Retirement romance planned for world’s greatest racehorse Winx
Love is in the air for champion racehorse Winx as she prepares for her final race at Royal Randwick. But it’ll be love of The Bachelorette kind as she steps away from what could be her 33rd consecutive win as five studs vie for the chance to sire her first, and potentially, $5m foal.
- Wonder Race: Vote where Winx will finish
- Breast cancer fighter turf worker turns to Winx for inspiration
It is the racing equivalent of The Bachelorette as the young studs line up for a chance be the first to woo the world’s finest mare.
When Winx sashays off the track at Royal Randwick on Saturday there will be no shortage of suitors keen to equine and dine her before tumbling with her in the hay.
But who will be the one to receive the coveted rose from the mightiest mare on the planet?
MORE NEWS
Inside the luxury homes of Sydney’s radio stars
Double killer caught after cutting off tracking device
Navy orders women consideration before operations begin
The Daily Telegraph has learnt Winx’s owners are considering a retirement romance shortlist of five stallions to sire Winx’s first foal.
“It would certainly be a badge of honour,” said Arrowfield stud boss John Messara, whose champion sire Snitzel is hotly tipped to be the successful steed.
“We would be thrilled to have her on the place and have her served by Snitzel, who is the leading stud in Australia and has been for the last three years.”
Snitzel, who has sired champions including Redzel and Trapeze Artist, doesn’t come cheap. He has a $220,000 service fee, with his yearlings fetching an average of $427,000 at auction.
“I think he would suit her, but at the end of the day it’s their decision entirely,” Mr Messara said.
And he added a note of caution to anyone thinking Winx’s first foal will replicate her 32 consecutive wins and $24 million in prize money: “You hope she does at stud what she did as a racehorse but that is often not the case.”
Unsurprisingly Winx, the daughter of Vegas Showgirl and named after the cheeky winks they gave co-owner Richard Treweeke, is receiving plenty of interest.
She was bought at the Magic Millions yearling sale on the Gold Coast in 2013 for a bargain $230,000.
“She could go to any stallion in the world and be the best they will ever see,” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said. “She is the greatest most glamorous star of the equine world — her going out to stud is like Beyoncé Knowles going on The Bachelorette.”
ELIGIBLE BACHELORS
Winx’s other suitors include veteran Lonhro, the 19-year-old who stands at Darley, the Hunter Valley arm of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global thoroughbred stallion operation.
The tireless war horse has produced stallion sons including Denman, Pierro, Exosphere, Impending and Kementari, as well as top fillies including this season's Group One winners Aristia and Lyre.
His services are available at $55,000 a pop but possibly not for much longer — after producing 1390 foals he may be getting a bit tired.
More tellingly, Lonhro is a favourite of Winx’s co-owner Debbie Kepitis, whose father Bob Ingham part owned and raced the champ before his retirement.
Ms Kepitis has refused to buy into the horse dating debate.
“I have seen a lot of people’s thoughts on Twitter and everybody has an opinion, but we don’t as yet,” she has said. “We’re seriously just concentrating on her last race and we’ll make the decision on which stallion she visits, like we have always done, between us in a discussion when the time is right.”
NO NEIGH-SAYERS
Another contender is I Am Invincible, who can be found at Yarraman Park in Scone and charges $192.500 for his services.
He has sired 520 foals, of which 384 have gone on to win an eye-watering $63 million in prize money.
Mark Webster, managing director at auctioneers Inglis, said: “Winx has a wonderful pedigree … Every stud master in the world would roll out the red carpet to have her as part of their stallion’s book in 2019.”
The other two contenders for her favour are Deep Impact, who hails from Japan and costs $504,129 for a cover, and English raider Frankel, who costs $321,251.
They are, however, considered long shots because Winx would have to travel to them — something the mighty mare has very little inclination to do.
She has never raced overseas and her owners are unlikely to risk her travelling in retirement.
“With a record of racetrack dominance from 1400m to 2000m, her successful suitor could perhaps be a sprinter miler with some two-year-old form to add early maturity to what is already an equine masterpiece,” Mr Webster said.
There could be a few clues at The Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, which begins at Riverside Stables at Warwick Farm today with a niece of Winx going under the hammer at around 1pm.
The Winx effect saw her being examined on Monday by the legendary Gai Waterhouse, Godolphin managing director Vin Cox and Winx’s co-owner Ms Kepitis, who may well be hoping that lightning does strike twice.
‘I’m no national hero’: Man who found suspected ‘terror caravan’ speaks out
A business owner who found the suspected “terror caravan” says he is “no hero” for calling in police, while unearthed social media posts show the caravan owner boasting with wads of cash ahead of the vehicle’s haunting discovery.
Two dragged from burning car as crash sets bushland alight
A man has dragged two people from a burning car after it smashed into a tree in the state’s central west, sparking a scrub fire in surrounding bushland.