Wonder horse Winx won an extraordinary 17 races in a row, after taking out the $4m Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in Sydney.
Hugh Bowman rode the mare to victory from an ideal barrier placing, coming from the outside to overtake Hartnell, who was followed by Sense of Occassion.
The win puts Winx one step closer to Black Caviar’s record of 25 wins, almost four years to the day since she won her 25th race on the same track. Despite the comparisons, Black Caviar only ever raced past 1200m once, while Winx has surged to glory at a distance of 1600-2000m.
Speaking after the win, jockey Bowman said it had been “hard to ignore the expectation” on the mare leading up to the race.
“I must admit, even on the main event day, Cox Plate day, today, [I was just] a little more edgy than the rest of the time,” he said.
“I know she is ready and everything has gone to plan so far, and [that’s] the beautiful thing about sport – and I’m a sports lover – is it’s unpredictable. I’ve got to savour the moment. She is such a special equine athlete and I’m so proud of her.”
