Facing the starter for the first time since an unbeaten 2015/16 racing season with seven wins including five at Group One level, Winx was simply sensational.
Winx sat second to Rebel Dane for much of the race before racing to the front in the straight with all other runners in the feature weight-for-age event under intense pressure.
For connections of the five-year-old the win was a relief – their star living up to the expectations of punters and race fans in the best possible style. Her winning margin was three and a half lengths.
“That’s the heat at the Olympics out of the way,” trainer Chris Waller said. “We’ve just got the semi-finals and the final to come.”
“Her track work has been great and her trials been adequate and the last week has been brilliant with her.”
“She is just like another member of the team,” Waller added. “She likes to be left alone in the corner of the stable and that’s her – leave her alone and she’s happy.”
“She takes everything so seriously and really knows to switch on raceday. We’ve got a good jockey and a great stable staff to look after her and her stablemates.”
Winning rider Hugh Bowman was glowing after the race – declaring the win as easy.
“I don’t like carried away and it was a field full of stayers but it’s hard not to get carried away with a horse like her – she is something special and it’s an honour to be on her back,” Bowman said.
“She put herself there and relaxed beautifully. Rebel Dane just couldn’t take me far enough and I don’t think she’s been as quick before as she was today.”
“When she let down it was a special feeling and I’m looking forward to feeling it again,” Bowman added.
Winx, a daughter of Street Cry, now boasts an incredible race record of 14 wins and three minor placings from just 20 starts. Her earnings now sit at over $6.8 million.
A $230,000 purchase from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Winx was purchased by Magic Bloodstock.
The Fairway Thoroughbred bred champion is raced by Peter Tighe’s Magic Bloodstock Syndicate in partnership with Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis.
“There’s always worries,” a delighted Kepitis said. “But she just towed Hughie in. She knew what she wanted to do.”
“She’s just the best. She is the bee’s knees.”
“She was always in second gear,” fellow part owner Peter Tighe said. “We’re just so happy to have her back. Things are looking great for the future.”
She is one of two stakes winners from two to race for the stakes winning Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl.
A winner of the listed Soliloquy Stakes as a two-year-old, Vegas Showgirl has quickly established herself as one of the country’s most valuable broodmares. Her other runner is last season’s group winning juvenile El Divino.
Meanwhile, consistent South Australian mare Rocket Commander scored the biggest win of her career when she proved too strong in the listed Penny Edition Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville.
Prepared by Wayne Francis and Glen Kent, Rocket Commander has been an incredible money spinner for her connections after being purchased for just $3,500 from the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
The daughter of Court Command, bred in the Adelaide Hills by Greg Hicks, has now earned almost $250,000 with six wins and 14 minor placings from 32 lifetime starts.
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