Even in retirement Winx is way ahead of her competition as mare steals show again at NSW awards

Winx is still winning and she’s not even racing with the champion mare picking a treasured NSW award for a record fourth time — the only horse to achieve the feat.

Winx ran her last race in April but the mighty mare just keeps winning.

At the NSW Racehorse Owners Association Awards on Thursday night, Winx cleaned up with three major honours including the NSW Champion Horse of the Year for the 2018-19 season.

This was the fourth consecutive year Winx has won the coveted title, the only horse to achieve the feat. She was also won the Miler and Mile Distance award categories.

Champion Winx was retired to stud after scoring her 33rd consecutive win — and a world record 25th at Group 1 level — in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick during The Championships last April.

Peter and Patty Tighe, who part-own Winx along with Debbie Keptitis and Richard Treweeke, made the trip from Brisbane to be at the awards ceremony.

“It’s always nice to be nominated for these awards and obviously we are very pleased that she has won the NSW Horse of the Year again,’’ Peter Tighe said.

“I think it will be a long time, if ever, that we get the opportunity to be involved in something like this again so we are just trying to take it all in and enjoy the moment.’’

Winx, regarded as one of the all-time great racehorses, is about to begin her new career as a broodmare and will be served by super sire I Am Invincible at Yarraman Park Stud early in September.

Other major winners were Golden Slipper heroine Kiamichi (2YO), The Autumn Sun (3YO), Osborne Bulls (Sprinter), Shraaoh (Stayer), Dixie Blossoms (Quene of the Autumn), Eckstein (Country) and Angel Of Truth (Provincial).

Winx trainer Chris Waller was honoured with his ninth successive Bart Cummings Medal, earning 133 points to finish well in advance of James McDonald on 67 points.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys praised Waller’s extraordinary feat to keep Winx racing in such outstanding form for so many years.

“But Chris and his team also train and care for hundreds of other horses on a daily basis and they must be congratulated for their professionalism and extreme dedication to our sport,’’ V’landys said.

Waller also collected the TJ Smith Award for Sydney’s premier trainer for the ninth year in succession, McDonald claimed his third George Moore Award as leading jockey, and Robbie Dolan won the Theo Green Award for champion apprentice.

Nini Vascotto won the Racing Writer’s Personality of the Year award, Alexandra Maher was Strapper of the Year and River Bird collected NSW BOBS Horse of the Year.

NSWROA AWARDS 
THE WINNERS

Winx: NSW Champion Horse of the Year, Miler of the Year, Middle-Distance Horse of the Year)

Kiamichi: Two-year-old of the Year

The Autumn Sun: Three-year-old of the Year

Angel Of Truth: Provincial Horse of the Year

Eckstein: Country Horse of the Year

Osborne Bulls: Sprinter of the Year

Shraaoh: Stayer of the Year

Dixie Blossoms: Queen of the Autumn