Winx: Queen of the Turf

written by Claudia L. Ruiz as told by Hugh Bowman, featured photo by Lisa Grimm

In the spring time in Sydney, Australia, there is a three-year-old filly series known as the Princess Series. It consists of four races: the Silver Shadow Stakes, Furious Stakes, Tea Rose Stakes and Flight Stakes. It was September 2014, a time where the relationship between Chris Waller and myself was developing. His stable was getting stronger and I was emerging as his go-to man. At that time, there was a filly in the stable by the name of Winx who had run a couple of races with jockey Jason Collett. The stable thought she was pretty good. I was impressed with her first win, but I didn’t know a great deal about her when I was asked to ride her in the Furious Stakes. A standard Group Two race run at 1,200m (6-furlongs), I went in without any expectation that I was riding a special horse. We won the race, but to be honest, I came out of it with the impression that she was a wet-tracker and a horse with a really dynamic sprint. She was electric. I thought she needed to be held up for a sharp run. It turns out that was not the case at all. She was quite deceiving early on.

Winx and strapper Umut Odemislioglu spend a moment in the saddling area before the running of the 2017 Warwick Stakes (G2).

Bronwen Healy, The Image is Everything

But before I took the ride on Winx, I had actually been riding a filly named First Seal for trainer John Thompson. When I won the Furious with Winx, because both fillies were running in the Princess Series, I had to choose which one I would ride moving forward. I decided to stick with Winx and rode her in the Flight Stakes one month later. Because I was convinced she was a mile-type sprinter back then, I thought her best chance would be to sprint late. The pace was very slow. We settled into perfect position behind First Seal, the favourite. When First Seal sprinted, Winx got left flat-footed. It wasn’t until two years later when I watched the replay that I realized, maybe if I had ridden her differently she would have won. It’s safe to say I misjudged her. But back then, I was just getting to know her and I hadn’t learnt her strengths. That is something that came with time.

Gailo Chop and Happy Clapper chase Winx up the stretch at Royal Randwick (Sydney, Australia).

Darren Tindale

Winx, ridden by Hugh Bowman, wins the 2018 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1), making it her 25th consecutive win, 18th Group 1, and 2nd Queen Elizabeth. On April 13, 2019, she won it once more in the final start of her career.

Darren Tindale

In October of 2015, after our victory in the Epsom, the case was made for me to become Winx’s regular rider. However, I had been on and off of her for about 10 races and during that time I had also been riding another horse for Chris named Preferment, who was racing and beating better horses. Like Winx, Preferment would also be running in the Cox Plate, which is considered one of the four major races in Australia. Back then I had ridden maybe 50 Group One winners, but I had never ridden a major one, so to speak. One week before the race, I chose—well, Chris and I chose together, but ultimately the decision was mine—to ride Winx; and it was in winning that race that I came to the realization that she was truly special.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine having the level of success that has come my way in the Winx era. I’m very lucky and I haven’t lost sight of the fact that she came along at a time in my life where I was mature enough to understand the significance of what was happening, appreciate it, but not let it consume me. And it’s not something I’ve talked about publicly, but managing the emotions of the Winx whirlwind wasn’t easy. The public euphoria; the sheer expectation; the overwhelming responsibility… most people will never experience something of this magnitude in their life. To cope with the pressure, I had to learn to manage my sleep better. I had to learn to control my thoughts, to stay focused on the goal in front of me and not dwell too deeply on what had happened in the past or what people were saying. Leading up to her races, I knew I had to be physically and mentally at my best. And I had to learn to set time aside for myself and my family. There’s no doubt about it that riding Winx was a privilege. Professionally and personally, she taught me many valuable lessons.

A moment of mutual appreciation between Winx and jockey Hugh Bowman, who plants a loving kiss on the super mare.

Sharon Lee Chapman

Winx is a businesswoman. She’s intelligent, professional, strong but feminine, and she doesn’t like being fussed over. One-on-one, for as popular and talented as she is, she’s very unassuming. She’s also deceivingly big and weighs in the vicinity of 530 kilos, which is a pretty big sized horse, but you would never think that by looking at her. She’s got a long neck and long body and because she’s so proportionate, she carries weight well. Our relationship throughout her racing career was very simple, very professional. Whenever she saw me, she knew it was time to work. I did my job and she did hers.

There was always this huge feeling of pride as we walked out onto the track for a race, all eyes on us. Then as soon as we set foot on the track, everything around us disappeared and it was just me and her out there. She would pick up the canter, beautifully balanced with a big consistent stride, and we would head off towards the barriers. Those moments out there with her were very soothing and I was always impressed with how calm and focused she remained despite all of the noise and distractions around us.

Pictured: Winx and Hugh Bowman pass by fans as they head to the track for the 2018 Turnbull Stakes (G1) at Flemington Racecourse (Melbourne, NSW, Australia)

Bronwen Healy

In her races, she was very consistent. Some days she was heavy on the bit, others not at all, but generally the fitter she got, the more relaxed she ran. I think she was more comfortable going through her gears and accelerating on a counter-clockwise track. However, because she was based in Sydney, most of her racing was done on a clockwise track. So, to get her to accelerate comfortably, I would bring her to the outside, balance her up and make sure she changed leads before asking her to make her move. I wish I could say that her acceleration felt as good as it looked, but because her stride is so economical—it’s big and effortless—it’s not something I could really feel unless we were passing horses.

Winx and Hugh Bowman hold off the field to win the 2018 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington Racecourse.

Bronwen Healy

Looking back on her races, there are a few that stand out. The first Cox Plate, that’s probably the best field she beat and she did it in track record time. It was also mine and Chris Waller’s first major, which made it even more special. The Doncaster, which was a race I dreamt of winning as a kid, meant so much to me. And then the second Cox Plate when she beat Hartnell. Truthfully, it’s hard to distinguish which was her best performance. If I had to pick one, I think the second Cox Plate would be it. The confidence I had going into that race was something that I had never experienced before. I had ridden a few ordinary races on the day, and the conditions were difficult. But I remember thinking, she’s going to do something today that will be remembered forever… and that’s exactly what she did. Her performance that day was incredible.

Winx splashes through the water at Altona Beach.

Sharon Lee Chapman

I think the third Cox Plate was the most difficult for me because there was no standout horse to beat. For me, it’s easy to ride if there’s a clear second pick because I just ride to beat that horse. In hindsight, it’s easy to say that horse was Humidor, but we’d beaten him comfortably in the Turnbull, and then he didn’t run well in the Caufield Cup, so I just couldn’t see him running a career best against us. I probably rode the most aggressive race on Winx that day. Gailo Chop, a stablemate to Humidor, was also in the race and I had a healthy respect for him; he ran second to Winx in the Queen Elizabeth and his fall had been very consistent. Although I didn’t think he could beat her, I knew he would go out and lead, and I thought, if I don’t put the pressure on him, he could be hard to pass. Even though none of those horses were at her level, if good horses get their own way, it becomes a mathematical impossibility to run them down. Winx had defied that logic in the past, but I didn’t want to get too comfortable in thinking she would do it again. Humidor was ridden superbly, and although I was surprised by his challenge, we were never threatened.

Hugh Bowman salutes the crowd of cheering fans as he and Winx make their way to the scales after their third Cox Plate victory at The Valley Racecourse.

Darren Tindale, The Image is Everything

By the fourth Cox Plate, the weight riding on my shoulders was the heaviest it had ever been. I got on her very anxious and as we headed out to the track, the tension in the air was so dense you could cut the mood with a knife. I mean the whole world was watching as we took on Benbatl, who I had never ridden against. We headed out to the barriers and I was probably most nervous as we loaded in because she had a tendency to get a bit fractious in there.

Going into the race, I knew Benbatl was our only clear opponent. I knew that if I was close enough to him from the 800m mark, Winx could do it. It was what I couldn’t pan out in the early stages that concerned me. I knew I had to have an open mind. I knew I had to have her comfortable and that if she was comfortable in the rhythm she was going to run the last half-mile up to five lengths better than any other horse, regardless.

Winx was well behaved in the barriers that day and broke first. (Fact: in all four Cox Plates, Winx has been the first out of the gate). I had expected Benbatl to lead, but he was off a bit slow and it was apparent early on that he wasn’t going to. I don’t typically like to see horses sitting three-wide without cover, but I was more than prepared to sit out there with Winx. I took my time. We stayed composed. It’s no good doing anything rushed. By the 600m mark, we were settled into a supreme condition. There wasn’t much pressure in that first quarter-mile, so I just sat near Benbatl, and when the pace developed over the next quarter-mile, I maneuvered in behind him. The pace was consistent; not too slow, which suited us well. At the 1,400m mark, I was able to relax and enjoy it with everyone else. From that point, it was just a matter of figuring out when to put the pressure on our opponent. The crowd erupted that day as she galloped past him. It was very, very special.

A smile is seen on Hugh Bowman’s face as Winx finds another gear to kick past Benbatl and go on to win her fourth Cox Plate.

Bronwen Healy, The Image is Everything

Obviously, everyone would have loved to see her run races on the international stage and I couldn’t imagine a better view than seeing her on the Ascot straight, but at what price do you do that? By resisting that temptation, Chris Waller’s strategic management of her programming allowed her to continue on at the highest level for as long as she did. There are lots of horses… well, not lots, but every few years somewhere around the world there’s a horse who can run far and above any other horse. Winx was able to do that consistently for four years. She may not have raced Enable or Frankel or Arrogate, but at the end of the day what she achieved is something few have ever done. And that’s what makes her great.

Winx looks on affectionately at owner Peter Tighe during a photo session at Altona Beach with her Cox Plate trophies the morning after her record setting fourth Cox Plate victory. From L to R: Patty and Peter Tighe, Winx, Umut Odemislioglu, Debbie and Paul Kepitis.

Bronwen Healy, The Image is Everything