On a track that was playing to frontrunners close to the fence, Winx gave her legion of supporters some concern when she was well back and in the centre of the track coming over the Randwick rise in Saturday's Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) but as she has done now for a record 26th consecutive time, she put the race to bed in the space of 50 metres.
Displaying the rarest brand of acceleration, Winx was eased down to defeat the 150/1 long-shot Invictus Prince (GB) by two lengths with Winx's stablemate D'Argento a length back in third. (photos Steve Hart).
Hugh Bowman has been aboard Winx for all but two of the 26 winning sequence.
"It's amazing. It's a while since she has run over this distance. It's not as comfortable riding her as it is a bit short of her best distance," Bowman said.
"Glyn (Schofield on Kementari) and I came around the corner together. I thought I was near my top. She was struggling at the pace of this distance. When she balanced up and saw the winning post, what can I say, she is just incredible.
"You see the crowd building from the start. Lots of children here and that's what I love the most. Parents bringing their kids out to see a horse of the calibre we may never see again. They only come along once in a generation. She is such a special athlete. I'm lost for words. I am so proud of her."
In winning her 19th Group 1, Winx advances her overall record to 30 wins and 3 seconds from 36 starts with earnings of $19,290,425.
A typically emotional Chris Waller said he believes that Winx is as good, if not better than she has ever been.
I look for signs that she might be losing her dominance but if anything, I've seen improvement. It is quite staggering," Waller said.
"What she does to horses, she simply breaks their hearts."
A 7yo daughter of Street Cry (IRE), Winx is a half-sister to Group III ATC Kindergarten Stakes winner El Divino.
She was a $230,000 purchase by Magic Bloodstock out of the Coolmore draft at the 2013 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Her dam Vegas Showgirl, a dual Listed stakes-winning daughter of Al Akbar, was a $455,000 purchase by Colm Santry Bloodstock at the 2008 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Vegas Showgirl has a 2yo Snitzel filly named Courchevel and a yearling filly by Exceed And Excel named Covent Garden.
She was bred back to Exceed and Excel last spring but failed to conceive.
