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Source : The Sydney Morning Herald, by Damien Ractliffe
Champion racehorse Winx will get a second chance at motherhood after her connections announced another date in the breeding barn, this time with stallion Pierro.
This time last year the four-time Cox Plate champion was in foal to I Am Invincible and just months away from giving birth, but Winx tragically lost her foal in October.
But her connections, including former trainer Chris Waller, announced on Wednesday that she will again prepare to become a mum, booking a meeting with stallion Pierro.
“The Winx Ownership Group are pleased to announce that Winx will be visiting Pierro for this year’s 2021 breeding season,” they said in a statement.
“Winx has been given a full year to recover from her ordeal, and we are pleased to report that the mare has returned in great condition. She has been enjoying life on the farm with some friends while she is preparing to go back to the breeding barn this spring.”
Pierro, who stands at Coolmore in the Hunter Valley, was a champion on the racetrack in his own right for Gai Waterhouse, winning five group 1s including the Golden Slipper, and has since made a terrific impression as a stallion.
His progeny include Arcadia Queen, Pierata and Shadow Hero, and stallion match software G1 Goldmine has labelled the Pierro-Winx meeting as a 20/20 match.
“This indicates that this mating is excellent as there are at least two superior horses with a very similar pattern,” according to G1 Goldmine.
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Blue Diamond winner Lyre is mated on a similar profile, being a daughter of Lonhro out of a Street Cry dam. Winx is also by Street Cry, while Pierro is arguably Lonhro’s best performed runner.
Winx won 33 races in a row to complete her stellar career, including a record four Cox Plates, and has the world record for most prizemoney won by a racehorse – more than $26 million. In the past 12 months, statues of the champion mare have been unveiled at both Moonee Valley and Rosehill.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Waller announced the retirement of Haut Brion Her, who will also head to the breeding barn this spring. Waller said he ran out of time to prepare her for The Everest, a race she finished fifth in last year.
“She is a horse with a lot of ability and we sadly never got to see the best of her,” Waller said in a statement.
“Haut Brion Her has been a pleasure to train, she has a wonderful nature and being by Zoustar she will make a lovely broodmare.”