Winx dominant in Turnbull Stakes, gets 21st straight win

Now, this was more like it.

Winx stretched her winning streak to 21 races in Saturday’s Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, scoring easily by 6 1/2 lengths.

Unlike her three previous wins, Winx was in control of the Turnbull Stakes in the final quarter-mile. In more recent races, all Group 1 or Group 2 stakes, Winx trailed in the final quarter-mile, and occasionally looked beaten, before salvaging a victory.

The $390,153 Turnbull Stakes was run at 1 1/4 miles on turf. Winx (1-5) was ridden by regular jockey Hugh Bowman, who had the 6-year-old mare in fifth in a field of seven for the first six furlongs. Winx was closer to the lead entering the stretch before taking command.

Winx has won 14 Group 1 races in her career.

Ventura Storm, a 16-1 shot, finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of Humidor, the winner of the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at a mile at Flemington on Sept. 16.

The Turnbull Stakes was the first start at Flemington for Winx, who has won 25 of 31 starts. An Australian-bred by Street Cry, Winx is trained by Chris Waller for a partnership and typically races at tracks in and around Sydney, Australia.

Winx has not lost since May 2015. Two of those victories have come in the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, which will be her next goal on Oct. 28. Winx can become the second horse to win three runnings of the Cox Plate, joining Kingston Town, who won three straight from 1980-82.