Racing: Last-to-first gut-buster for Winx

Hugh Bowman rides Winx (centre, 7) to a narrow victory in the Warwick Stakes at Randwick on Saturday. Photo / Getty Images

Winx did exactly what we thought she would do and a lot more.

But among the widespread euphoria in the true magnificence of her last-to-first A$250,000 Warwick Stakes victory, there would have been a silent moment from one of the major players - trainer Chris Waller.

The absolute last thing a trainer wants to see is for a horse to have a gut-buster after 133 days away from racing. It has destroyed many a horse before Winx.

And a gut-buster she had. Hugh Bowman, who rode the champion mare to perfection after losing four lengths at the start, admitted he had to get to the bottom of Winx to get the result.

Waller recognised Bowman's superb effort under difficult circumstances. "Hugh never panicked. When you put the reins in his hands you know you've got the right man aboard. He realised he had to make up a bit of ground and used the full length of the straight to do it," Waller told the press.

Winx's 1400m winning time of 1:21.87 (Good 3) eclipsed her Warwick Stakes win from last year, when she beat Hartnell by 3.5 lengths to win in 1:23.83 (Good 4). That was exceptional, even allowing the Randwick surface was lightning fast and three track records were eclipsed.

Bowman claimed the track on Saturday contributed to that differential.

For the record, Winx either shied or spooked as the start was made and cannoned into one of the gate's arms.

"I was a bit worried going past the 700m because of the way the track conditions are, they are running really slick times," said Bowman. "I was thinking it could be mathematically impossible to catch them but there was nothing I could do about that I just had to rely on the engine that I know is in her, I couldn't take off at the 700m to get closer or I would have run out of gas, so I just had to have confidence in her and ride her to run a race.

"I want her to win as much as anyone else but after what happened coming out of the barriers I had to renegotiate where I was ... and it was a concern halfway through but it was a good feeling the last 200m."

The sectionals Winx clocked could not be timed because of the damage she did to the timing chip when she banged into the gate, but the times clocked by well respected Punting Form are staggering. They clocked Winx to run the final 1000m in 51.3, 600m in 31.88, 400m in 20.96 and the final 200m in 10.72.

Horses are not meant to run that fast.

This story is not designed to be negative, it is meant to point out how training horses is never easy, even one as great as Winx. We all congratulated each other after Saturday's 18th straight win and headed for a glass of something nice - Waller alone had to take Winx home and hope and pray no damage had been done.

We are all praying alongside him.

Winx's victory takes her past A$13m in stakes money, closing further on Makybe Diva's A$14,526,690.

• Craig Williams is as clinical as a top class jockey can be, but he's now also in the Believe It Or Not club.

Williams was fined a combination of A$2000 under unbelievable circumstances in winning the Lawrence Stakes on Hartnell in Melbourne on Saturday.

When Williams weighed out for Hartnell he also weighed out for his ride in the following race. Between those two weight checks he changed his heavy safety vest for Hartnell to a light vest for the following race.

To his horror when he arrived around at the start aboard Hartnell he discovered he'd forgotten to switch back to the heavy vest. If Hartnell won the likelihood would be he would be disqualified for weighing light.

Williams went to the blacksmith's bag and shoved several of the smithy's tools down his riding boots. He and Hartnell destroyed the opposition and Williams weighed in just under 1kg overweight. He was fined A$1000 for his mistake before the start and A$1000 for weighing in too heavy.

The win showed there was little doubt Hartnell has come back as big and strong as ever and that being continually beaten by Winx last season has not removed his mojo.