Recently, I wrote an article suggesting that rugby league superstar Johnathan Thurston should retire now rather than at year’s end, so as to quit while he is ahead. The same could be argued about Winx.
On the weekend, the champion mare wrote herself into horse racing history by equalling Black Caviar’s 25 straight wins, including 15 Group 1 victories.
Now the question is: what’s next? Retire or keep going and make her own records?
Last year, Cameron Smith broke Darren Lockyer’s 355 NRL games appearance and Jason Taylor’s 942 goal kicks, now the Melbourne skipper just sets records and will no doubt be the first man to reach 400 NRL games.
Winx’s trainer, Chris Waller, has not commented on whether Winx will return to see if she can set a new record, as for now she is in a rest and relaxation period. But if she does return to the race track and win again, she’ll no doubt go down as one of the best horses that racing has ever seen.
Although I am not one for the races, I would take firm interest in seeing Winx ride one more time to attempt to break the record set by Black Caviar.
David Lord wrote an article saying he put Winx’s win in the same category as Don Bradman’s achievements. For me, seeing her win 26 straight will be like watching The Undertaker get his 21-0 streak at WWE’s Wrestlemania in 2013.
What do you all think, should Winx retire or go for 26 straight?
Kangajets
Guest
Winx would get 65 kg in a Melbourne Cup , it’s a handicap race . Makybe diva was a terrific horse too So was sunline northerly and black caviar in the last 15 years They all excelled at different distances
Quite Lucrative
Guest
Why stop @ 26? She keeps racing and eventually gets done- so what? Even Phar Lap got beaten. Who cares she never went OS? Correct- Frankel never raced OS yet he is highly regarded. Winx won't throw anything at stud so why not race her until she does a Chautauqua and tells you she has had enough. Keep her going. My question is- would she have beaten Kingston Town? The thing with Winx, through no fault of her own- never had to struggle for a win. No whip cracking neck and neck win. Would KT's acceleration have beaten her. I think so. There is a tendency to over rate what we recently see. ie, we tip last weeks winners to win this weeks game.
Quite Lucrative
Guest
hahhahahaha, excellent comment. Yeh Hayne is the new Willie Mason, wherever he goes, the teams will lose.
Kathy Constable
Roar Rookie
Agree, Winks doesn’t have to overseas she is the best and been beating high quality horses. She is winning more prize money here and the preparation to go overseas is big. She has won from 1200m to 2040m and not many horses achieve that
Jason Andrews
Roar Pro
A Melbourne cup victory would do it for me, but she doesn’t run that distance. Maykbe Diva is still the Goat in my book. 3 cups in a row no horse will top that.
Aransan
Guest
Winx could well be the best horse on turf over a mile to 10 furlongs in the world today but until she has raced against the best horses we shall never know, at the moment she is a big fish in a small pool. The only race in Australia that might be considered to be world class in that distance range is the Cox Plate but we don't see the world's best horses running in that race. A number of the races that Black Caviar raced in such as the Lightening (3 victories) and TJ Smith (2 victories) are world class as our sprinters have already proven themselves on the world stage. The breeding of thoroughbreds is truely an international enterprise and Winx's sire Street Cry was a shuttle stallion from the northern hemisphere, we need continual infusions of international blood to maintain and improve our breeding stock. On the other hand we have stallions of our own that shuttle to the northern hemisphere including Fastnet Rock. It is important to showcase our best horses overseas to ensure that the world sees the benefits of our breeding stock. In the distant past Carbine was a successful sire in Britain, and Noholme was successful in the US despite limited early opportunities. Frankel didn't need to race outside England as he raced against the best and he is the highest rated thoroughbred of all time. Because of the races he raced in, his opponents and the margins of his victories he could be rated not only against his contemporaries but also against the best horses of decades past. We can't accurately asses Winx against her contemporaries let alone against horses of other eras except to say that she wouldn't be in the same class as Frankel.
Ben
Roar Guru
Rumor has it that Jarod Hayne is planning on riding Winx in the Melbourne Cup... It's his dream, after ruining the culture at the Eels.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Yet Frankel is held up internationally and he never left England And who are the people you want the connections to impress and why is their opinion important?
Haradasun
Guest
I don't put too much value on a string of undefeated victories. It doesn't have any relation to the quality of opposition or significance of a race. And in some ways it can be seen as not pushing the boundaries (not that she isnt). A 4th cox plate though would be something else and confirm ahe is GOAT in my eyes
Aransan
Guest
The connections of Winx have lost the chance to enhance her global reputation by running her in races overseas such as the Queen Anne at Ascot and one of the Breeders races in America. There will continue to be arguments that she hasn't been given the international rating that she deserves, but until she has raced against the best there must be some uncertainty as to where she stands. I personally rate Winx above Black Caviar as competition in middle distance races is higher than in sprints but Black Caviar will always have the romanticism associated with her from having raced against the world's best. Phar Lap and Bradman have world wide reputations for having performed on the world stage.
i miss the force
Guest
will definitely keep racing
Jason Andrews
Roar Pro
Yeah haha, nice one mate. Nice to see your up early to commemorate Anzac Day. Enjoy the day, Lest we forget
tim
Guest
I don't think Winx can make the decision to retire...