Wonder mare Winx equals Black Caviar's world record winning streak

No superlatives do justice to equine freak Winx as she left rivals flailing again to secure a world record victory, writes James Toney.

The wonder mare won her 25th consecutive race with a victory in the £2m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick, moving her level with another peerless Queen of the Turf, Black Caviar.

The two Australian stars, the best sprint and middle distance horses of their generation, now rightly share a plinth in the pantheon of legend.

Trainer Chris Waller could barely speak as she crossed the line. The tension cranks up with every race and the expectation cripples. He doesn’t appear to enjoy a second of the experience, pure and undiluted relief being the most obvious emotion when it’s all over.

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Thoughts will soon turn to where Winx will make the record her own – which could have been at Royal Ascot had connections not decided she would be better focussed on winning a record fourth Cox Plate later this year.

But for now Waller deserves the chance to relax, with Black Caviar’s trainer Peter Moody – probably the only man in the world who knows how he feels – among the first to congratulate him in the winners’ enclosure.

“It’s just relief, it’s hard to explain what this means and this is just the stuff of dreams,” said Waller.

“She is our girl, she’s our daughter, she’s just a beautiful, beautiful animal.”

As is their trademark, Winx and jockey Hugh Bowman sprung from the stalls and waited patiently at the back of the field.

At the 1000m half way stage she slowly started to edge past her rivals, hitting the front with 200m to go and accelerating clear for a five length victory over a quality field with a slew of group one victories.

Bowman then dedicated the win to Irish jockey Pat Smullen, who was diagnosed with cancer last month.

“I think of him in this amazing moment and I’m reminded how special life is, he’s a very special person and he’s in all our thoughts,” said Bowman.

“There aren’t any words for this horse. It’s a fairytale, it’s the sort of thing you dream about when you grow up. I wanted to be a jockey more than anything and I can’t believe this is something I’ve achieved.

“They’ll have to find someone good looking to play me in the movie now.”