Record-Breaking Twentieth Group One for Winx

Mark Smith - Saturday September 15

Winx took her Group 1 bounty to a mind-boggling 20 when winning her third consecutive $500,000 Colgate Optic White George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.

With a solid pace set by stablemate Religify, Winx needed a reminder from Hugh Bowman coming around the home turn but once balanced up she overpowered Le Romain by four lengths with Egg Tart back in third. (photos Steve Hart)


"I didn't expect them to go quite that fast and at the corner, while I didn't feel in danger, I felt that she may not be as dominant as she usually is but when that turbo kicked in at the 250 metres it was all over," Bowman said.

"She just knows what she is doing now. I used to control her through the gears to help her know where and when to give full energy. She knows now and I'm learning with her. It's the first time I have niggled her around the corner in a 1600 metre race but that's due to the pace they were going and she is racing the best in the country.

"She gives so many people so much to look forward to even those with not so much to look forward to in life.

"She is just a marvel and I doubt we will see anything like her in our lifetime."


Winning trainer Chris Waller said the next start for Winx had not been locked in.

"We'll see how she pulls up. We are thinking about a Cox Plate obviously and the best way to get her there is to take one run at a time," he said.

"I'd say it would be in Melbourne."

 

A 7yo daughter of Street Cry (IRE), Winx advances her record to 31 an3 seconds from 37 starts with earnings of $19,582,425.

A half-sister to Group III ATC Kindergarten Stakes winner El Divino, Winx was a $230,000 purchase by Magic Bloodstock out of the Coolmore draft at the 2013 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Her dam Vegas Showgirl, a dual Listed stakes-winning daughter of Al Akbar, was a $455,000 purchase by Colm Santry Bloodstock at the 2008 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Vegas Showgirl has a 2yo Snitzel filly named Courchevel and a yearling filly by Exceed And Excel named Covent Garden.

She was bred back to Exceed and Excel last spring but failed to conceive.

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