SYDNEY: Champion Australian mare Winx extended her record-breaking win streak to 32 on Saturday in what is widely expected to be the penultimate race for the world’s top-rated turf horse.
Trained by Chris Waller, the best galloper on the planet comfortably won the 1500m weight-for-age George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney, boosting her world-record Group 1 race victories to 24.
The seven-year-old was hot favourite on what is her home track — close to where she is stabled and has trained for most of her career. With long-time jockey Hugh Bowman in the saddle, she held back before hitting the front with 200m to go and storming to the finish line for another easy win ahead of Brutal and Dreamforce.
“I just crept her in closer and obviously I was a bit more assertive with her over the final 300m,” said Bowman. “But for her it was really comfortable and when I asked her to stretch she responded and you could hear the crowd roar.”