Winx Smashes Through $10 Million Barrier

When the great Zenyatta broke the North American record for Grade I victories by a mare who could have foreseen another daughter of Street Cry (IRE) would mount a serious challenge to that seemingly unbreakable record.

Yet, when Winx ploughed through the mud outclassing some of the best WFA performers in the nation by upwards of seven and a quarter lengths in Saturday's $1 million Group I China Horse Club George Ryder Stakes (1500m) she took her Group 1 wins to 11, two shy of Zenyatta, while taking her winning sequence to 16.

With regular rider Hugh Bowman in the saddle, Winx was last to begin but she closed on the leaders with such contemptuous ease it was just a matter of how far well before the field turned for home.

Given little more than a shake of the reins, Winx put seven and a half-lengths on triple Group 1 winner Le Romain ($10) with 4-time Group I winner Chautauqua ($9) another one and a quarter lengths back in third. (photo Steve Hart)

This could well have been the most dominant performance in her illustrious career.

"I feel like she is in the prime of her career, Bowman said.

"I expected more tempo early but I knew on the way to the barriers she meant business today."

The ever emotional Chris Waller said he just marvels at the heights the daughter of Street Cry has scaled.

"Unbelievable, just unbelievable," trainer Chris Waller said.

"I just can't explain the feelings and emotions whenever she races.

"The responsibility that comes with training her is something I've never experienced before.

"It's something we take very seriously and that's why she's running today or she would have been scratched. Simple as that."

"Like all horses you have to see how they come through the run," Waller said.

"Running them on heavy tracks is a lot harder than running them on good tracks so you have to be mindful of that.

" The Queen Elizabeth is where we want to be next."

With her 18^th stakes win, Wink advances her overall record to 20 wins and 3 seconds from 26 starts with earnings of  $10,438,925.

 Bred by John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds, Winx was a $230,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Coolmore draft for Peter Tighe's Magic Bloodstock.

A half-sister to Group III Kindergarten Stakes winner El Divino, Winx is out of the Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl who has a 2yo colt by Snitzel that was purchased for $2,300,000 out of the Segenhoe Stud draft by Gai Waterhouse Racing / J Blaxland at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling sale.

Vegas Showgirl foaled a Snitzel filly on September 7 and was bred back to Exceed And Excel.