Buzz Rothfield: Could Winx have won the Melbourne Cup?
Phil Rothfield sat down with Winx’s trainer Chris Waller to talk about the legacy of the great mare and how she would have fared on that first Tuesday in November.
Chris Waller has no doubts Winx could have won our greatest race, the Melbourne Cup.
Media legend Kenny Callander agrees.
Not that there are any regrets.
Waller always put her career longevity and his love for the horse first.
She raced in distances up to 2400m and won four Cox Plates at 2040m but the step up to 3200m in the race that stops a nation was never a consideration.
He is convinced the champion mare could not have won 33 straight and farewelled racing yesterday as the greatest horse of all time if they had gone on a cup campaign on the first Tuesday in November.
It was important to meticulously plan each preparation to preserve her condition.
The champion trainer says horses are like humans.
The more kilometres and more racing means a higher risk of injuries and burn-out.
THE BEGINNING
Waller moved from New Zeland to Australia 21 years ago with just one horse.
The trainer, his stunning partner and now wife Stephanie, lived off her modelling work.
Their one horse, Party Belle, was no Winx. The only similarity is that they were both mares and raced over the same middle distances.
Party Belle won her first race in Australia at the Wyong provincials. September, 2, 1998. First prizemoney was just $3500. First prizemoney yesterday in the Queen Elizabeth was $2.3 million.
All up Party Belle earned $92,215 – Winx retires with earnings $26.3 million.
THE RECORD
Everyone has an off day at work and in sport. Everyone, except Winx.
Even when the Maroons won State of Origin eight years in a row, the Blues won seven games.
Don Bradman occasionally didn’t make double figures.
St George won 11 premierships in a row but never won 33 games straight.
Even Craig Bellamy at Melbourne Storm. He can get his team up most weeks but not performing to perfection week in, week out.
For four years Winx has destroyed all opposition and the best horses in group racing.
THE CONSISTENCY
“I have off days but Winx doesn’t,” Waller says as we sit down for this interview at the Inglis yearling sales, where the trainer is looking to buy his next great thoroughbred.
“Winx is that good you wouldn’t know if she was out of form or not at her best,” Waller said.
“She overcomes little issues. There could have been things we haven’t picked up.
“She’s had the odd temperature but it’s been more vaccine related.
“I’ve never gone into a race thinking we might be in trouble today.
“I don’t want to sound arrogant but she’s that great.”
THE ACCOLADES
Racing media veteran Kenny Callander has seen all the best trainers over more than 50 years.
He says not even legends Tommy Smith or Bart Cummings could achieved what Waller has with Winx. It’s a big statement.
“They would have started her in the Melbourne Cup,” Callander said, “She might have won eight in a row but not 33 straight. Chris has looked after her beautifully.”
Callander first met Waller when the young trainer arrived from New Zealand with just Party Belle but big dreams 20 years ago. Waller had Christmas dinner at Callander’s house.
“A lovely bloke but I thought he’d be going back to New Zealand with his tail between his legs,” Callander said. “How wrong can you be. I’m in awe of how he’s matured and progressed and he’s remained such a hell of a good bloke.
“I don’t think any trainer from any era could have handled Winx as good as Chris has.”
THE MODESTY
Waller is the most unpretentious man you will ever meet.
There is absolutely no ego. He deflects credit to praise his staff and jockey Hugh Bowman.
“It’s the horse, not me,” he said, “We’ve managed her and not over-raced her. We chose not to run her too much as a three year old. Every decision we’ve made has been about her longevity.
“This has been a team effort all the way through.”
Waller has grown in confidence and his leadership with Winx has been a wonderful advertisement for the racing industry. It hasn’t always been that way.
“I used to be too embarrassed to even say hello to Tommy Smith or Bart Cummings,” he said.
THE BUILD-UP
The night before Winx races Waller goes to bed at 9pm.
“Normally at half-time in the football,” he says, “otherwise I’ll fall asleep.”
He’s been at track work since 3.30am.
He doesn’t drink because he wants to be sharp for race day.
“I sleep pretty well,” he says, “The beauty with Winx is you don’t have to worry about the weather.
“You don’t have to worry about whether she’s going to be good enough. You don’t have to worry about the jockey. She’s that good she’s always got 10 per cent up her sleeve.
“Still, in any sport you still need a little bit of luck. And no one is ever as effective when they starting getting older on a sporting field.”
THE NERVES
Waller never watches Winx “live”.
He has a favourite spot and television near the press room at Royal Randwick.
He explains why: “Sometimes our stable will have a couple of other horses racing against Winx.
“It’s my job and my responsibility to keep an eye on all of them. There’s a lot of emotion and when a horse gets beaten there’s no worse feeling.
“I don’t want the other owners to see me jumping up and down and celebrating when Winx wins and their horse hasn’t. It could look bad.
“That’s why I like to watch on my own.”
THE MELBOURNE CUP
Only seven horses have won both the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup — Makybe Diva, Might and Power, Saintly, Nightmarch, Phar Lap, Delta and Rising Fast.
“We’ve got an extra two years of racing by looking after her,” Waller says.
“Regardless of who she races against, she just annihilates them.
“From the first run of her campaign right through to the grand final, she wins with ease.
“She does whatever Hughie as asks her to.
“So yes, she would have won the Melbourne Cup.”
“The only regret I’d have is not racing her against whatever the best horse in the world is because I know Winx would smash it. Any horse, anywhere in the world.”
THE IDEAS
Waller often talks to coaches from other sports. Shane Flanagan spoke to him regularly before the Sharks won the 2016 grand final.
Rugby union super coach Eddie Jones will ring on occasions.
Even the great old Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has contacted Waller, more about his interests in horse racing.
“We just talk about getting the best out of athletes, recovery, high performance training all that sort of thing,” Waller said.
THE END
“I will be relieved,” he says, “but I’ll find something not so significant to concentrate on.
“I guarantee I’ll put just as much effort into the next horse. There’s no taking backward steps.
“It’s a sad day because it’s been a privilege to be part of it. I’ll be emotional and I’ll cry.
“I’ve just done my job to the best of my ability.”
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