A day after her history making final race, Winx has fronted the cameras again with her support team as they all wind down from the most incredible ride in Australian racing.
The mare will spend the next few days in Chris Waller’s stable with a routine that includes exercise and leisurely walks but no longer any strong gallops around Rosehill.
Winx made it 25 Group One victories when she won Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick, a world record.
The win was also her 33rd in a row, with her last loss coming at the corresponding meeting in 2015 when she ran second in the Australian Oaks, a race won on Saturday by stablemate Verry Elleegant who already has the tag of the next champion for Waller.
While not every one of her races over the four years went to plan, Winx always managed to get herself out of difficulties with her determination to win.
That determination makes her a champion but Waller is unwilling to call her the best ever.
“I think horses touch generations and you must respect that and people go through different parts of life,” Waller said.
“There’s been so many great horses and if she’s even spoken about in the same sentence as Phar Lap and your other great horses, even in recent years Black Caviar, she was undefeated, and your Kingston Towns, everybody’s got their favourites .
“Because there’s no race where they race together, it’s hard to quantify it. But in terms of modern-day racing, what she’s done, what the team’s done to get behind her, most importantly the Winx fans, it has really propelled her right up there as one of the best.”
The team behind her includes Umut Odemislioglu and Candice Persijn who have been Winx’s constant companions at the stable and on the track.
“Umut and Candice are here every morning and I hope they are here for when one of Winx’s foals walks in the door,” Waller said.
Motherhood is the next step for Winx with a decision on a stallion yet to be made.
Her owners Debbie Kepitis, Peter Tighe and Richard Treweeke will discuss all options over the next few weeks.
Tighe says Kepitis is the most knowledgeable of the trio when it comes to breeding but they will also take advice from others.
“We’ll talk about it as a group,” he said.
Tighe said they would consider stallions in Australia and overseas with Winx likely to spend the months until September in familiar surroundings at Hermitage, her usual holiday farm on the outskirts of Sydney.
