Winx cool, calm and collected as she looks to celebrate her 21st in style
BEFORE the sun had even come up this morning, a substantial pack of hungry media had descended on Flemington to catch sight of Winx. Silence, no flashing lights, it’s a finely tuned operation. And a privilege.
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“QUIET! No lights!”.
Getting the world’s fastest horse prepared for what connections hope is a 21st-straight victory is a delicate operation.
Winx – the superstar with 20 consecutive wins – went through a light session this morning ahead of her first tilt at Flemington on Saturday.
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And things were finely tuned.
Before the sun rose, some 30 media representatives, cameramen and cameras made their way onto the lawn. Space on the first level of the famous clocktower was like gold – just don’t make any noise.
You could almost hear a pin drop, bar the thundering hooves and heavy breathing of the blistering six-year-old.
There were live crosses for breakfast television, Facebook live videos and frantic phone calls back and forth. Not your typical morning trackwork session, and she wasn’t the only one getting some work in ahead of the weekend’s Turnbull Stakes Day at Flemington — her first raceday at the famous track.
No bright lights, no startling movements.
She even had her own donut on hand, with Melbourne’s Bistro Morgan getting Winx fever.
Yes, donuts.
Owner Peter Tighe went to the Magic Millions in 2013 with a hope – just like everybody else.
He and his co-owners picked up the yearling for $230,000, on advice from his bloodstock agent that “she was a nice type”.
“He bought her with the potential that she would grow into her body,” he said.
“She was a big, leggy filly. She has been the perfect type to grow into a very athletic type horse with a great heart.
“She loves to race – she really enjoys the competition, I think.”
And it’s a “privilege” that isn’t lost on him.
“We’re just thrilled to bits to be part of it,” he beamed.
“It’s a privilege to own a horse like this and to see what she’s done for racing and the racing community.
“It’s hard to pick one (win) out because they’re all so special. She does things differently – she doesn’t just go out and lead and win. Special ones like the Cox Plate and the Queen Elizabeth … they’re just time-honoured races. They’ve been running those races for hundreds of years and just to have a horse compete, let alone win one or two … you just can’t dream about winning.
“We’ve enjoyed all of the wins from day one right through.”
Staff patrolled the Flemington fenceline today, and pulled anyone into line that is using a flash or chatting too loudly before the blue light on star jockey Hugh Bowman’s helmet bobbed its way around the bend and he ripped the mare down the straight.
She was flying.
But she’s certainly relaxed. The pressure? No sign of it, with Bowman declaring she “seems more relaxed than she was at home in Rosehill (in Sydney)”.
When Winx was paraded shortly after her work, it took some getting used to.
It was almost like a catwalk, with a wall of Melbourne media at one end.
She worked closer, then back. Closer, then back, until she made it into the spotlight alongside Bowman and trainer Chris Waller.
“I don’t really enjoy it,” Bowman said.
“The attention is something I’ve become used to with her, I think what she is doing for our sport is such a wonderful thing.”
Tighe — who will share the day with family and friends — conceded that there’ll be some nerves for him come Saturday.
“Yeah. The expectations are quite high just to keep winning,” he said.
“It’s not the end of the world. One day it may not happen that she wins.
“We’ll get nervous win, lose or draw.
“That’s part of owning any racehorse. I go to the races and it doesn’t matter where it is – Coonabarabran, Beaudesert or wherever, we’re happy just to go there and that’s why you buy racehorses, to enjoy the day.”
Originally published as Winx cool, calm and collected as she looks to celebrate her 21st in style