Official 2017 Turnbull Stakes Results: Winx Wins by 6.5 Lengths!
When Winx wins the Turnbull Stakes today at Flemington, her first start at Headquarters, even more people outside of the racing aficionados will know this mighty mare’s name.
Winx chases her 21st straight victory in the 2017 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington today. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Like Phar Lap, Makybe Diva and Black Caviar, Winx has stolen the spotlight in her sport – horse racing – but it is not just the mad turf fans who will be tuning in this afternoon as she chases her 21st straight victory.
The fairy tale has taken over water-cooler conversation and with an all-time prize money record within reach, Winx the horse is fast becoming Winx the legend.
So what should you know about Winx? Below we run over some of the key Winx facts and stats for you to drop into your next race chat.
And don’t forget to get the best Winx odds in the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) today and lock her in to equal Kingston Town’s three Group 1 $3 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) wins next-up through Ladbrokes.com.au.
WINX THE HORSE
Breeding:
By Street Cry out of Vegas Showgirl
Trainer:
Chris Waller. Waller is a master Sydney trainer and chases a second Turnbull Stakes victory after the success of Preferment in 2015.
Ownership:
Magic Bloodstock Racing, Mr R G Treweeke, Mrs D N Kepitis
Racing fans will recognise Debbie Kepitis most out of Winx’s owners, especially as she has donned the same blue, purple and black suit in nearly all of the mare’s 20 straight wins leading up to the Turnbull Stakes out of superstition.
Racing Colours:
The blue silks belong to Magic Bloodstock and part-owner Peter Tighe.
Why Winx?
Her 85-year-old part-owner Richard Treweeke revealed the somewhat bizarre story behind the name that has become a regular in the racing wrap-up headlines. She’s out of the mare Vegas Showgirl and Treweeke re going to Vegas back in his heyday, winking at the showgirls and having them “Winx” [sic] back!
Career Record to Date:
- 30 starts
- 24 wins
- 3 seconds
- 13 Group 1 victories
- 3 Melbourne runs
- 2 Cox Plates
- 20 Wins in a Row
Age:
Six-year-old
Birth Date:
September 14, 2011 in the Hunter Valley at Coolmore Stud.
Purchase Price:
$230,000 from the 2013 Magic Millions Yearling Sales at the Gold Coast. She was Lot 329 and sold by breeder John Camilleri who would have had no idea what heroic racing feats the then one-year-old would achieve.
Prize Money:
$13,475,425
Winx sits second on the all-time Australian Racehorse Prize Money list only to triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva ($14,526,685)
Size:
16.1 Hands
Weight:
530kg
Jockey:
Hugh Bowman is known as the regular rider of Winx having partnered the super mare 20 times to date for 19 wins. His only loss aboard the champion was the second to First Seal in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) in October of 2014. The only other jockeys to ride Winx during her winning streak are Larry Cassidy (2015 Sunshine Coast Guineas) and James McDonald (2015 Theo Marks Stakes). The other jockeys to get a taste aboard Winx are Tommy Berry, Jason Collett and Brazilian hoop Joao Moreira who is the only one of those not to have won a race with her.
Her Debut:
Winx debuted as a two-year-old filly in a no-maiden-wins race against her own age / sex at Warwick Farm on June 4, 2014. She won first-up with Jason Collett in the saddle defeating Felines by three-quarters of a length.
First Loss:
At career start number four Winx suffered her first loss at the hands of First Seal running second as the beaten $1.70 favourite in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on September 20, 2014.
Last Loss:
Winx hasn’t been defeated since she ran two and a half-lengths back for second behind Gust Of Wind in the Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) at Royal Randwick in April of 2015. While Winx went to another level after that, Gust Of Wind never won again with her closest effort in her nine subsequent runs being a fourth to Mongolian Khan in the 2015 Caulfield Cup. She retired earlier this year.
When the Winning Streak Began:
Winx’s current 20 straight victories started at the Sunshine Coast in Queensland on May 16, 2015 in the Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m), which she won by one and three-quarter lengths with Larry Cassidy aboard.
First Group 1 Win:
Winx first became a Group 1 winner one race after the Sunshine Coast Guineas, taking out the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Doomben on May 30, 2015. She has gone on to win 13 Group 1 races leading into the Turnbull Stakes third only to Black Caviar (15) and Kingston Town (14).
First Run in Melbourne:
Leading-up to the Turnbull Stakes Winx has had only three Victorian starts. The first saw her win the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) on October 24, 2015 by four and three-quarter lengths defeating Criterion.
Smallest Field:
Winx defeated just two horses in last year’s Group 1 Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes (2000m) when Black Heart Bart (2nd) and He Or She (3rd) were the only rivals taking her on.
Biggest Field:
The biggest field of rivals Winx has defeated to date was for that opening Group 1 success when she defeated 15 other fillies in the 2015 Queensland Oaks.
Largest Winning Margin:
Winx made history in her second Cox Plate success in 2016 defeating Hartnell by a record eight lengths.
Hall of Fame:
Winx was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in May of 2017. She ed Black Caviar and Sunline as mares to do so during their racing career.
