Winx sectional times prove yet again she is in a class of her own

Will she or won’t she go?

That is the question of the week after Winx made it 24 consecutive victories and a world record for flat-racing horses of 17 group one wins, in Saturday’s George Ryder Stakes.

Those figures suggest superiority rarely seen. Her sectional times in winning on Saturday point to invincibility.

One thing is clear after Saturday’s victory, Winx is without peer in Australia. She is clearly many levels above any horse in this country.

Winx’s last 600m split was about two seconds faster than the other winners for the afternoon, with the exception of Galaxy winner In Her Time, which she eclipsed by more than 0.6 seconds in a dash home.

This is a day when the majority of the best horses in the country were on show but one was a cut above the rest.

Winx was the only horse to break 34 seconds for the last 600m on a sticky track, running it in 33.62 seconds according to Daily Sectionals. Happy Clapper and Kementari were worthy foes, they ran the third and fourth-best final 600m for the day, but were simply no match.

Chris Waller has to make a decision on whether Winx will be tested against the rest of the world.

"Obviously we know when [and] what the races are in Europe, it was very important to see her come back and be fairly dominant and obviously onwards to the Queen Elizabeth in three weeks time,” he said on Saturday. “It’s the signature race in Sydney which we were never really going to miss unless she was going to campaign in Europe.

“We’ve got to talk about coming back if she went to Europe and race in her fourth Cox Plate, she can only really go there for one run, possibly two, but we’ve got to put all the cards on the table.

“We’ll speak to the owners and have a check on the horse as well.”

Hugh Bowman spoke of not wanting Winx to get beaten, more than worrying about losing at a function after the races on Saturday.

The boy from Dunedoo can hold a room like few others when he talks horses and in the Rosehill directors room he gave some insight into his thoughts during the George Ryder and how the winning move came in the first 100m.

“They went so slow, ridiculously slow, in the first 400 metres - it made more difficult for her. Most horses in Sydney on any Saturday can run home in 34 [seconds over the last 600m], particular group one horses, so when they go that slow it is harder being back in the field because [it's hard to] make up the ground,” Bowman said.

“I was just letting her be happy back in the field from the barrier, like usual. After 100 metres I was just going to drop in behind Kementari for a trail and thought, no, better to be three-wide and be closer.

“I just wanted to be close to Happy Clapper because we have so much respect for him. She can do things others can’t but you have to be in the position to let her do it.”

It was a winning move and although the margin was only three-quarters of a length, it was the clock that told the story. It was a win for horse and rider.

The decision about a Royal Ascot and England tour now beckons.

A decision to go would cap a career to rival Phar Lap and Black Caviar with their international forays.

A decision to stay would put the champion mare in line for a fourth Cox Plate.

There is no wrong option; it is a case of priorities. The world, or history at home. It is a tough decision.

Article courtesy of Fairfax Digital and The Brisbane Times