Steve Baron: Winx – World Champion

Australian race mare, Winx, is the undisputed world champion of horse racing, having just been ranked Longines World’s Best Racehorse. She is the pride and joy of Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, and has a strong New Zealand connection, given she is trained by former Foxton man, Chris Waller, at Rosehill, Sydney.

Her official weight is a massive 530kg… standing a commanding 16.1 hands high, with the impeccable record of 28 victories, including 18 at the highest level. She is undefeated in her last 25 appearances. Outstanding credentials.

Record-Breaking Performance

In a record-breaking win of just a fraction of a second over 2 minutes, this Australian mare landed yet another knockout blow to end the chances of French horse Gailo Chop, going on to win the $4 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick in her last race back in April.

The race was over a grueling 2000m, Winx was initially slow to begin trailing the field, then, as the field entered the home straight, and in the twinkle of an eye, strode down the outside of the track to annihilate her opposition for the 25th time in a row—bringing her career earnings to a massive A$19 million, eclipsing the mighty mare Makybe Diva, winner of three consecutive Melbourne Cups.

Not a bad return for her owners who forked out a miserable $230,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sales on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2013.

The Euphoria of Winning

Even having personally ridden, owned and trained a few winners back in the good old days, I would still fail to comprehend the euphoric feeling the connections of this astonishing mare must feel every time she steps out onto the racetrack. It is hard for non-racing people to understand, but to win a simple maiden race at a mid-week Whanganui race meeting makes an owner feel like King or Queen for a day—even if you only own a few hairs on its tail.

To win three prestigious Cox Plates? To win 25 in a row and smash the world record? (a record previously held by the undefeated mare Black Caviar, also an Australian). This just blows the mind of anyone involved with horse racing. Her name will stand next to racing legends like Phar Lap, Black Caviar, Man O’ War and Secretariat.

If you were a devoted punter and had invested $100 to win on Winx back in September 2015, when her winning streak of 25 began, and then kept reinvesting it each time she won, you would have won yourself almost $1 million. Now that’s a tidy little return on investment.

World Champion Status

There has been some talk around the tracks that Winx needs to travel to England, as Black Caviar did, and race at Ascot to prove herself to the world, but comments like that are disingenuous, given that other horses have been proclaimed World Champions and have never raced outside their own country. With such huge stake money on offer in Australia in races like the Cox Plate, overseas competitors have every opportunity and incentive to front up and challenge Winx for her crown.

In 2017, Winx was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Only two other horses have ever achieved this distinction while still in racing. She kicks off her new season on the 18th August, but her trainer’s long-term plans are to win the prestigious $3m Cox Plate for the fourth consecutive time.

The race is run over 2040m at Moonee Valley in Melbourne in October, and I’m guessing there will be many New Zealanders who take a keen interest in the result—everyone loves a champion, and she truly is a champion.

Steve Baron is a New Zealand-based political commentator and author. He holds a BA with a double major in Economics and Political Science from the University of Waikato and an Honours Degree in Political Science from Victoria University of Wellington. A former businessman in the advertising industry, he founded the political lobby group Better Democracy NZ. https://stevebaron.co.nz