Winx Horse Racing Profile: Where Is She Now?

So often horse racing is about your local course, state or country. In truth, the reputation of very few horses transcends their country of origin. It takes a very special horse to do that, to feature in the column inches on the back pages of sporting tabloids.

Never forget we live in a competitive world. Sometimes, you cannot even see the competition – but it’s there.

It’s not easy to win one solitary horse race. Only a small percent win at Listed class. From a horse racing pool of thousands, it’s a drop in the ocean to win at Group 1.

Classic, don’t make me laugh!

There comes a point where even money cannot buy success.

A combination of pure talent, good physicality, expert training and an ounce of luck makes a winner.

Name a few racing greats? 

Horses that have found global fame. They cross generations, even decades, if not centuries, and still live on. They made a film of Phar Lap for a reason. Secretariat lives long in the hearts and minds of men not just from the 1970s. And don’t get me started about wonder horse Frankel.

Sometimes you need a long introduction fitting for a wonder mare who always flew the Australian flag with honour and pride.

She didn’t need to conquer Europe.

Winx.

There’s something about that name. I think it means win times ten, x being the Roman numeral.

Being from the United Kingdom, England, it took a while for us Brits to learn about Winx. Yes, I guess we are slow learners! However, us Poms love our racing and we know a good horse when we see one. I can’t remember the exact date I first become aware of this wonder horse, but it was probably in the latter part of her career. It was probably related to Royal Ascot and hopes this daughter of Street Cry would settle a few scores across the pond.

Winx was foaled on 14th September 2011. This daughter of Street Cry out of a mare named Vegas Showgirl was bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds in the ownership of Magic Bloodstock Racing, R G Treweeke & D N Kepitis. This bay was trained by Chris Waller and predominantly ridden by jockey Hugh Bowman.

Her racing career spanned from 2014 – 2019.

Winx was remarkable on so many fronts. She wasn’t a horse to let the grass grow under her hoofs. She raced 43 times, winning 37 races and runner-up on three occasions. She achieved total earning of $26, 421, 176.

She secured 35 major wins including:

• Furious Stakes (2014) 

• Phar Lap Stakes (2015) 

• Sunshine Coast Guineas (2015) 

• Queensland Oak (2015) 

• Theo Marks Stakes (2015) 

• Epsom Handicap (2015) 

• W. S. Cox Plate (2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018) 

• Apollo Stakes (2016, 2017 & 2019) 

• Chipping Norton Stakes (2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019) 

• George Ryder Stakes (2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019) 

• Doncaster Handicap (2016) 

• Warwick/Winx Stakes (2016, 2017 & 2018) 

• George Main Stakes (2016, 2017 & 2018) 

• Caulfield Stakes (2016) 

• Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2017, 2018 & 2019) 

• Turnball Stakes (2017 & 2018) 

25 Group One successes. 

The winner of her last 33 races on the bounce.

Her honours include: Australian Racing Hall of Fame 2017. Australian postage stamp issue. Statues at Moonee Valley and Rosehill Gardens.

As a racehorse she achieved Goddess-like status. Winning over distances from 5 1/2f – 1m 4f. Exceptional.

Winx concluded her racing career on the 13th April 2019. She won at Randwick: Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes Group 1 (3yo+) (Turf) 1m 2f (Going: Good) beating Kluger by 1 ½ lengths, ‘comfortably’.

Winx retired in 2019 for the breeding season, which begins in September. Her first foal was sired by stallion I Am Invincible, but sadly stillborn. She was given a year to recover from the experience and in late 2021 it was announced she had given birth to a healthy filly to stallion Pierro. However, she will not have a foal in 2023 after an ill-fated meeting with Snitzel when she failed to get in-foal.

Her name is honoured by many horse races. The Winx Guineas odds are worth noting for this race which takes place at the Sunshine Coast Racing Club. It’s part of the Queensland Winter Carnival, Corbold Park Racecourse, taking place on the 1st July 2023.

This three-year-old contest is over one mile (1600m). This Group 3 race began in 2000, and gained its current status in 2014. The race was renamed the Winx Guineas in 2020 (previously the Sunshine Coast Guinea, Group 3) and has total prize money of $200,000.

In 2022, the Winx Guineas was won by Majestic Colour, trained by Kelly Schweida and ridden by James Orman.

Winx is a horse that captured the imagination of all horse racing fans across the globe. Her achievements and placement to win so many races is the mark of an exceptional race horse, training and jockey ship.

Here’s to a happy retirement.

Good luck to all.

Photo: Canva (free)