This weekend we farewell royalty. We farewell the queen.
The queen of the turf. A legend of the sporting arena regardless of event, era or opinion.
Winx’s feats have and will continue to become legend for longer than you and I grace this earth. Thanks to technology, every generation to follow will get to watch the beauty and brilliance of this magical mare.
But, sadly, this weekend marks the end.
Winx has done enough. More than enough actually. More than anyone could ever have expected or dreamt.
So soon after the undefeated career of Black Caviar and the phenomenal feats of Makybe Diva’s trio of Melbourne Cups, we have been blessed with perhaps the greatest of them all. It’s positively impossible to compare the greats but few are brave enough to put any horse above Winx.
Longevity, dominance, consistency, distance, speed, stamina…
Her last mountain is still to be climbed but like the past few years it seems a foregone conclusion, regardless of the quality of opposition.
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes will be Winx’s last race.
She need not travel overseas, they’ve come here from far and wide to have a crack at her and they’ve all been left beaten – and beaten badly. There’s always that potential superstar who the Europeans will say will beat Winx but it’s here say. Winx has laid out more than enough evidence. She need not prove anything to anyone.
This Saturday will be like no other day at a race track and for those who attend, they’ll remember it forever. I saw Winx win her third Cox Plate and I remember her storming down the Moonee Valley straight like it was yesterday. She’s racing’s equivalent to Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali, Tiger Woods or any of the great athletes you can recall.
I’ll be in my hotel room, cooped up awaiting our game against North Melbourne on Saturday night but like everyone else who has ever shown any interest in horse racing, I’ll be watching – nervously – cheering on the champion so she goes out the way she should – a champion.
Go Winx!
Josh Jenkins Sports 