Another “I was there...” experience to savour

Witnessing Winx chalking up her 25th consecutive win at Randwick in Sydney on Saturday was one of those racing experiences to be treasured forever.

For me, it ranks alongside being there to see Galilee galloping away with the 1966 G1 Melbourne Cup, Dancing Brave flying down the outside to lift the 1986 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and calling home Dubai Millennium in the 2000 G1 World Cup and Frankel in Royal Ascot’s 2012 G1 Queen Anne Stakes.

They were each memorable occasions, made special by outstanding performances from champion racehorses. This wonderful Street Cry mare is up there with the greats, make no mistake.

Winx is exhausting the superlatives as she just appears to get better and stronger.

Hugh Bowman, her jockey, warned us beforehand that Saturday’s G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes would be no pushover.

I am sure Bowman was delighted to be proved wrong. Very wrong. As soon as he eased Winx to the outside from last position with 800m to travel, she had the field covered.

The mare’s huge stride devoured the ground and left her poised on the outside of the field as they turned into the home straight.

She raced clear to win by three and three-quarter lengths to the applause and roars of the 25,822 crowd.

Winx has equalled Black Caviar’s feat of winning 25 races in a row, and she holds the world record for the number of G1 victories (18). With A$18.9m prizemoney collected so far, she is Australia’s all-time top prizemoney earner.

The second day of ‘The Championships’ in Sydney produced another outstanding day’s racing, with Godolphin’s Alizee living up to her potential with an impressive win in the G1 Coolmore Legacy Stakes.

Long-term, the Sepoy half-sister to Darley stallion Astern is likely to target the G1 Myer Classic at Flemington in the Spring.

It was a great result for trainer James Cummings and his team. “She loves Randwick and she displayed a brilliant turn-of-foot. There will be some nice races for her later in the year,” Cummings said.