October
MarchThe road ahead
The hype over Winx is valid to a point. But old-timers have told me that she has to go overseas and win against the best miler/middle-distance horses in England and/or France. Then and only then would we have relevant comparisons with champions of the current day.
Winx is toying with the opposition in Australia, with the exception of the Cox Plate, which has the strongest weight-for-age opposition that Australia can muster.
But wouldn’t it be good to see her against the world’s best on their turf?
Then we could say clearly that Winx is the best in living memory or a champion at home only.
Strawberry Road (by Whiskey Road from Giftisa) is my favourite horse of those that have campaigned abroad. His record is so undervalued in this country.
At home in 1983 he won the Rosehill Guineas, AJC Derby, Queensland Derby, Freeway (Manikato) Stakes and Cox Plate.
Then in 1984 he went overseas and raced in Germany at Baden-Baden, winning the Grosser Preis von Baden over 2400 metres.
He went on to finish fifth in the Prix de l’Arc in France and then on to the US for a third and fourth respectively in the Washington DC International and the Breeders’ Cup. Later that year he ran seventh in the Japan Cup.
The following year he won the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt over 2000 metres at Longchamp. Later that year he won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over 2400 metres.
Strawberry Road then campaigned again in the US in 1986, winning the Arcadia Handicap over 10 furlongs (2000m).
At stud at Brookside Farm in Kentucky he was highly successful. He sired 368 foals with 233 becoming winners! Three were Breeders’ Cup winners.
Strawberry Road is clearly our best all-round performer since World War Two, being a champion at home and abroad.
Ocean Grove (Vic)