclusively at the distance but he's so versatile that... Still, you have to wonder if they need to be creative to avoid Winx!
Jack
Guest
Hey Tristan, bit of a correction, it was the Australian Oaks @ Randwick where she was beaten by Gust of Wind, not the Vic Oaks, she didn't even race in Melbourne before her first Cox Plate from memory? My guess is she would do 2400m standing on her head now. Hartnell is flying. I think the BMW suits him perfectly. Winx aside, it would hard to see anyone beat him over the mile and a half @ WFA. The ATC should elevate the status of this race to a similar level to the QE in my opinion. However, I think Hartnell is suspect over the 3200m, he got done as nearly odds-on in the Sydney Cup a couple of years ago as well. And did have his chance in the Cup last year...jury is out over 2 miles.
spruce moose
Guest
Yeah, she ran against some astonishingly weak fields later in her career. She probably would have beaten full strength fields anyway, but it wasn't an edifying sight. The trainer refusing to test her at 8 furlongs was more a sign of deep fear than anything else.
peeeko
Guest
she was, if you include only distances under 1400 and if you only include horses that were molly coddled
spruce moose
Guest
Maybe someone should ask Gerard Whateley if he was a bit presumptuous when he announced Black Caviar as the greatest mare we will ever see?
fnq boy
Guest
maybe they should consult with the owners of Hay List. A very fine horse but alas how many times did he run a place to Black Caviar?
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Go to Australian Cup, into BMW, back to QE.
Scuba
Guest
Godolphin thought they would win the Caulfield Cup with Scottish, and with a better ride they would have been right. Not rocket science really.
Kevin Malone
Guest
They should get rid of the weight allowance for mares in G1 wfa events