Rarely has everything in world horse racing been so completely overshadowed by one performance as it was last weekend. Indeed, Winx’s astonishing victory on Saturday in the Southern Hemisphere’s most important weight-for-age race, the Cox Plate, didn’t just eclipse every other race in the world over the past week, it eclipsed most that have taken place all season - and for the past several seasons.
Her eight-length demolition of Godolphin’s outstanding Hartnell, current favourite for Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, was immediately given a rating of 130 on Racing Post Ratings, which makes the mare (given the three-pound distaff allowance) the equal of world-leading California Chrome, whose similarly stunning Pacific Classic win at Del Mar in August earned him an RPR of 133.
That Winx performance has meant a significant boost for her connections in this week’s TRC Global Rankings, which are out today.
Her sire, the now deceased U.S.-Australia shuttle stallion Street Cry, who ironically was owned by Godolphin, gained five points and has climbed two places to 12th in TRC Global Rankings top 500 sires’ list - just three points short of a place in the top 10.
Winx’s victory helped give trainer Chris Waller a two-point gain on last week to consolidate his position at No. 2 in the trainer’s standings ahead of American Chad Brown and England’s John Gosden (behind Aidan O’Brien).
There was a five-point gain for the Winx ownership group (listed as ‘Magic Bloodstock et al’) in the owners’ top 500. Although that isn’t enough to improve their 14th position in the owners’ standings, it does move them to within four points of the top 10.
Perhaps more significantly, Winx’s rider Hugh Bowman moves to within one point of world No. 2 Frankie Dettori in the jockeys’ rankings. A good week at the action-packed Spring Carnival could certainly see Bowman taking over that second spot (behind Ryan Moore) by this time next week.
Mind you, Bowman doesn’t have a lot to spare over fourth-ranked Christophe Soumillon, who gained five points. His main contibutor was G1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Vazirabad for his main employer, the Aga Khan (world ranked 6).
Vazirabad’s Saint-Cloud victory also helps push his sire, Manduro, up 10 places to world No. 24, with a gain of eight points.
Biggest points gainers of the week are Aussie jockey Ben Melham (+12pts) and German stallion Soldier Hollow (+11).
Melham’s successes included the 60-1 G1 Manikato Stakes triumph of Rebel Dane at Moonee Valley on Friday in a race where the favourite, Chautauqua, the world’s most acclaimed sprinter, failed to fire (he finished eighth). Melham, who climbed eight places in the jockeys’ standings to 56th after a great week last time, moves up another nine places to 47th.
Rebel Dane’s performance also lifts his owners (Laurel Oak BS et al) up more than 100 places (to 116th), his trainer, Gary Portelli, up from 259 to 198, and his sire, California Dane, up 30 places to 110.
Soldier Hollow, a son of In The Wings standing in Germany, had Group wins in Italy and Germany in his weekend tally. He moves up 25 places to world No. 27.
Click here to see a full list of the leading climbers.
Click here for the list of winners of all races that counted towards the standings last week.