There are great horses, and then there are those rare horses that transcend the sport. Winx was that legend

If any single horse has truly transcended the sport of thoroughbred horse racing down under since the incredible Phar Lap raced in the 1930s, then it is most certainly Australia’s Wonder mare, the one and only showstopper, Winx. Trainer Chris Waller is convinced if he had prepared the mighty mare Winx for The Everest, she would have beaten the world’s best sprinters, despite not favouring the distance. That says all you need to know about the power and speed that Winx bought to the turf. She was the golden girl of Australian racing that stirred the imagination every time she took to the track. No superlative is too great when mentioning her name, and no horse was ever better in the modern era of thoroughbred racing down under. Winx was predominantly kept to a distance range of between 1400m to 2040m and won 33 races in succession to close out her career, including a world record 25 at Group One level. It was a stunning run unlikely to be repeated this century.

The Beginning

Winx is a bay mare bred in Australia by John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds. She was foaled in September 2011 at Coolmore Stud, in the Hunter Valley. Winx was sired by the Irish-bred Street Cry, who won the Dubai World Cup in 2002 before becoming a very successful breeding stallion in North America and Australasia. Winx's dam, Vegas Showgirl, (Al Akbar) was a stakes winner in New Zealand who was bought by Fairway Thoroughbreds in 2008 as a broodmare prospect for A$455,000. Winx stood and nursed soon after foaling and quickly stood out as "a leggy Elle MacPherson type." She was sold as a yearling for $230,000 at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast sale. The mare was part of a draft of horses from Coolmore Stud and was selected by Mulcaster Bloodstock to be purchased "to a budget" by a partnership of Magic Bloodstock Racing, Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis. The name "Winx" was inspired by her dam's name "Vegas Showgirl", and a memory of Treweeke that in Las Vegas burlesque shows from the 1970s and 1980s, "men in the front row would wink at the exotic dancers". Winx raced in Magic Bloodstock's silks: dark blue with white epaulettes and a large white "M" and was trained by Chris Waller.

Unlike many elite racehorses, Winx did not have a particularly long stride. Her stride was measured at 6.76 metres compared to nearly 8.5 metres for Black Caviar and Phar Lap. Rather, her success has been attributed to a "freakish" cadence that allows her to take 14 strides every 5 seconds, compared to 12 for her rivals. This meant she could settle or accelerate at any time during a race, making her a unique racing equine.

Racing career

After two racecourse trials, Winx made her competitive debut on 4 June 2014 in a maiden race and won over 1100m at Warwick Farm. Later that month, on her second and final race of the season, she won over 1400m at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney. Winx suffered the only losses of her racing career as a three-year-old, a fact that connections later attributed to her need to grow into herself. Winx recorded her first major success when she won the Gr.2 Furious Stakes over 1200m at Randwick on 6th September 2014. She finished unplaced twice in February 2015 before winning the Gr.2 Phar Lap Stakes against male opponents over 1500m at Rosehill in March. From there the mare failed twice, in the Vinery Stud and Australian Oaks. After having earned only one win in her last seven starts, Winx was dropped in class for the Gr.3 Sunshine Coast Guineas in May. She trailed the large field as they turned for home but finally found racing room and drew off to win by one and three quarter lengths from the colt Ulmann. She never lost again. In her final appearance of the season she started odds-on favourite for the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks at Doomben Racecourse and won by three and a half lengths to Ungrateful Ellen.

Winx began her four-year-old campaign in September 2015 by starting favourite for the Gr.2 Theo Marks Stakes over 1300 metres at Rosehill. After starting slowly, she moved to the outside of the field and closed rapidly to win by a head. The mare was on a roll and soon contested the 150th running of the Epsom Handicap over 1600m at Randwick. Starting favourite against thirteen opponents, she overcame serious interference on the final turn to win by two and a half lengths from the six-year-old gelding Ecuador. In October, Winx started favourite for Australia's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the Gr.1 Cox Plate over 2040 metres at Moonee Valley Racecourse. The field included an international element with Highland Reel from Ireland, Arod from England and Gailo Chop from France. The filly raced on the inside rail, broke clear of the field entering the straight and won by four and three quarter lengths from Criterion in a new race and course record time of 2:02.98, breaking Might and Power's 1998 race and course record by more than half a second.

Winx returned in autumn for two races at Randwick. In February she won the Gr.2 Apollo Stakes over 1400m and was then stepped back up to Gr.1 level for the 1600m Chipping Norton Stakes two weeks later, which she won comfortably from Dibayani. In the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill in March, she again won at short odds, beating Kermadec by one and a half lengths. On 2 April, the filly started odds-on favourite for the A$3 million Doncaster Mile at Randwick despite carrying top weight in on unsuitably soft ground. She looked unlikely to obtain a clear run in the straight but broke through in the closing stages to win by two lengths from Happy Clapper.

Winx began her next season in the Warwick Stakes over 1400 metres at Randwick in August, took the lead 300 metres out and drew away to win by three and half lengths from Hartnell. In September, she won the Gr.1 George Main Stakes pushing her earnings past the A$7,000,000 mark. She also extended her winning streak to 11, tying her with Kingston Town. In October she won the Caulfield Stakes against two competitors. Later in Oct the mare defended her W.S Cox Plate crown and showed her sheer turn-of-foot, taking off at the 600m and smashing the field by 8L with Hartnell a forlorn 2nd. She defeated Hartnell again in the Apollo Stakes after a short break and won her 2nd Chipping Norton on a heavy track, drifting from $1.10 to $1.22.

The victory extended Winx's winning streak to fifteen, surpassing Phar Lap's win streak of fourteen and tying her with Carbine and Bernborough. In March, Winx contested the George Ryder Stakes over 1500 metres on another rain-soaked course. Winx settled near the back of the pack after an awkward break, then started making up ground on the outside as they moved around the turn. Once they entered the straight, Winx drew off easily and won by 7 and a quarter lengths from Le Romain, with sprinter Chautauqua in third. Winx made her final start of the autumn at Royal Randwick in the QEII Stakes, the world's most valuable 2000m turf race with a purse of A$4 million. In the early running, she was positioned on the outside of the second group of runners, then made her move as they rounded the turn. Winx responded as they entered the straight, excellerating away to win by just over 5 lengths.

On 19 August 2017, Winx opened up her 6yo campaign with a second successive win in the Gr.2 Warwick Stakes to extend her winning streak to 18 races and her prize money above $13M. In the Chelmsford Stakes, Winx came close to breaking her winning streak in a challenging race, where with three lengths to make up Hugh Bowman dropped the whip. Under a hand ride, Winx continued to close ground and pulled clear in the final strides to win by a length to Red Excitment. Next up in September Winx was entered in the George Main Stakes where she was installed as the heavy fave. Winx seemed slow to respond from the rear, but then picked up her stride in mid stretch and swept to the lead, easing off slightly near the wire to win by 1 quarter lengths. Her time for the 1600 metre distance was a race record of 1:33.65. Her next start in October was the Turnbull Stakes, and the mare's first start at Flemington, which caused commuter chaos as race fans flocked to the track to see her run. Despite never being urged and easing up before the wire, Winx completed the final 400m in 22.71 seconds to win by 6+1⁄2 lengths. On 28 October, Winx extended her winning streak to 22 when she won the Cox Plate for the third time, matching  Kingston Town's incredible achievement. 

As Winx reached her 6yo season, the mare had already obtained immortal status as one of the greatest racing thoroughbreds to ever grace the Australian turf. Winx made the first start of her 7yo campaign on in August 2018, ironically in the Winx Stakes, which had been known as the Warwick Stakes before being renamed in her honour, now a Gr.1 event with a purse of $500,000. Winx drew away from the field and won eased up by two lengths over Invictus Prince, establishing several milestones in winning the race. She set an Australasian record by extending her winning streak to 26, bypassing Black Caviar who won 25 races in an undefeated career. She also extended her world record to 19 Gr.1 wins, while becoming the first seven-year-old mare to win a Gr.1 since Makybe Diva.

In September, Winx won the George Main Stakes for the third time, extending her win streak to 27 and her Group one win count to 20. Winx then travelled to Melbourne and won the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington in October. Later that same month, Winx was entered in the Gr.1 Cox Plate against seven other horses, swinging wide and then drawing off to win by two lengths over UK runner Benbatl, with Humidor closing late to finish third. Winx returned in February to win the the Gr.2 Apollo Stakes for a record third time. It was her 30th consecutive win. The time of 1:20.88 for 1400m broke the existing race record and was just short of Trapeze Artist's track record. In March, Winx won the Gr.1 Chipping Norton Stakes.

Legacy

Winx won the George Ryder Stakes over heavy ground in what was expected to be her final start at Rosehill; her home and training track. Winx triumphed in her last-ever start in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on 13 April 2019, starting in the outside barrier and scoring a third successive victory, which matched the feats of Carbine (1889-91) and David (1921-23). The win increased her earnings to over A$26 million. The mighty mare had been unbeaten, with 33 wins in succession and had written her name into the record books many times over. Winx transcended greatness to cement herself as one of the immortal few.

Winx was retired to broodmare duty for the 2019 breeding season, which in Australia begins in September. Her connections announced that her first mating would be with I Am Invincible, but unfortunately she lost her first foal. After missing a breeding season the following year to give her time to recover, it was announced in late 2021 that Winx was in foal to the stallion Pierro. She foaled a filly in October 2022 that will be offered at public auction in 2024 and could threaten the $5 million mark at the Inglis Easter Sales. Debbie Kepitis, whose family owns and runs the Woppitt Bloodstock operation purchased the filly at the Sydney sales in April 2024 for a record breaking $10 million dollars, double the previous record for Black Caviar's half brother. Coolmore Australia supremo Tom Magnier prepared the Pierro-Winx filly for the Easter Yearling Sale and said the stunning result was a reflection of the strength of Australian racing and breeding.

Winx just took us to a level we weren't used to, especially after witnessing the brilliance of Black Caviar within the same era. Although some argue she faced a moderate lot over her time on the track, there is no escaping her sheer brilliance, sweeping turn-of-foot and determined will to win every raceday. Chris Waller looked after her well-being impressively, and jockey Hugh Bowman ensured she gave every run her best shot without fail. Winx will be remembered as the horse of a lifetime and it was just majestic that we were all around to watch it happen.

RACE RECORD - 43: 37-3-0
EARNINGS - A$26,421,176

Furious Stakes (2014)
Phar Lap Stakes (2015)
Sunshine Coast Guineas (2015)
Queensland Oaks (2015)
Theo Marks Stakes (2015)
Epsom Handicap (2015)
W. S. Cox Plate (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Apollo Stakes (2016, 2017, 2019)
Chipping Norton Stakes (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
George Ryder Stakes (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Doncaster Handicap (2016)
Warwick/Winx Stakes (2016, 2017, 2018)
George Main Stakes (2016, 2017, 2018)
Caulfield Stakes (2016)
Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2017, 2018, 2019)
Chelmsford Stakes (2017)
Turnbull Stakes (2017, 2018)

DOWNUNDERPUNTER.COM