Back Yourself!
Sign-up and start betting with Ladbrokes in 2 minutes!
Back A Winner with Neds!
Sign-up and start betting with Neds in 2 minutes!
Daily Racing Specials!
Sign-up and bet with Australia's best new bookmaker!
#1 Ranked New Bookie
Sign-up and bet with Australia's #1 ranked new bookmaker!
Best Of The Best Odds!
Bet With Palmerbet and get Paid Top Fluc or Top Tote!
Massive Odds on All Races!
Sign-up and start betting with PlayUp in 2 minutes!
What are you prepared to lose today?
Set a deposit limit.
Search
 
Image: Bruno Cannatelli
Champion mare Winx winning her fourth Cox Plate

As we all celebrated the wondrous return to racing of Winx on Saturday, everyone in Australia was filled with immense pride.

Something about seeing a freak-of-nature does that and of course our whole identity is tied up in one form or another with this mare.

We are good by osmosis simply because she is.

But the more she wins, the greater her reputation grows, the grander the increase in prizemoney (which is $23,080,674) – the more annoyed I get with….India.

Yes India, or more specifically those who operate the racing industry over there.

Simply because they allowed a horse to be called Winx.

Most racing territories in the world recognise and honour true champions by placing lifetime bans on those names ever being used again.

Exactly like jerseys being retired as a mark of respect, a la Wayne Gretzky’s number 99 – never to be used again. And Jackie Robinson’s number 42 in baseball has been retired across the MLB.

Our Registrar Of Racehorses (the august body that filters names for horses) certainly does.

For instance, you can’t get and never will be able to have such lofty global superstar names as: Secretariat; Frankel; Danehill; Enable; Phar Lap or John Henry. The list of greats goes on, but oddly (an explainable anomaly) there is a horse racing in Australia named Justify (same as the recent American Triple Crown winner).

Normally that would not happen here but he was named about a month after the US version was, and well before the US version became a household name through his Triple Crown efforts.

So what’s with India?

The horse called Winx in India was born in 2014 and named in 2016.

He’s by Stardan from Bold Request.

And he was named AFTER our Winx had already won 6 x Gr 1 races and been placed in another Gr 1 contest.

To be fair, she hadn’t reached global phenom status like she is today…..but come on, 6 x Gr 1 wins then they are allowed to name their own version.

And to rub salt into the wounds, the Indian Winx is a joke, a pathetic facsimile to ours.

He’s had 13 race starts and not even run a place in any of them.

A phone call from our Registrar Of racehorses to his Indian counterpart may be in order.

This name-stealing business is not the first time either: in Algeria a horse raced named Black Caviar seven years after our own Black Caviar was born.

It too was a utterly useless on the track, racing 5 times and finishing last on 3 occasions, missing a place on all attempts.

And Phar Lap, yes our legendary Phar Lap made an appearance in Turkey in 1981. The Turkish version racing 21 times and winning 3 lowly races.

Anyway, we are comforted by the fact that somewhere in great mystical cosmos…..the universe or God is recognising that champions need and should only be allowed once.

 
*Existing customers only. 2nd Racing bet. Excl SA & WA. T’s & C’s apply. Gamble responsibly.
What are you prepared to lose today?
Set a deposit limit.
Featured News

FREE BETS – Claim $1000’s in Bonus Bets at the TOP Betting Sites

We take a look at the BIGGEST and BEST Free Daily Racing Offers and Betting Promotions from Australia’s leading online...

Golden Slipper Likely Field – 2024

The biggest two-year-old race of the year will jump this Saturday in arguably one of the best fields in recent...

Former trainer handed a five-year ban for pulling stewards pants down

Former trainer Todd Balfour has been handed a five-year disqualification by Racing SA stewards after a misconduct incident at the...

Melbourne Cup champion Verry Elleegant passes away

Verry Elleegant, one of the great mares in the history of Australian racing, has died while giving birth to her...

Watch 📺 Jockey banned from all racing premises over ride

Jockey Dylan Kitts has been penalised with a disciplinary officer exclusion directive due to non-compliance with an inquiry regarding his...

Group 1 winner returns positive swab

Racing Victoria stewards are investigating a positive swab from Group 1-winning mare Prowess, the racehorse trained by Roger James and...

Alligator Blood injured, career in doubt

Cult galloper Alligator Blood may have run his last race, with trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott confirming the star galloper had...

Nikita Beriman returns to the saddle

July 1, 2023 to January 26, 2024 … that period represents the just shy of seven months that Nikita Beriman...

Australia's Best Betting Sites

New Betting Sites Australia + Top List Bookmaker Apps $$$

Betting in Australia has never been more popular thanks to a large increase in new betting Agencies and Apps available...

Top 10 – Funniest Race Horse Names

Horse racing. Known as the ‘Sport Of Kings’, an industry worth billions, a very serious business…but to some, it’s a...

Best Horse Betting Sites in Australia

Best Horse Racing Betting Apps and Betting Sites – March 2024

We take a look at the best online betting apps to bet on horse racing in Australia for the month...

Golden Slipper

The Golden Slipper is one of the biggest and most prestigious horse races in Australia. Taking place each April at...

Australian Bookmaker Reviews – Online Bookie Ratings $$

Which bookmaker should you bet with? We Review each of the leading online Australian Bookmakers and rate them in order...

 
 
What are you prepared to lose today?
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au