Winx (foaled 14 September 2011) is a retired champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and active broodmare. She won 37 of 43 career starts, including, between May 2015 and her retirement in April 2019, her last 33 races in succession, including 25 Group 1s (a world record), at distances ranging from 1300 metres (roughly 6+1⁄2 furlongs) to 2200 metres (roughly 11 furlongs). In the World's Best Racehorse Rankings, she was the second-ranked filly or mare in 2015, improving in 2016 to become both the world's top-ranked filly or mare and the world's top-ranked turf horse. She retained this ranking in 2017 and in 2018 was co-ranked as the best horse in the world. In 2017 she was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, only the third horse to earn this honour while still in training. Over her career, she earned more than 26 million Australian dollars.
Winx began her racing career with three straight wins but then won only one race in her next seven starts. Towards the end of her three-year-old campaign, she rebounded to win two races in May 2015, including the Group 1 Queensland Oaks, to start her winning streak. As a four-year-old, she was named the 2015/6 Australian Horse of the Year and middle distance champion after a seven race campaign that included wins in the W. S. Cox Plate and Doncaster Mile. In the 2016/7 season, she successfully defended her 2015 Cox Plate win with a commanding eight length victory over rival Hartnell. She completed the season with a win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and was again named Horse of the Year.
For the 2017/18 season, she earned her third Horse of the Year honour after recording seven straight wins, including her third victories in the Cox Plate, Chipping Norton and George Ryder and her second win in the Queen Elizabeth. In the 2018/19 season, Winx began her seven-year-old campaign on 18 August in a race renamed in her honour and in doing so extended her winning streak to an Australasian record of 26, since extended to 33. Winx became the first horse in history to win the prestigious Cox Plate four times. She won the 2018 Secretariat Vox Populi Award, the top choice among race fans in a record 60 countries.
She finished her career on 13 April 2019 at Randwick racecourse by winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes for the third time. She was then retired to be a broodmare.
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Background
Winx is a bay mare bred in Australia by John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds. She was foaled on 14 September 2011 at Coolmore Stud, Jerrys Plains in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. She 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. His other progeny included Zenyatta, Street Sense, Shocking and Whobegotyou. Winx's dam, Vegas Showgirl, 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. She was part of a draft of horses from Coolmore Stud and was selected by Mulcaster Bloodstock (Guy Mulcaster) to be purchased "to a budget" by a partnership of Magic Bloodstock Racing (owned by Peter Tighe and his wife Patty), Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis (daughter of famed owner Bob Ingham). 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 does not have a particularly long stride – her stride was measured at 6.76 metres (22.2 ft) compared to nearly 8.5 metres (28 ft) 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 means she can settle or accelerate at any time during a race", said Dr. Graeme Putt, who has studied the science of racehorse success. "I think this makes her unique."
Racing career
2013/14: two-year-old season
After two racecourse trials, Winx made her competitive debut on 4 June 2014 in a maiden race and won over 1100 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse. Later that month, on her second and final race of the season, she won over 1400 metres at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney.
2014/15: three-year-old season
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. "For her first two years in training, physically, she was just catching up with herself", said bloodstock manager Peter O'Brien. "Chris [Waller] managed her beautifully — he never overtaxed her." In ten starts that year, she earned four wins and finished second three times.
Winx recorded her first major success when she won the Group 2 Furious Stakes over 1200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on 6 September 2014. She then finished second to First Seal in both the Tea Rose Stakes and the Flight Stakes before being given a summer break.
She finished unplaced twice in February 2015 before winning the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes against male opponents over 1500 metres at Rosehill on 14 March. Two weeks later at the same track, she was stepped up in distance for the Vinery Stud Stakes against other fillies but finished unplaced behind Fenway. She started 9/5 favourite for the Australian Oaks over 2400 metres at Randwick on 11 April but was beaten by the 16/1 outsider Gust of Wind, the last race before her winning streak began.
After having earned only one win in her last seven starts, Winx was dropped in class for the Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas on 16 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. "At the 1000m I thought 'This is not good.' At the 600m it was even worse. I was in an impossible position", said jockey Larry Cassidy. "I just made the decision to come to the outside. If I was going to get beat, I didn't want it to be because I was on the inside behind horses. That was just breathtaking."
On her final appearance of the season she started odds-on favourite for the Group 1 Queensland Oaks on 30 May at Doomben Racecourse and won by three and a half lengths from Ungrateful Ellen.
2015/16: four-year-old season
After running in a trial at Warwick Farm, Winx began her four-year-old campaign on 12 September 2015 by starting favourite for the Group 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 from the outsider Sons of John. Jockey James McDonald said, "She took a bit to get going. I just let her flop out and then let her gather momentum."
Three weeks later she contested the 150th running of the Epsom Handicap over 1600 metres 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. Her weight of 57 kilograms (126 lb) was the highest ever carried to victory in the race by a female. Speaking after the race, her trainer Chris Waller commented "For her to pick herself up after that and put herself back in the race before bursting through like she did, it was pretty special. Her winning strike rate separates her from a lot of horses. She overcomes barrier draws, track conditions and distances. She had a long three-year-old year. She has been everywhere and she is still firing. For her to come back as a four-year-old is pretty special."
On 24 October, Winx started favourite for Australia's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the Cox Plate over 2040 metres at Moonee Valley Racecourse. The field included an international element with Highland Reel (Secretariat Stakes) from Ireland, Arod (Diomed Stakes, Summer Mile Stakes) from England and Gailo Chop (Prix Guillaume d'Ornano) 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. After the race, her jockey Hugh Bowman said "She's a group 1 mare, she's a serious racehorse. From the 800, I was very confident".
Winx earned a rating of 123 for the Cox Plate, which placed her in a tie for eighth in the 2015 World's Best Racehorse Rankings. In comparison to other fillies and mares, she ranked only behind Treve and tied for second with Beholder.
After a three and a half month break, Winx returned in autumn for two races at Randwick. On 13 February 2016 she won the Group 2 Apollo Stakes over 1400 metres and was then stepped back up to Group 1 level for the 1600 metre Chipping Norton Stakes two weeks later. Starting the odds-on favourite, she won by a length and a half from Dibayani with Hauraki a length away in third. Bowman, who had ridden many major winners including So You Think, described her as "the best I have had anything to do with."
2016/17: five-year-old season
Winx began her next season in the Warwick Stakes over 1400 metres at Randwick on 20 August. She took the lead 300 metres out and drew away to win by three and half lengths from Hartnell. She was entered in the Chelmsford Stakes on 3 September but scratched due to the heavy going. On 17 September, she won the Group I George Main Stakes (also known as the Colgate Optic White Stakes), pushing her lifetime earnings past the A$7,000,000 mark. She also extended her winning streak to 11, tying her with Kingston Town.
On 8 October, Winx faced only two rivals in the Caulfield Stakes. Black Heart Bart set the early pace, then Winx moved alongside on the turn while on the wrong lead. In the final 200m (one furlong), she switched to the right lead and drew off.
On 22 October, Winx faced a stiffer challenge in her attempt to defend her 2015 win in the Cox Plate. Her leading rival was Hartnell, whose form had significantly improved since the two met in the Warwick, making him the early favourite for the Melbourne Cup. The field also included several other Group One winners such as Black Heart Bart, Hauraki, Lucia Valentina and Yankee Rose. Bowman placed Winx to the outside of Hartnell during the early running then released her with 600 metres remaining. Winx moved to a two length lead at the top of the straight and continued to draw away, eventually winning by a record eight lengths from Hartnell. It was her thirteenth consecutive win, including nine Group One victories, and took her past Black Caviar and So You Think in career earnings. "We were a long way away but we weren't disgraced", said David Vandyke, trainer of Yankee Rose who finished third. "We can say we got beaten by Winx."
Timeform increased her rating to 133p, "with the possibility of even better to come". The IFHA gave her an initial rating of 130, subsequently increased to 132, making her both the top-ranked filly/mare and top-ranked turf horse in the world for 2016. The 132 rating is tied with Black Caviar as the highest rating ever assigned to a filly or mare.
When asked what set Winx apart from other competitors, Bowman said, "She is so well-balanced, light on her feet, and she can accelerate very quickly. But it is her will-to-win and her determination that makes her so good. I’ve never ridden a horse like her."
2017/18: six-year-old season
On 19 August 2017, Winx opened up her six-year-old campaign with a second successive win in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes to extend her winning streak to 18 races and her prize money above $13M. The race did not go to plan, however, as she was left at the barriers, missing the start by some four lengths. Her stablemate Foxplay kicked clear into the straight, and Hugh Bowman on Winx had to ease her into the race. Coming from last on the turn and still last at the 300m mark, she lengthened stride and finished fast to run Foxplay down right on the line to win by a half neck in a "remarkable" effort.
Concerned by the poor start in the Warwick, Waller decided to add ear muffs to Winx's racing equipment to help her relax – she had always worn them during trackwork but previously had them removed in the parade ring before racing. She made her next start on 2 September in the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick. This time she broke well and settled near the front of the main pack. On the lead, Red Excitement set a quick pace and opened up a large lead of five lengths to the second place horse, who in turn was over five lengths in front of Winx. Turning into the straight, Winx moved into second but still had five lengths to make up on Red Excitement with 450m remaining. At the 200m mark, she still had three lengths to make up when 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.
"At the top of the straight I wasn't worried last start, but today I really was", said Bowman. "What she did today was incredible, I mean everything she does is incredible, but I'm lost for words... He (Red Excitement) certainly made a race of it. He left no stone unturned. I was comfortable in the first quarter of the race but I could see what was happening so I started to make my way a bit closer from the 900-metre mark but I still had to stay within myself... I'm concentrating on just keeping her balanced but when she hit the afterburners at the 150-metre mark today, I just can't explain the feeling."
On 16 September, Winx was entered in the George Main Stakes where she was installed as the heavy favorite. She broke well but soon settled near the back of the pack, well off the fast pace set by Red Excitement. She was not moving well and Bowman struck her with the whip with 600 metres remaining. Rounding into the straight, she was still near the rear of the field, some eight lengths behind Red Excitement. From mid-pack, Happy Clapper made his move near the top of the straight and took command of the race. Winx seemed slow to respond but then picked up her stride in mid stretch and swept to the lead, then eased off slightly near the wire to win by 1+1⁄4 lengths. Her time for the 1600-metre distance was a race record of 1:33.65.
2018/19: seven-year-old season
Winx made the first start of her seven-year-old campaign on 18 August 2018 in the Winx Stakes, which had been known as the Warwick Stakes before being renamed in her honour. Now a Group 1 event with a purse of $500,000, the race attracted a field of 11 including Kementari (Randwick Guineas), the only other horse under 10–1. Winx attracted several large bets including one for $140,000. She settled near the back of the field after breaking evenly, then improved her position around the turn to mid-pack. She swung wide and entered the straight beside Kementari, who was unable to match her acceleration and could only finish fourth. Winx drew away from the field and won eased up by two lengths over Invictus Prince.
Despite the comfortable win, her connections admitted to being worried at the top of the straight. Bowman pointed out that the mare had not run recently at the sprint distance of 1,400 metres (7.0 furlongs), and she had had trouble keeping up with the early pace. "When she balanced up and saw the winning post, what can I say", he said. "She is incredible."
Waller commented that instead of losing a step with age, Winx was possibly still improving. Chief steward Marc van Gestel agreed. "She was so dominant and obviously she is getting better. She looked amazing and will improve off this run. I think they will be chasing her for the rest of the spring."
Winx established 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. The two longest winning streaks are by Camarero (56 successive wins in restricted company in Puerto Rico) and Hungarian mare Kincsem (54 wins while undefeated). Winx became the first mare to win three renewals of the Warwick/Winx Stakes, and only the third horse overall (Kingston Town and Limerick being the others). She also extended her world record to 19 Group 1 wins, while becoming the first seven-year-old mare to win a Group 1 since Makybe Diva.
On 15 September, Winx won the George Main Stakes for the third time, extending her win streak to 27 and her Group 1 win count to 20. The favourite in a field of seven, she (as usual) galloped near the back of the pack early then started her move with 600m remaining before accelerating as they entered the straight. For several strides, she failed to make up ground on Le Romain, who had accelerated at roughly the same time. Winx then picked up her stride rate and drew clear, winning by four lengths.
Racing summary
The following form is based on information available on Racing.com
Honours
On 17 May 2017, it was announced that Winx would be inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, becoming only the third horse after Sunline and Black Caviar to be so honored while still in training. Coincidentally all three are mares.
The Australian Turf Club announced on 25 October 2017 that the Warwick Stakes, which Winx won in both 2016 and 2017, would be renamed in her honour. Previously a Group 2 race, it was upgraded to Group 1 status after Winx's 2017 win. On 18 August 2018, Winx won this race and become only the second horse in history (after Black Caviar) to win a race named in its honour. After her win in the Winx, Australia Post announced the release of a stamp issue in her honour, including a 26 stamp pack commemorating each race in her win streak up to that time.
On 2 December 2018, it was announced that Winx had won the 2018 Secretariat Vox Populi Award, earning top votes from online racing fans in a record 60 countries. "The fact that both the American public and voters abroad were not limited by international borders is a wonderful testament to the growth of the award and the winner's global appeal", said Kate Chenery Tweedy, the daughter of the award's founder Penny Chenery. "Winx represents everything Mom envisioned when she created this award and reaffirms her notion that a beloved horse will captivate fans and draw interest to the sport no matter where they race."
In the 2018 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, Winx was named joint best racehorse in the world alongside Cracksman with a rating of 130. In early April 2019 she was again rated atop the Longines World's Best Racehorse rankings. On the back of her Apollo and Chipping Norton Stakes wins she rated at 125, equal with Hong Kong-based Beauty Generation and the USA's City of Light.
In May 2019, it was announced that the new grand stand currently being built at Randwick Racecourse would be named the Winx Stand in her honour. It will open in early 2022. On 24 October 2020, a statue by Louis Laumen showing her winning her fourth Cox Plate was unveiled at Moonee Valley Racecourse.
In October 2019, Winx was awarded the Sport Australia Hall of Fame 'Spirit of Sport Award'. She joined Makybe Diva and Black Caviar in winning this prestigious award.
Retirement
Winx was retired to broodmare duty for the 2019 breeding season, which in Australia begins in September. On 24 June 2019, her connections announced that her first mating would be with I Am Invincible. On October 13, 2020, it was announced that Winx had lost her foal (a filly) being stillborn.
After missing a breeding season the following year to give her time to recover and get over the tragedy, it was announced in late 2021 that Winx was in foal to the stallion Pierro. She foaled a filly on the evening of 7 October.
On 8 April 2024, Winx's only living foal sold for a record $10 million (AUD) at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. The winning bidder was Winx's part-owner Debbie Kepitis (Woppitt Bloodstock). The price was a world record for a filly and an Australian yearling record.
Pedigree
Winx is inbred 5 x 5 to Natalma, meaning Natalma appears twice in the fifth generation of Winx's pedigree as the dam of both Raise the Standard and Northern Dancer.