Winx Soars to Fifteenth Straight Win
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Photo: Grant Guy
Winx wins the 2017 Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick
Make it 15 straight for Winx, the wonder mare from Down Under.
A 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry, Winx surpassed the winning streak of the mighty Phar Lap Feb. 25 as she sailed to a two-length victory in the TAB Chipping Norton Stakes (G1) at Royal Randwick.
With her regular rider Hugh Bowman in the irons, Winx was on cruise control and accelerated away from her overmatched opposition in the late going, covering 1,600 meters (one mile) in 1:40.37 despite a downpour that produced heavy turf and caused trainer Chris Waller to consider scratching.
Lasqueti Spirit finished second, with Who Shot the Barman taking third. Hartnell, a frequent rival and second to Winx in last year's Cox Plate (G1), was a non-factor Saturday, finishing eighth in a field of 10.
Winx's winning streak dates back to May of 2015, when she won the Sunshine Coast Guineas (G3). She has scored at distances from 1,300 meters (about 6 1/2 furlongs) to 2,200 meters (about 1 3/8 miles) and ran Saturday on just 12 days rest, as her previous outing was delayed by extreme hot weather.
The turn from hot to wet, Waller said, gave him serious pause, and it was only after walking the track that he gave Winx the go-ahead. Then go ahead she did. Bowman said he let her engine idle in the final 100 meters, when it was clear the race was won.
Waller has two more starts planned for the Australian autumn, then will face the question of whether to send his star overseas to seek more meaningful competition.
In group 1 action Saturday at Caulfield, where the turf was good:
Black Heart Bart was all out to nip Japanese import Tosen Stardom in the italktravel Futurity Stakes at 1,400 meters (about seven furlongs).
Catchy, a Fastnet Rock filly, remained undefeated in four starts, edging Pariah in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes for 2-year-olds.
Sheidel, with Hong Kong's star jockey Joao Moreira in for the ride, posted a small upset in the Resimax Group Oakleigh Plate, beating Faatinah by a length with the favorite, Extreme Choice, third.