What if you were told that since the 2015 Cox Plate, Highland Reel has earned more prizemoney in less starts than Winx?
It may seem incredible, but it is entirely factual.
When Winx won the first of her Cox Plates in 2015, Irish visitor Highland Reel finished a distant third as a rising four-year-old.
As has been well documented, Winx has won all 16 of her starts since that race, taking her total winning sequence to 21 and career earnings to $13,777,925.
Meanwhile Highland Reel has subsequently raced on 15 occasions for only five wins but has banked $10,446,110 - almost $300,000 more than the $10,148,000 earned by Australia's champion mare in that two-year period.
How?
Highland Reel has raced in Group I company at 14 of his last 15 starts across six countries while Winx has started in 11 Group I races, of which only two, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Cox Plate, carry prizemoney commensurate with other 'internationally recognised' Group I events.
Even if Winx goes on to win this Saturday's Cox Plate as expected, her lead over Highland Reel in the prizemoney stakes may only be short lived as the son of Galileo can collect more than AUD$3 million if successful in defending his Breeders Cup crown in the USA next month.
In short, Winx may currently have the best record in world racing but Highland Reel, a six-year-old entire also bound for a lucrative stallion career, has proven more profitable for connections since their last clash.
