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THURSDAY, JULY 04, 2019 SEASONAL RACING REVIEW With a and a nod of approval, Australia farewells a mighty horse

Winx and farewell fans after her final victory. LISA GRIMM

There’s a school of t could be right because Winx trod a engaged new and old racing audiences. path to greatness that few Australian Administrators will be hoping this thought in racing the can claim. will be Winx’s greatest legacy: one Australian turf may I But for all the trepidation that lies that can be parlayed with skyrocketing never be the same ahead in a Winx-less era, perhaps racing prizemoney levels into long-term will be better because of the wonder growth for the sport. now that Winx has mare. Almost 44,000 racegoers crammed left for the greener It’s doubtful if any other horse in the into Randwick to watch Winx for the pastures offered in the history of Australian racing has created final time. more media space for the sport than Such was the anticipation and build- next chapter of her life Winx (). up, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes evolved as a broodmare. Towards the end of her career, Winx from a race into an event. made headlines that captivated and She wasn’t allowed to lose and she continued page 2

SHARE THIS EDITION 1 aushorse.com.au DOWN UNDER DELIVERED THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2019 didn’t. days and protecting a winning streak. with the announcing Returning Australian The most remembered part of her plans to erect a statue at Rosehill - the figures up with her best, Winx strolled career will be four successive wins in racetrack from where she was away with the weight-for-age race for the WS Cox Plate in a sequence of 33 trained. the third time. victories. A new grandstand at Randwick will It was Winx’s world record 25th Group A physically unassuming horse, Winx also carry her name, just as the first One win and her seventh in a season was unbeaten for almost four years, Group One race of the Australian season that went as smoothly as her stable all the while amassing $26,461,175 in does. could have hoped for amid the mounting racetrack earnings. Even in retirement the accolades keep pressure of counting down her racing Winx will be immortalised in bronze coming. Chris Waller takes Group One racing record to the next level

Chris Waller is set to take out his ninth straight Sydney trainers’ title. RACING PHOTOS

Chris Waller provided place as one of the finest thoroughbreds to challenging Waller’s dominance after the grace the Australian turf. Blue Army figured in eight Group One the ultimate bookend Waller also trained the winner of wins. result to Group One the 72nd and final Group One race when Waller will also take out his ninth racing in Australia Invincibella () claimed the straight Sydney trainers’ title but is Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm last month. unlikely to match his record-breaking for 2018-19 as he In between Winx and Invincbella, 2017-18 season. confirmed his place Waller won another 16 Group One races to Banned trainer Darren Weir will as the nation’s leading set a record for the most elite-level wins in be ineligible to claim the Melbourne an Australian season. premiership, leaving the David Hayes-led trainer. Winx accounted for seven of those Lindsay Park to secure the title. victories with her history-making fourth In Queensland it will be Tony Gollan he , renamed and Cox Plate triumph a highlight. who will land another premiership. elevated in status to honour Waller’s But for symbolism, it is difficult to look Tony McEvoy will take out the South great mare, launched Group One past Winx’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes win Australian title with Adam Durrant Tracing for the season. because it also delivered Waller’s 100th winning in Western Australia. Appropriately, and unsurprisingly, it Group One success. Scott Brunton, who is considering was won by Winx (Street Cry) in the first James Cummings and setting up a mainland stable in Victoria, of eight wins for the season that sealed her appear to be the only stable capable of will be Tasmania’s leading trainer.

SHARE THIS EDITION 2 aushorse.com.au DOWN UNDER DELIVERED THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2019 Bowman rules jockey ranks despite early end to season Hugh Bowman needed In some ways, McEvoy enjoyed a season that was at least the equal of a break after steering Bowman’s. Winx into a safe and Thanks to Redzel (Snitzel) winning healthy retirement the Everest for the second time and Exhilarates (Snitzel) taking out the but his absence made Magic Millions 2YO Classic, McEvoy’s no difference to his mounts earned more than $25.5 million. standing as Australia’s James McDonald capped a comeback from a long ban to win six Group One premier Group One races while Irish journeyman John Allen jockey. Kerrin McEvoy. RACING PHOTOS had five victories riding out of Victoria. McDonald will be crowned Sydney’s owman relinquished all winter lifetime and 11 overall to lead home top jockey for a third time while Craig carnival mounts to take a two- Kerrin McEvoy on seven wins. Williams has added another Melbourne month hiatus from racing after McEvoy was the toast of the nation title to his resume. Bhe played his role in Winx’s farewell at when he rode (Teofilo) Nationally, the premiership has Randwick in April. to victory in the for UK been one-way traffic with Perth wizard He finished the season with seven trainer Charlie Appleby and his former William Pike holding a commanding Group One wins on his horse of a boss Sheikh Mohammed. lead for most of the season.

Riches abound in new-look racing schedule for 2019-20 Melbourne. The Derby meeting has long been considered the best day’s racing in Australia. This will remain unchallenged in 2019 but the Golden Eagle’s positioning has created further friction between NSW and Victorian powerbrokers. As has the NSW push to go even deeper into the spring with $1 million races to be run at Newcastle and Kembla Grange, provincial racing centres north and south of Sydney. Victoria countered the introduction Redzel’s connections celebrate their second Everest win. LISA GRIMM of The Everest with the $5 million All Star Mile (trophy pictured below) during ustralia’s racing calendar continues October and November are considered the Melbourne autumn and a lift in the to be reshaped like never before, the best time of the year for racing to gain Melbourne Cup purse to $8 million for 2019. especially during our spring season. maximum exposure. And there is speculation Racing Victoria ASpring has been the domain of Victorian Australia’s sports media is top-heavy wants to go one step further with tentative racing for more than a century but that with content devoted to various plans for a Good Friday meeting position is being seriously challenged by football codes but with AFL and featuring a race worth seven NSW administrators. NRL seasons finished, there is a figures. The Everest, a sprint race for slot holders, prime opportunity to take over While relations between was introduced in 2017 and extended the the space. NSW and Victoria racing bodies Sydney spring carnival to the point where it So much so, a $7.5 million are at their lowest, the upside is clashes with a major Melbourne raceday. race will be added in NSW this that Australian prizemoney is Offering $12 million in prizemoney in its year. outpacing the rest of the world at first year, the 2019 Everest will be worth $14 The Golden Eagle is for four- a frantic rate. million to confirm its mantle as the world’s year-olds and will be run over That will ensure investment richest race on turf. 1500m at Rosehill. in the Australian NSW is serious about wanting a share of It will be held on November 2 which industry remains viable and healthy for a the spring carnival limelight. is also day at Flemington in long time to come.

SHARE THIS EDITION 3 aushorse.com.au DOWN UNDER DELIVERED THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2019 Spring turns into a bluewash as Godolphin stars dominate the field in the Flemington straight but he did it with a punishing finish to lead in an English-trained trifecta. He defeated Marmelo (Duke Of Marmalade) and Prince Of Arran (Shirocco) to end Godolphin’s run of near-misses in the race. Godolphin also pulled off Australia’s famed Cups double. The -trained Best Solution (Kodiac) won out in a gripping finish in the Caulfield Cup under desperate riding from Pat Cosgrave. Winx made two Melbourne spring appearances and raced her way into the record books with her WS Cox Plate victory - her fourth in the race known as Australasia’s weight-for-age championship. The Sydney spring culminated in the Cross Counter powers past Marmelo to win the 2018 Melbourne Cup. RACING PHOTOS same way it did 12 months earlier. Redzel (Snitzel) won the inaugural The most lightly raced ross Counter (Teofilo) scored one Everest in 2017 and scored in almost of the more remarkable wins in identical style to secure his place as Melbourne Cup winner Australia’s greatest race. Australia’s second highest stakes earner in more than eight CIn an interrupted Down Under behind Winx. decades emerged as build-up as a result of a minor leg Another Godolphin star, the laceration, Cross Counter was still able evergreen (Authorized), was one of the stars of the to produce a career-best for trainer also a spring force in Sydney for trainer Australian spring. Charlie Appleby. James Cummings in winning the Epsom Cross Counter had to pass most of Handicap at Randwick. Winx-mania takes over autumn scene Autumn racing was all Winx’s stablemate Verry Elleegant (Zed) is tipped for a prosperous spring after about saying goodbye winning the ATC Australian Oaks while to the best we’ve seen. Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega) took over as Australia’s best sprinter. inx (Street Cry) was the Trained by Anthony Freedman, Santa cynosure of the thoroughbred Ana Lane claimed his fourth Group One world in the countdown to her inside 12 months with victory in the TJ Wretirement. Smith Stakes over 1200m. After winning her first three starts for Autumn is also the best time of the year the year, Winx performed one more time in for racing’s babies to shine. the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick. Again, Godolphin did it better than Winx duly delivered, winning the most with their young stock in winning weight-for-age race for the third year in a three Group One races for juveniles. row. Kiamichi (Sidestep) provided the The Championships, a two-day standout result as she revelled in heavy meeting in April, delivered high quality ground to win the $3.5 million Golden racing with Group One honours evenly Slipper, the world’s richest race for two- Santa Ana Lane. RACING PHOTOS shared. year-olds.

SHARE THIS EDITION 4 aushorse.com.au DOWN UNDER DELIVERED THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2019 SEASONAL BREEDING REVIEW An air of Invincibility

I Am Invincible posted a record-breaking season with 28 stakes winners. YARRAMAN PARK STUD

From left: Group One winning progeny Invincibella, Viddora and Oohood.

It has been, by any the last 10 years), market confidence in March, we continue to marvel at the measure, a remarkable continues to grow. deeds of his son, Snitzel, who is poised Indeed, the latest Australian Stud to notch up his third straight Australian 12 months for Australian Book figures show that the number of Champion Sires’ title. Snitzel’s $23.4 breeding. mares covered is at a 5-year high, while million (and counting) earnings for 68 stallions covered 100 mares or greater 2018/19 was enhanced somewhat by the ith record sales clearly in 2018: with Coolmore Australia’s Rubick deeds of his dual Everest winning son, underpinned by ‘unrivalled the busiest courtesy of his 263 mares. Redzel whose $15.6 million in prizemoney riches’ (Australian While the thoroughbred industry makes him the second highest stakes Wprizemoney has increased by 84% in mourned the loss of Redoute’s Choice earner in Australian history. While The

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Winner of the inaugural All Star Mile, Mystic Journey. RACING PHOTOS

Everest – increased to $14 million in 2019 – best racehorse. – not to mention the hearts of a million is not a black type race, it is one of 55 races And if I Am Invincible represents the racing fans – culminating in the inaugural worth a million dollars or more on the turf present, the future looks sound too with $5 million All Star Mile at Flemington calendar. Queensland-based stallions, Sidestep and in March. Mystic Journey’s earnings? However, among a raft of individual Better Than Ready dominating the first $3,262,600! milestones during the past 12 months, one season sire ranks. Not surprisingly, public sales stands head and withers above the rest … I Telemon Thoroughbreds’ Sidestep were again a massive drawcard and Am Invincible. has gotten off to a remarkable start with attracted buyers from across the globe. With nearly four weeks of the season his first crop filly, Kiamichi, winning the Compellingly, there were 19 yearlings sold remaining, I Am Invincible has produced Golden Slipper, while Lyndhurst Stud’s for a million or more at the 2019 Inglis 173 winners of $16.8 million, but even Better Than Ready has chimed in (thus Australian Easter Sale: spread across 13 more notably has established a new far) with 20 individual winners. It augurs different buying groups. benchmark for the most stakes winners in well for the Sunshine state given that – in In its five select yearling sales, Inglis an Australian season … 28 of 39 races. 2017/18 – another Queensland stallion grossed $230 million at an average of I Am Invincible embodies all that is in Spirit of Boom lived right up to his $114,000 with, encouragingly, an 85% great about Australian breeding: hailing moniker with 18 first season winners. clearance rate. The $2.8 million for a from the first crop of Invincible Spirit – a In 2017, Spirit of Boom’s initial yearlings Snitzel colt set Easter alight, as did the $2.3 crop that yielded just 31 live foals – I Am averaged $40,653 in the sale ring, but million for the full brother to Royal Ascot’s Invincible would sell as a yearling for 12 months later, the Boom’s zoomed to Diamond Jubilee winner, Merchant Navy. $62,500, win two stakes races and retire to $125,200 and an auction high of $500,000. Magic Millions fared similarly with Yarraman Park Stud at a fee of $11,000. Perhaps the fairytale story for 2018/19 record sales on the Gold Coast, firstly for Forty seven stakes winners – including though belongs to Mystic Journey who the January showpiece (grossing $180 18/19 Group One winners Invincibella, hails from our smallest breeding state – million) and for the National Sales series Voodoo Lad, Media Sensation, Oohood Tasmania … a state which continues to in May/June which generated an equally and Viddora – and 18 seven figure sales punch above its weight. impressive $148 million, featuring $2.3 yearlings later, I Am Invincible will stand Encosta de Lago stallion, Needs million for the multiple stakes winner this season at a fee of $247,500. It’s been Further, was standing at a fee of just $3,300 Missrock – the most expensive filly or a waiting list only for broodmare owners when the breeders of Mystic Journey mare sold in Australia in 2019. Fittingly, since the start of the year, although decided to send her dam to Armidale Stud given Australia’s growing status on the remarkably Yarraman Park accepted a late in 2014. world stage, Missrock was purchased by entry from Winx, with I Am Invincible She might not be Winx (yet), but major international buyers, John and Jake chosen as the first mate for the world’s Mystic Journey has won her last six races Warren.

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