Winx Easily Extends Win Streak to 12

Australia's newly minted Horse of the Year Winx will head to the W.S. Cox Plate (Aus-I) later this month after vanquishing just two opponents in the Caulfield Stakes (Aus-I) Oct. 8 for her 12th consecutive victory.

 

Trainer Chris Waller's daughter of Street Cry made quick work of multiple group I winner and pacesetter Black Heart Bart in the stretch to win by two lengths under Hugh Bowman, with He Or She third, six lengths back.

Black Heart Bart and clocked a moderate pace, with Winx stalking about 1 1/2 lengths back and He Or She plodding along in third, not too far behind. Black Heart Bart picked up as Winx moved to engage nearing the home turn, albeit on the wrong lead, and he gamely, but vainly, tried to go into the stretch, leading her by a half length. Winx drew alongside with a furlong to run and the pair dueled a few strides before she shook him off with minimal effort and won under a hand ride.

"It was a good race—not a gimme," Bowman told the Australia's Associated Press. "She got on her wrong leg as I was putting the pressure on. Usually I let her glide up, but I wanted to give her a good gallop.

"She got on the on the right leg at the furlong and there was no carrots left in the opposition. She went to another gear."

Winx completed the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4 mile) trip on turf rated as good in a hand-timed 2:03.42. 

Winx retained her favoritism for a repeat bid in the Cox Plate, in which she is expected to meet Godolphin's strong Turnbull (Aus-I) winner Hartnell. Black Heart Bart also looks for a rematch with Winx in Australia's weight-for-age championship Oct. 22 at Moonee Valley.

Owned by a partnership that includes Magic Bloodstock, Winx notched her 16th win from 22 career starts and eighth at the top level to push her earnings past Aus$7.4 million. Her 12 successive wins equal that of Australian great Tulloch. Magic Bloodstock bought her from Coolmore Stud, agent, for Aus$230,000 ($241,569) at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale. Her dam is New Zealand multiple stakes winner Vegas Showgirl, a daughter of Al Akbar.

Peter Tighe and his wife, Patty, own Magic Bloodstock syndicate, from which they owns shares in about 40 horses, all in training with Waller. The couple have been involved in racing about 20 years.

Winx, who won all seven starts for the 2015-16 season, including five group I races, is the sixth mare to win Australia's Horse of the Year title this century.

Females have dominated the top honor, winning 11 of the last 17 titles that began with Sunline (1999-2000, 2000-01, and 2001-02, Makybe Diva (2004-05 and 2005-06), Miss Andretti (2006-07), Typhoon Tracy (2009-10), and Black Caviar (2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13).

Saturday's card also featured the one-length victory by Global Glamour in the Thousand Guineas (Aus-I). The daughter of Star Witness, who tallied her second straight win at the highest level, is campaigned by It's All About the Girls racing syndicate, which includes Anna Seitz of Brookdale Farm in Kentucky. 

Divine Prophet captured the Caulfield Guineas (Aus-I) and He's Our Rokkii won the Toorak Handicap (Aus-I).

At Randwick, Yankee Rose, second to Global Glamour in the Flight Stakes (Aus-I) last time out, took the Spring Champion Stakes (Aus-I) by a half-length from Swear.