Winx equals Phar Lap record

Sadly, Royal Ascot may have to wait until 2018 to see Aussie superstar Winx, the highest-rat­ed thoroughbred in the world on turf.

Winx created a bit of history in scorching temperatures at Sydney on Monday, equalling the 14 straight wins of the legend­ary Phar Lap when capturing the Grade 2 Apollo at Randwick.

However, connections after­wards confirmed that a third Cox Plate is the target for 2017, with races at home like the Chipping Norton and the Queen Elizabeth included on Winx’s itinerary.

The Apollo was rescheduled from its original slot on Saturday because of a heat wave which saw temperatures soar above 40 de­grees Celcius, but the filly’s ice-cool jockey Hugh Bowman had kept his nerves in the fridge over the weekend and, while every­one else sweltered in the heat, he barely broke sweat.

Bowman, who has ridden Winx to 12 of those victories, said: “The 1400m is short of the mare’s best trip, but she has so much class that it was not a bother.

“They went a good pace up front and she hit a flat spot when they moved up another gear at the 600m pole. On any other horse I would have been worried, but she is something very special and at the blink of an eye she had cut them down and the race was all over.”

Winx, who last experienced de­feat in the Australian Oaks almost two years ago, ultimately won eas­ily by 2.75 lengths from last year’s Melbourne Cup third Hartnell, and, though punters would not have got rich taking odds of 1-7, as one of my UK colleagues observed “it’s better than we are getting at the building society back home.”

Trainer Chris Waller acknowl­edges Winx has risen so far up the ladder that “she is no longer my horse or the owner’s horse, she is the people’s horse”, but with rac­ing so much more competitive than when 1930 Melbourne Cup hero Phar Lap was around, he was justifiably proud of equalling that great horse’s achievement.

Godolphin must yearn for an­other superstar filly like Winx, but these last few years Sheikh Mohammed’s global operation has been more about quantity of winners than quality, though he’ll have no complaints about another seven winners at the Dubai Carni­val last week.

Highlight was undoubtedly the Grade 3 success of Thunder Snow in the UAE 2000 Guineas, and Christophe Soumillon, who rode the 5.75-lengths winner, was “very impressed”.

Soumillon said: “I won the Grade 1 Criterium International on Thunder Snow in France last October when the ground was testing, so I always felt he could cope with the dirt out here.

“We were able to avoid the kick-back and it was all very easy, but, though going up in trip would not be a problem if connections want to go for the UAE Derby on World Cup Night, Thunder Snow has what it takes to win some of the top races on turf in Europe this summer.”

However, despite what were two incredible days for the boys in blue at Meydan, they could not hide their disappointment over the defeat of Really Special in the UAE 1000 Guineas.

The 1-2 favourite took a bump leaving the stalls but never looked really happy on the dirt, despite having won the trial here, and, having encountered more prob­lems when held up in traffic down the back, Really Special emptied out as early as the home turn, fin­ishing only fifth.

Saeed bin Suroor will talk to Sheikh Mohammed before decid­ing whether to persevere with Re­ally Special on the dirt in the UAE Oaks, but one likely to return for that race is the shock winner, Sau­di Arabian 40-1 shot Nashmiah.

Nashmiah is 3-3 in her own country, but she had a rating of just 85 and the success came as a surprise to virtually everyone except jockey Christophe Soumil­lon.

He said: “I rode her last time and I was impressed with how tough she is. This was a big step up in class, but she was very brave and it’s a great result for Saudi as she was also bred there.”

The Japanese are always a force to be reckoned with in Dubai on World Cup Night and Satono Crown, winner of the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December, might well take in the Sheema Classic after leaving Japan Derby hero Makahiki toiling in third place when landing the £845,000 Kyoto Kinen in his homeland last weekend.

There is a terrific card at Mey­dan tomorrow, and, hopefully, Mike de Kock can clinch a belated 53rd birthday winner in the open­er, courtesy of ALAREEF.

He only just got up over 1200m there a fortnight ago, so this step back up to 1400m should be ideal.

Sheikh Hamdan, who owns Alareef, can also win the Grade 3 Meydan Sprint with ERTIJAAL, who was hugely impressive here last time and is being geared up for a tilt at the G1 Al Quoz on World Cup night. He’ll start fa­vourite but is one not to miss.

The first four home in the Cape Verdi meet again in the Grade 2 Balanchine, but Godolphin’s Very Special, who inched home in a tight finish, is now 1.5kg worse off with her rivals, and I was very taken by the run of William Hag­gas’s MUFFRI’HA, who might now prove best of the quartet.

Muffri’ha, who has thrived during her time in Dubai, was only collared in the last 50 metres in the Cape Verdi and she will be sharper for that run.

The Grade 2 Zabeel Mile fea­tures two from the De Kock yard, Light The Lights and Noah From Goa, and a brace from Godolphin,  not intend opposing CHAMPI­ONSHIP, who won the Grade 2 Al Fahidi Fort with some authority and carries plenty of stable confi­dence.

On the UK front I can put in a good word for FRANCO’S SECRET in the London Mile Qualifier at Kempton this evening. He is on a hat-trick and is the type who does just enough, so, consequently, the handicapper has not reacted too harshly to his recent winning spree.