While she may not represent any real betting value, horse-racing enthusiast will want to tune in this Saturday to watch what might be one of the greatest race-mares in horse-racing history. That doesn’t mean in the mare’s native Australia, that means anywhere in the world.
Winx is set to attempt to win her 15th consecutive start in Saturday’s Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes, where she is schedule to go up against the nation’s top males at Royal Randwick Racecourse, outside of Sydney. The Chipping Norton Stakes will be run at a distance of 1600 meters (about one mile) on grass for a total purse of AUD $600,000 under weight-for-age conditions.
Currently, Winx is listed at 1-9 odds to carry the day. She will be attempting to eclipse the 15 straight wins recorded by the incomparable Phar Lap back in the 1920s and 30s. Her current streak includes nine Group 1s against the highest levels of competition. The fact she has won back-to-back runnings of the prestigious WS Cox Plate serves as a testament to the immense quality of this 6-year old mare out of champion Street Cry. It’s worth noting Winx’s last loss came in April of 2015 when she finished second in the Group 1 Australian Oaks over less that good ground.
Coming into this race, Winx has already amassed a champion caliber racing season, which runs from July of 2016 to June of 2017 in Australia. Her undefeated record over five starts puts her on track to complete the season on the way to her third straight “Australian Horse of the Year” title.
Racing for connections that include owners Magic Bloodstock Racing (Mgr: P G Tighe), R G Treweeke & Mrs D N Kepitis and trainer Chris Waller, Winx is scheduled to continue on to the George Ryder Stakes in early March. Assuming everything goes off without a hitch, the last race of this brilliant mare’s race career would most likely be the $4 million Group I Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 8. If she were to win out her last 3 races, she would head off into retirement with a stellar racing record of 27 starts, 21 win and 3 seconds for total purses of close to AUD $13.0 million.
If not for perceived distance limitations, Winx might have claimed a victory or two in the world’s most prestigious race for stayers, the Melbourne Cup. As a brilliant racehorse with a tremendous, push-button turn of foot, the connections decided early on to keep Winx at distances of less that 2400 meters (1 ½ miles), though she has won in the past at a distance of 2200 meters ( 1 3/8 miles).
With Hartnell listed as the next closest in odds at 10-1, this really isn’t a great opportunity to make a wager since Winx has already defeated Hartnell on five or six other occasions. Instead. Bettors might want to look to take advantage of this offer, a free bet no deposit required for the Grand National. The Grand National Steeplechase is schedule for April 8, 2017 at Aintree Racecourse in England.
