Cox Plate annihilation puts Winx ahead of Makybe Diva, Sunline on Timeform ratings
SHE is better than Sunline and Makybe Diva — and is closing fast on Black Caviar. The latest Timeform ratings have revealed just how good the mighty mare Winx really is.
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SHE is better than Sunline and Makybe Diva — and is closing fast on Black Caviar.
Winx’s ranking among the all-time greats of Australian racing is secure after her phenomenal Cox Plate triumph at Moonee Valley last Saturday.
The mighty mare’s runaway eight lengths romp is the biggest winning margin in Cox Plate history and complements her race and track record win in the same race last year.
Winx’s 13th consecutive win, her ninth at Group 1 level, took her prizemoney to $9.348 million and to third in the all-time list — and drew inevitable comparisons with the champions of yesteryear.
It was said by most form experts prior to the Cox Plate that Winx would have to produce her best-ever performance to beat a top class field including Hartnell — but no one expected her to win with such dominance and by such a whipping margin.
Form guru Gary Crispe has put some perspective on Winx’s runaway Cox Plate win revealing the champion mare’s Timeform rating has soared after the most emphatic win of her career.
The Timeform ratings are a barometer used by international handicappers and racing experts to compare and assess form all over the world and Winx’s rating has been elevated from 128 to a lofty 133 — placing her in very elite company.
Winx is now the second highest-rated mare behind unbeaten Black Caviar (136) and clearly ahead of 1999-2000 Cox Plate winner Sunline (129) and three-time Melbourne Cup heroine Makybe Diva (129), She is also rated the equal of champions like Might And Power and So You Think on 133.
Crispe said he considered a number of factors including race times, sectional split analysis, rating profiles of rival runners and the quality of the field before confirming Winx's new 133 rating.
“The weight of evidence pointed to a Timeform rating of 133, up five pounds from her 128 master rating, as the most probable merit of the win,’’ Crispe said,
“The dominance of Winx’s win was quite outstanding, completely outclassing three last start Group 1 winners.
“Most of Winx’s lead up races generally result in a final 600m sprint which is sufficient to dispose of her rivals without ever having to resort to her untapped ability — Winx only allows racegoers to view that attribute on rare occasions.
“It is clear from her lead up races that Winx only does enough to win — in short she just idles to the line and saves her peak performances for her “grand finals” such as the 2015 Epsom Handicap, 2015 Cox Plate, 2016 Doncaster Handicap and now 2016 Cox Plate. In each of those races she has gone to a new master Timeform rating.’’
Crispe maintains Winx could even improve her rating further and agrees with jockey Hugh Bowman’s assessment that he has never reached the “bottom” of her ability.’’
With a Timeform rating of 133, Winx joins champion European galloper Almanzor and Japanese galloper A Shin Hikari as the highest Timeform rated horses currently racing on turf anywhere in the world.
On the global scene Black Caviar, Allez France and Habibti share the honour of being the highest rates filly or mare in the history of Timeform ratings that go back to 1948.
But Winx is now rated alongside France’s 14-time Group 1 winner Goldikova and only just behind dual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Treve (134).
Unbeaten Arc winner Zarkava returned a peak 133 figure and America’s wonder mare Zenyatta had a peak 129 rating.
AUSTRALIA’S ALL-TIME LEADING PRIZEMONEY EARNERS
1 Makybe Diva $14,526,690
2 Sunline $11,351,610
3 Winx $9,348,175
4 Northerly $9,341,850
5 So You Think $8,813,497
6 Black Caviar $7,953,936
7 Buffering $7,300,190
8 Criterion $7,268,869
9 Chautauqua $6,579,435
10 Fields Of Omagh $6,496,240
WINNING STREAKS
25 Black Caviar
19 Gloaming, Desert Gold
18 Ajax
17 Mainbrace
15 Bernborough, Carbine
14 Phar Lap
13 Winx, Limerick
12 Tulloch, Firestick
11 Kingston Town, Eurythmic, Beau Livre, Somerset Fair, Barakey
MOST GROUP 1 WINS (mares only)
15 Black Caviar
13 Sunline
9 Winx
8 More Joyous
7 Makybe Diva, Emancipation
TIMEFORM RATINGS (mares only)
136 Black Caviar
133 Winx
129 Sunline
129 Makybe Diva
128 Atlantic Jewel, More Joyous, Maybe Mahal
AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST TIMEFORM RATINGS
141 Phar Lap
138 Bernborough, Tulloch
137 Peter Pan, Kingston Town
136 Black Caviar, Todman, Vain, Manikato
135 Chatham, Tobin Bronze, Better Loosen Up
134 Galilee
133 Winx, Might And Power, So You Think, Gunsynd
Originally published as Cox Plate annihilation puts Winx ahead of Makybe Diva, Sunline on Timeform ratings