Racing: Winx owners pick her first mate

Champion mare Winx is to be mated with Australian stallion I Am Invincible in her first season at stud later this year.

Her owners, Peter and Patty Tighe, Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis, announced yesterday they had chosen the Hunter Valley-based Yarraman Park stallion as her first mating.

They issued a statement via the mare's trainer Chris Waller saying they had fielded interest from home and abroad but decided she would remain in Australia.

"We have utilised and considered the expert advice of bloodstock professionals both domestically and internationally," they said. "We have sought the opinions of various pedigree consultants, bloodstock agents and stud managers. They provided us with the foundation of information to assess and use to compile the short list of stallions for consideration.

"This process highlighted the extreme depth to the stallion ranks in Australia and across the world.

"However, when considering the options of travelling overseas, her welfare remained of the highest priority and we decided she would remain in Australia for her first breeding season.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who made expressions of interest. The level of attention was overwhelming and something we are very grateful for."

I Am Invincible is second on the Australian General Sires list to Snitzel.

His daughter, Invincibella, won the final Group 1 race of the Australian season on Saturday, the Tatt's Tiara at Eagle Farm.

The mating plans for the star mare have proved a topic of widespread conversation among industry insiders, with a handful of bloodstock pundits suggesting New Zealand's champion stallion Savabeel would be an ideal match for Winx.

A daughter of Street Cry out of Kiwi mare Vegas Showgirl, Winx retired as an all-time great of the turf after winning her third Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick in April.

The rising eight-year-old was the winner of 37 of 43 starts, including 25 victories at Group 1 level and more than A$26 million in prizemoney earned.

- NZ Racing Desk