THERE have been some wonderful racing females bred in the Hunter Valley since breeding in the region began, but to date none as yet have been inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, one only instigated in 2001 and still catching up on notables of the past.
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Worthy candidates of last century from the Hunter Valley appear to be Denise’s Joy, Wiggle, Citius, Evening Peal, Lady Medalist (born 1906), Triscay, Bounding Away and Fairy Walk, to mention a few. None of these, however, appear better qualified for Hall of fame honours than Winx, the mare with the smooth porche gear changes who cruised to her eleventh successive win in the Group1 George Main (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
It was Winx’s sixth Group1 in then sequence, being preceded in ascending order by the Epsom, Cox Plate, Chipping Norton, George Ryder and Doncaster. Including $1.09 on Saturday, she has been odds on in all her last eight appearance, a measure of excellence that predictably will apply she contest the Cox Plate again next month.
Now raced 21 times for 15 wins, three seconds and $7,135,425 and currently the wold’s top ranked mare, Winx is now the eighth highest money in Australian history and third top female behind Sunline ($11,351,610) and Black Caviar ($7,953,936). Black Caviar has had three foals since she retired from racing a filly by Darley’s Exceed and Excel, a colt by Widden’s Sebring and a filly by Arrowfield’s Snitzel.
She was bred by John Cammilleri’s Fairways Thoroughbreds using the now deceased Darley visitor Street Cry (GB) (by the Mr Prospector sire Machiavellian) and Vegas Showgirl, a good New Zealand performer up to 1400m by the Success Express sire Al Akbar and sold through Coolmore for $230,000 at the Gold Coast to Mr Tighe’s Magic Bloodstock.
If Winx eventually joins the elite in the Hall of Fame she will find, if there is no additions in between, eleven other females, Black Caviar, Briseis, Flight, Leilani, Let’s Elope, Makybe Diva, Sunline, Surround, Tranquil Star, Wakeful and Wenona. Let’s Elope, a New Zealand bred winner in 1991 of the Melbourne Cup died this month.
