WINX elevated herself to ‘equine utopia’ according to course commentator Matthew Hill as he called her first past the post in the Group 1 WS Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley, Melbourne, on Saturday, October 27.
The seven-year-old champion mare – trained by Chris Waller and ridden by Hugh Bowman – made history when she became the first racehorse to win four runnings of the race regarded as the weight-for-age championship of the southern hemisphere. She previously shared the three-peat record with Kingston Town who won in 1980, 1981 and 1982.
Sent out a hot favourite and roared onto the track by an adoring sell-out crowd, Winx beat Godolphin’s dual German and Dubai Group 1 winner Benbatl by a widening two length margin while last year's runner up Humidor ran third, another 2.75 lengths back.
The 29th consecutive win and the 22nd at Group 1 level helped push Winx's earnings to more than $22.9 million - a remarkable return on the $230,000 she cost owners Peter Tighe, Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
A daughter of former champion international Darley sire Street Cry, Winx is from the stakes winning Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl – a multiple stakes winner for Graeme Rogerson bought off the track for $455,000 as a breeding prospect by Colm Santry for Fairway Thoroughbreds at the 2009 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Statistics reported on the racing and sports web page show her 22 Group 1 wins are a world record while her 29 successive wins have all been in group races, comprising 22 group 1 races, six group 2 and one group 3. Only three of her 29 successive wins have been under handicap conditions in the Theo Marks Stakes, Epsom Handicap and Doncaster Mile. Her other 26 wins have been under wfa or set weight conditions.
Racing and Sports also reported Winx’s biggest fan must be the punter who has bet more than $1.4 million during her career. The punter placed $56,000 on Winx to win the 2017 Chipping Norton Stakes with TAB fixed odds and has been playing up his winnings on her ever since. On Saturday he made his biggest gamble, placing $201,200 at odds of $1.22, for a return of $245,464. Overall the punter has wagered $1,411,350 on Winx since February 2017 and collected $1,608,641.50 – a profit to date of $197,291.50.
Country Cups Challenge continues
FOUR more horses have qualified for Racing Queensland’s new Country Cups Challenge with 11 of the 16 qualifying races now completed.
The series began with the Longreach Cup on September 22 and finishes with the Roma Cup on November 17. The 16 qualified horses then race in the 1600m final at Doomben in Brisbane on Saturday, December 1.
While Winx was winning her historic fourth Cox Plate, 8YO gelding Fasta Than Light became the latest horse to qualify for the final by winning his third 1600m Gympie Cup in succession on Saturday, October 27 for Deagon trainer Pat Duff. By Hidden Dragon from Cheer Girl, Fasta Than Light has a great affinity for Gympie’s sand track as his 12 starts there have resulted in seven wins – which also include two Nolan Meats Gympie Muster Cups –plus four placings.
Other recent qualifiers are:
October 20: Stanthorpe Cup Open Hcp 1400m – Well Sighted (Tony Sears)
October 20: Blackall Cup Open Hcp 1400m – Fab’s Cowboy (Bevan Johnson)
October 20: Innisfail Cup Open Hcp 2000m – Arm’s Race (Trevor Rowe)
Massive $26 million deal averts future racing strike
A DEAL struck between the Palaszczuk government and the Thoroughbred Alliance on Friday, October 26, will spell an extra $26 million in prizemoney and cancellation of proposed strike action at TAB race meetings on Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday, November 6.
The government welcomed the Alliance’s acceptance of the funding offer which will avert planned strike action on Melbourne Cup Day. However, the deal came too late to avoid the boycott by trainers, jockeys, owners and breeders last Saturday, October 27 – Cox Plate Day.
The increase in prize money will be delivered in two stages by Racing Queensland: An immediate $18 million increase on November 1; and, A further $8 million increase in six months. The deal was struck at a five hour roundtable meeting chaired by independent racing identity Gary Pemberton and attended by the Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad, Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, and representatives of Racing Queensland and the Alliance.
A former Chairman of Qantas Airways, NSW Racing and NSW TAB, and a former Australian Rugby League Commissioner, Mr Pemberton has significant commercial acumen and racing industry experience. He is also a Queensland-based Thoroughbred breeder.
The meeting resulted from industrial action instigated by Thoroughbred racing industry participants angry no extra prizemoney would be available from revenue generated by a new Point of Consumption (PoC) betting tax – an election commitment from the Palaszczuk government which came into effect on October 1 this year.
The Queensland racing industry lobbied to have all money raised – expected to be $70.9 million in the first year (2018-2019) rising to $101 million in 2021-2022 – to go back to the three codes. Instead, the government announced the PoC funds would be spent on racing infrastructure, and key community programs like the gambling helpline, emergency helicopter services and kids’ sports. The racing component included commitments of: $17.8 million to write-off 50 per cent of historical debt owed to government and a one-off payment of $20 million for investment in new greyhound and harness racing facilities.
Ms Trad said those commitments still stood and the new $26 million funding would come from consolidated revenue.
“Racing is now on track for a better future with extra funding in exchange for a commitment from the Thoroughbred Alliance to continue discussions and sign up to broader industry reforms,” she said.
