All language subtitles for a.horse.named.winx.2024.1080p.web.h264-cbfm

(GENTLE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

FEMALE VOICEOVER:
This is the story

of a horseracing fairytale.

It begins with footage

of a very cute but totally
ordinary little foal.

Foals who follow the rules

are born between the hours
of 11:00pm and 2:00am

and nearly all before dawn.

These are the ones
who take hours

to master their wobbly stilts

before they can keep up
with Mum.

To be very clear,

this foal definitely
isn't our heroine.

The legend of Winx

is about a foal
who was different to the rest.

Once upon a time,
a plain bay filly

had the sheer audacity
to be born in broad daylight.

The stud master
noted in the birth report

just how quickly
she leapt to her feet.

(MUSIC SOARS)

Still, no sane person

could ever predict that
she would one day

be mentioned
in the same breath

as Secretariat, Phar Lap,
or any of the great ones.

-Now that would be lunacy.
-(HORSE WHINNIES)

COMMENTATOR: Look at Winx!
She's come from last.

She stormed down the outside.
Oh, what a win!

Winx just out in front
with her powerful strength!

It's a blitz!
It's a Winx blitz!

All conditions. All distances.
All challenges.

An Australian icon.

The greatest of all time.

(UPLIFTING
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

FEMALE VOICEOVER:
A world away

from the glamour and glitz
of the racetrack,

our leading lady lives out
her retirement years

in the luxury deserved of the
world's greatest racehorse.

But one thing stays the same.

She still has to be
the one out in front.

Showing off, as usual.

Where you goin'?

CHRIS WALLER:
When she retired,

I was an emotional wreck.

I just wasn't ready

for, um, telling people
what we'd been through

and, um, and the sacrifices

that...we thought
we were making at the time

and how personally we took it

and the attention to detail
we were going through

and...

They just had to be
everything perfect

'cause we just didn't
want to be responsible

for letting her down.

ANDREW RULE:
So here we are, at last,

telling the Winx story.

And what
a hell of a story it is.

It's a great story because
it transcends racing.

And to some extent,
it transcends sport.

ANDREW: This is the place
I call Wallerland.

There's no more Winx
but the beat goes on.

Hey, Nora.

(HORSE NICKERS QUIETLY)

Thanks, Jerry.

CHRIS: Every
person's important

and you need to be
in a team environment.

Thanks, Rosie.

CHRIS: I choose to be there
when they start

and to be there
when they finish.

Thank you.

ANDREW:
He could run hospitals,

he could run factories.

He's just that sort of man.

Get a...get a name tag
for him.

CHRIS: Racing's a drug.

Once you've got it in your
vein, you can't get it out.

But when you get to taste
that success -

whether it be a runner
in the Melbourne Cup,

whether it be winning a race
at your home track -

you want to do it again.

COMMENTATOR:
Cracking filly here.

Just oozes quality.

Look at the size
and strength of her.

ANDREW: The Magic Millions
yearling sales

are among the biggest
and best in the land.

ANNOUNCER: Not you in front.

You're out. You miss.
You miss forever.

ANDREW:
A lot of wealthy people,

a lot of big trainers,
go to those sales.

They go there with blank
cheques and high hopes.

You are playing for keeps,
you know that.

ANDREW: And only the odd one
will be the magic horse.

The big horse. A yearling
that ticks every box.

The one you spend
your whole career wanting.

ANNOUNCER: 400,000...

(SPRIGHTLY MUSIC)

ANDREW: For most people at
the 2013 Magic Millions sale,

lot 329 did not stand out.

CHRIS: She was very tall.

Didn't have a big frame.

Looked a touch fragile
to my eye.

Uh, but had
these amazing long legs.

Did that mean anything?
Probably not.

Hadn't seen any other good
horses that looked like her.

ANDREW: The filly
that became Winx

was born in the Hunter Valley,

heartland of Australia's
thoroughbred country.

Her mother, Vegas Showgirl,

had a pretty ordinary
pedigree,

but she made up for it
by being a star to look at.

PETER O'BRIEN: She's
the best-looking horse

I've ever seen in my life.

They key to her is her rump.

That's where all the drive
comes, far as a racehorse.

Obviously the rest,

the next step is picking
the right mate for her.

ANDREW: Winx's sire, Street
Cry, was bred in Ireland

and he was owned

by the wealthiest
horse owners in the world,

the oil sheikhs
of the Middle East.

So you're mixing her speed

with Street Cry's
sort of stamina.

Winx knew she was good
from 10 minutes of age.

She had a bit of attitude
about her.

Um, used to take us a couple
of people to catch her.

PETER: Wilfulness,

devil-may-care attitude
that her mother has.

We vividly remember her when
she was about a month of age.

She was off on her own,
tearing round the paddock.

ANDREW: The canny bloodstock
agent Guy Mulcaster

advises Chris Waller which
horses his people should buy.

Really big girth
and the hind quarters.

So we'll just give him
a little walk

and we'll have another
look at him, thanks.

The first actual parade
where we saw her,

she was just another horse

that went on the list
to be reconsidered later.

ANDREW: The bay filly

had a whiff of wallflower
about her,

but she had made Waller's
shortlist to show to buyers.

You know,
we inspect them as well.

We have a look and...

"It's a nice colour"

or "It's, um, you know,
got a hairy tail" or whatever.

I don't like odd socks.
I don't like long socks.

That's a box I tick.

INTERVIEWER: How would
you describe the runners

that you owned before
Winx came along?

Ordinary.

(OTHERS LAUGH)

(UPBEAT MUSIC)

PETER TIGHE:
When we got to the sale,

we'd been there
for a couple of days

and we hadn't got any lots

'cause they'd gone
too expensive.

And we'd formulated a budget

and I think it was maybe 150,
180,000 maximum.

And...Winx came in
to the sales ring.

ANNOUNCER: 329. 329.

The next to come forward from
Coolmore, here's the filly.

AUCTIONEER: Street Cry
from Vegas Showgirl.

Here's the filly coming
forward. Street Cry.

She goes bidding for 80,000.

Ladies and gentlemen,
she's on the market

all the way from 90.

How cheap
are we gonna get this!

I mean, just
a walk in the park.

AUCTIONEER:
For sale all the way.

-90. 100.
-(MAN EXCLAIMS)

The bidding started
getting a bit more ferocious

round about the $150,000 mark.

AUCTIONEER: 180,000.

I had the unenviable task
of doing the bidding

but also working out
where to stop.

AUCTIONEER: 210, the top.

When the hammer's
about to fall...

So, "You really
like this horse?"

Guy was sitting there,
all nodding.

CHRIS: It was Guy
suggesting we go one more,

go one more, go one more.

Well, we'll have one more bid.

AUCTIONEER: 230. 230.

And it was THE last bid.

You know, there wasn't
another dollar in it.

You don't wanna be the one

that was the underbidder
on Winx.

AUCTIONEER: They sell for 230.

230.

She definitely won't be
forgotten in the sales ring.

No. We don't give him
too much credit.

Just because he bought
the best horse in the world.

-(GUY LAUGHS)
-He's still Guy.

(RELAXED
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

ANDREW: Within hours
of being sold,

the filly is sent south
across the border

to an upmarket boot camp
for future champions.

TIM BOLAND: Chris says,

"Tim, I want you to
break these horses in."

And then my system is,
that will take 26 days,

and then I give him
a little bit of a report,

then away we go.

ANDREW: When the filly
arrives, she's calm and cool,

totally unfazed

by the demands of being

the new kid in school.

(MAN WHISTLES
AND CLICKS TONGUE)

You know,
every horse tells you

they've got a story to tell.

They've got a behaviour.

Oh, good girl. (CLICKS TONGUE)
Keep walking.

TIM: Amir is a very special...
special employee.

AMIR: Whoa.

TIM: The fact that him
and Winx got together

was, I've gotta tell you,
it was by chance,

'cause he didn't break in
many horses here.

He's gentle, he's kind,
he thinks like a horse.

AMIR: Good girl!

(WHISTLES)

And after the one week

when we had to put
the saddle on, first ride,

I still remember, like,
as soon as you jump on her,

she was very easy.

Like, she was just...

She understood the game,
what it is.

(HOOVES THUD RHYTHMICALLY)

I used to tell my friend,
like, I said, like, you know,

"Do you remember who was the
first guy to go on the moon?"

He said, "Neil Armstrong."

I said, "I was the first guy
to ride Winx."

(CHUCKLES)

(HORSES SNORT)

TIM: I remember clearly being
in the back of her box.

You know,
if she was a kid at school,

she'd go to the library
at lunchtime.

She's not out bloody
watching social media

or doing her nails
or something like that,

or being a sports star,
but she's just...

In... My memory's of her
keeping herself to herself.

There was nothing about her

that says to me that
she's gonna be a star.

(READS) "13 August 2013.

"She only came in yesterday

"so haven't had much of a
chance to spend time with her

"but my first impressions are
that she's a beautiful filly

"and has certainly
grown in strength

"since I last saw her,
so I was very impressed.

"This morning,
she went to the barriers

"and behaved herself well.

"I won't get too serious,

"but we'll try and teach her
as much as we can

"and give her a good insight
into stable life."

ANDREW: Deep down
I think Chris Waller

sees himself
as an elite sports coach.

He has a checklist

that his stable staff
have to work through.

So he has rules.

Don't speak loudly.

Don't yell at the horses.

Don't hit the horses.

Don't swear at the horses.

Don't turn the radio on
with the races

because he thinks that
it might excite the horses.

He wants them to be quiet
and calm

and to just eat and rest.

And then go out
and do their work

and come back,
and eat and rest.

CHRIS: They don't need
to run fast

in the early part
of their training.

They only need
to do things right.

We hadn't asked her
to go fast.

To be honest,

she was a bit of an ugly
duckling in the beginning.

ANDREW: Waller's senior
track rider, Ben Cadden,

hadn't taken much notice
of the new bay filly

until the morning
she went flying past him.

Maybe that was
the first sign of greatness.

BEN: Was just going
through Chris's system,

and we're just
sort of teaching them

how to gallop
and get on the right leg.

The one I was on,
I thought went alright,

and she absolutely
just went by me

like I was tied to the fence.

ANDREW: Before she can race,
the filly needs a name.

That job falls
to co-owner Richard Treweeke.

(KEYS CLICK)

DEBBIE: And so we went through
Richard's list

and we thought, "Short and
sweet, Winx. That's good."

Didn't think about

where the name had come from
or anything.

Just knew that
it was to do with 'wink'.

PETER TIGHE: It was only later
when she derived a bit of fame

that Richard gave the reason

why he came up
with that suggestion.

Well, she's out of a mare
called, um,

Vegas Showgirl.

And if you've ever been
to Vegas

and you go to see
a couple of shows,

you realise there's some
pretty good sorts up on the...

(INTERVIEWER LAUGHS)

You know, cheeky bums
and lovely tits

and that sort of thing.

INTERVIEWER: Where
does 'Winx' come from?

And if you like 'em, you wink.

(MEN LAUGH)

So you... And then she likes
you and she winks back.

-(ALL LAUGH)
-It's an X-rated wink.

(ALL CONTINUE LAUGHING)

(JAUNTY BIG BAND MUSIC)

(KISSES AND EXHALES)

Even as an old man,
Richard Treweeke was charming

and you could tell that
he'd been very debonair.

But he loved women.
Loved the fillies.

ANDREW: And had a dash
of the James Bond.

You know, sort of
the tuxedo type of vibe.

You can imagine him cutting
a swathe through the casino

when he was 25 or something.

Here we are in his diary
on February 8.

-2013.
-Yeah.

"Street Cry. Vegas Showgirl."

And he's looking... (LAUGHS)

He's looking for some names.

-Street Dancer.
-Street Nymph.

-Extravaganza.
-(WOMEN LAUGH)

ELIZABETH: And then Winx
right at the very end.

WOMAN: That was the last one?

ANDREW: So now,
Winx - with an X -

is ready to make her debut.

COMMENTATOR: And there
they go, off and racing.

Now coming out well,

Shama De Oro in the centre
with Aperture.

And on the outside,
Felines began well.

Look, they're a long way off
the lead settling down.

Veselka's about to go past...

CHRIS: She was back
near the tail of the field.

COMMENTATOR: ..Uratta Belle
but Felines sprinted.

Winx is coming after him.

CHRIS: This horse
in the blue colours

was coming through the pack.

Seemed to sort of
get her shoulder down

and have a different type
of action.

Like a bit of a misfit.

COMMENTATOR: Winx
is closing in on the outside

and is finishing very fast.

Gets a good win.

ANDREW: Race 2.

COMMENTATOR:
Inz'n'out's in front

but Winx moved up
on the outside.

She responds when asked
by the rider and comes away.

Wins an impressive lead.

ANDREW: Race 3.

This time, with
a new jockey on board,

a bloke called Hugh Bowman.

HUGH: She was quite
a fragile horse

and she was quite
underdeveloped.

You know, I wouldn't say
she was uninspiring

but she certainly
wasn't inspiring

and I certainly didn't think
that it was gonna be

the start of a life-changing
relationship with a horse.

COMMENTATOR: And Winx
strode away with 100m to go.

And she'll remain undefeated.

Winx, a great prospect.

(EASY-LISTENING JAZZ MUSIC)

I was more impressed with her
after the race when she'd won.

She'll win the next one.
She's won the first three.

She's beaten the same horses.

Along comes this First Seal.

(ROUSING MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR:
First Seal has hit the lead.

Here's a boilover.

Beat Winx and Earthquake.

From Echo Gal,

then Winx, Press Report
and Thinking of You.

But First Seal. Get in
the queue if you're on it.

It's raced away and First
Seal's gonna be much too good.

Wins it by three.
Winx is second.

It's Adrift taking the lead

from First Seal,
who's half a length away.

Here's a boilover.

Adrift has won it from
First Seal and Slightly Sweet.

COMMENTATOR 2: First Seal
certainly get a tick

but the jury has to be out
on Winx.

It's getting worse.

COMMENTATOR:
And First Seal beats Supara.

Third, Slightly Sweet.
Just in front of Amicus.

And then came Winx
and Wine Tales,

followed by Adrift
and Candelara.

And Fenway gets the money.
Blake Shinn.

Winx got too far back.

(MELANCHOLY MUSIC)

She was a forgotten horse.

COMMENTATOR: Winx is
trying to pull back the margin

but it's not going to happen.

And Gust of Wind

is roaring away with
the Australian Oaks.

Gust of Wind by two and a half
lengths to Winx.

Candelara third.

Winx is trying her heart out
in second.

She just wasn't up to it
on the day.

(MELANCHOLY MUSIC CONTINUES)

CHRIS: I'm looking for a race

that she can get
some confidence back in.

She's lost her confidence.

(HOPEFUL MUSIC)

ANDREW: Waller decides
to go off Broadway a little

and sends Winx north to
the Sunshine Coast Guineas.

Veteran jockey Larry Cassidy
gets the ride.

LARRY: I hadn't heard of
her before.

-And I typed in W-I-N-K-S.
-Yeah.

And it didn't come up and I
said, "How do you spell that?"

And he's like, "It's W-I-N-X."

ALAN THOMAS: Going to
the Sunshine Coast that day,

was I thinking that

this was gonna be
a history-making day?

No, you don't.
It's just another day.

She was...she was just another
horse when she came up here.

She wasn't a superstar.

(STIRRING MUSIC)

It was the beginning
of the...the story, really.

COMMENTATOR:
Stand by for a start.

Big field. 18 of them.

Then history unfolded.

-WOMAN: Here we go!
-(CLOCK TICKS DOWN)

COMMENTATOR:
And the gates open.

They're off and racing.

Now Winx jumped out OK

and she's gonna go back in
the second half of the field.

She's back third last
when they hit the ground.

LARRY: Instructions were just
to go back from a wide gate.

-So you're second last here.
-Second last there.

I'm probably two, three off
the fence at that stage.

COMMENTATOR:
Whatalovelyday on the fence,

followed by Rhodin Drive,

and Hawaydah
going around them deep.

Now two and a half to Winx,
back second last.

..Code on the outside and...

All sorts of things

are starting to go
through your mind.

"Have I made
the right decision?

"Have I given her
the impossible task?"

COMMENTATOR:
..Drive and Merion.

Whatalovelyday on the fence
from Rising Luck.

LARRY: I knew in my mind,

"I've probably got
a bit too far back here.

COMMENTATOR:
Game of Fame, Eljetem...

ALAN: Because
she is the favourite,

you shouldn't take
your eyes off them.

COMMENTATOR: Winx is last.

She'll have to come past
the 17 of them.

ALAN: When it got to the home
turn, she was back last.

I had one last look at Winx.

In my mind,
she can't win the race.

Tell us what was happening
right here

just after the 400m mark

on that day, in May 2015.

As you can see, the 400m
mark's just behind us,

so this is about where
I angled her to the outside

of the horse in the pink.

COMMENTATOR: Winx is last.

She'll have to come past
the 17 of them.

LARRY: I know
I'm gonna run home

but, you know, we're probably
too far off them.

She then sort of
turned her body.

And you know she's got
her head on the side.

And that's when
the acceleration come.

COMMENTATOR: Worthy Cause
now into the second spot

about to give chase.

CHRIS: She starts to make up
a bit of ground.

Well, you can't make up
that much ground.

You're gonna run out
of petrol.

COMMENTATOR:
Worthy Cause, Skylimit.

Ulmann getting up
on the fence.

ALAN: I saw a blue flash.

COMMENTATOR: Still a hundred
to go. Look at Winx.

ALAN: She can't be there!

COMMENTATOR: Look at Winx!
She's come from last.

She's stormed down
the outside. Oh, what a win!

Winx got up and beat Ulmann
and Worthy Cause

in an amazing performance.

ALAN: Oh, what a win!

DEBBIE: She won!

But the way she won.

(SWEEPING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

LARRY: With 300m to go,

I had like a light bulb moment
that,

"I'm gonna beat this lot."

Just the feeling that she gave
me and the acceleration.

It's like sitting in a Ferrari

and you're in third and then
you chop it back to second.

-And floor it.
-And then...and floor it.

LARRY: And I'm sure
by this stage of the race,

I had a massive grin
on my face.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

CHRIS: Yeah.

The winning sequence

is...is on its way.

Who would have thought?
(LAUGHS)

He never goes over the top,
Chris,

and he would say to us that,
"She's got ability.

"How much ability,
we'll find out."

CHRIS: On comes the Oaks.

We needed her to win
this Group 1 race.

Hughie Bowman
was committed to the ride.

I'd booked him
a long time ago.

Otherwise, Larry
would have been on.

And I remember
speaking to Larry Cassidy.

He said, "What do you think?"

I said, you know, I said,

"She could be the best horse
I've ever ridden."

And he rattled off Sunline...
Saintly.

HUGH: There was
no mincing his words.

He said, "She's better
than Sunline."

And that...

That made me sit down.

He said, "Really?"
I said, "Yeah, I know."

I said, "Look..."

I said, "She could have
possible champion

"written all over her."

I took it with
a grain of salt.

I thought, "That's a big call,

"you know, for a horse
that's done what she's done,

"comparing her to Sunline."

COMMENTATOR:
Winx has pulled

to the outside.

300m to go.

Imperial Lass has gone

to the lead from Col 'n' Lil.

Here's Winx.

She's winding up and have
a look at her go.

Inside the 200m mark and
Winx has raced to the lead.

From Imperial Lass,
Ungrateful Ellen.

And this is a monstrous win
of the Oaks.

Winx is down, three lengths
Ungrateful Ellen.

What an exciting victory
by Winx.

PETER TIGHE:
Mate, unbelievable.

You know, she's got a pretty
strong Queensland connection,

so it's number one Group 1
for us in Queensland

and we're ecstatic.

CHRIS: I didn't even expect
her to win.

You don't...you don't think
like that.

You just go into the race

hoping that they can run
up to their best

and fortunately she did.

She showed that
she was dominant.

PETER TIGHE: He's a man that
remembers where he came from

and, you know,
the tough times that he had

when, you know, no-one would
give him a horse to train

and he had to prove himself.

ANDREW:
If you were painting a picture

of small-town New Zealand,
go to a place like Foxton.

And this is the place that
Chris Waller came from.

STEPH WALLER: Don't blink
'cause you'll miss it.

You've got a pub,

a pub, a few shops.

It's just beautiful.

There's, um, a little church

where Chris and I went back
to get married.

ANDREW: Foxton
is the sort of place

that's got a motel
in the main street

that's named after
a racehorse.

This racehorse
was called Castletown.

He was a local hero horse.

Everybody knew
who the big trainers were

and the good jockeys.

All the Wallers were riders
and they were trainers.

Uh, I had a belief

that I wasn't that talented
academically

and that to make something
out of my...my occupation,

I had to do something
a little extra

and I used to write things
down and take notes

and...um, people
would have thought

that I was just
being methodical

and paying attention
to detail,

but the fact was,
didn't have a great memory.

I struggled
as a horse trainer.

This young guy with a young
team of people around him

and his wife turning up
at the races most weekends,

getting a win or two.

But that big-race win
was elusive.

Coming to Australia, I can
remember seeing Tommy Smith.

I can remember seeing
Bart Cummings.

I can remember
seeing Gai Waterhouse.

Um, but I would try
and divert to the side

rather than...have
to say hello to them.

I was just in awe of them

but I was embarrassed to
sort of be in their company.

Just sort of never really felt

I deserved to be
in their company.

I would see it
as a good thing,

it's you having
respect for people,

but it probably held me back
in a big way.

Um...I was pretty...pretty shy

and...and I've seen other
people succeed overnight,

and people may say
the same about...

..or think the same about me

but I think I did it gradually

and, um, got better
and a little more confident.

HUGH: He's a very
calculated person

who puts a great deal
into everything that he does.

He's very thoughtful
and very intelligent.

He's not an easy person
to get to know.

He's very introverted.

And...

But he...he's very soft.
Very soft.

ANDREW: Right from the start,
Winx catches the eye of Umut

who puts his hand up
to be her strapper.

I am Umut Odemislioglu

from Turkey, Izmir.

Came to Australia

12 years ago

with a...with a chase to
race horses for...dream.

ANDREW: He's a reasonably
brusque sort of guy.

He doesn't do small talk.

Winx also gives
that impression

of being the cool,
aloof professional

and so they suited each other.

BEN: She was like
his girlfriend in a way.

He probably spent

more time with her

than his girlfriend, so...

ANDREW: Soon after Winx

returns from Queensland,
victorious,

she gets a new strapper
to help Umut.

CANDICE: Like,
I didn't even love her

that much in the beginning.

I know that sounds
really awful to say.

So I would get here

and I would do

the temperatures first.

I'd trottled down.

I had my own little bucket.

I took my thermometer
and my little bucket

and I went down
and I'd wipe her face.

So then at 3:45 she was
ready to go on the walker.

And then
I'd just sit out there

until, um, my timer went off.

And then she'd come back
from trackwork.

-She'd have a roll.
-(WINX SNORTS AND NICKERS)

And she'd have...she'd have
to roll both sides always.

(UPLIFTING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

And then I would take her
to the wash bay.

She'd get washed.
Back to the walker.

So when it was raining,

I used to just sort of huddle
up against the corner.

Just check over,
"Yeah, still alive."

I'm the only one
who brushed her,

so I'd have my little personal
Winx kit down outside her box.

'Cause, God forbid,

some other brushes
touch her precious skin.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

ANDREW: Whatever is happening
behind the scenes

obviously suits Winx.

COMMENTATOR:
Winx is about five lengths off

and Ninth Legion heads up,

goes on to hit the lead
from Strawberry Boy.

Sons of John driving through.
Winx flying.

Oh, did she get there?

Yes, she has. Yes, she has!

She's a serious racehorse

and serious racehorses
can overcome problems.

I can take no credit
for this horse.

ANDREW: Three weeks later,

the man who rode her
to victory

in the Queensland Oaks
is back on board.

Bowman vaults onto
the tiny wafer of a saddle

as casually as most of us
step into a car.

COMMENTATOR:
There's Hughie Bowman.

He's already saying,
"She's apples."

Can she repeat that brilliant
performance in the Theo Marks?

Hugh Bowman aboard.

(GATES OPEN)

And the gates open.
They're off and racing.

CHRIS: She was three wide,
turning for home,

and there's a scrimmage.

COMMENTATOR:
Oh, oh, oh, oh!

CHRIS: Bang. They've collided.

COMMENTATOR:
Winx forced even deeper,

with Kirramosa
pulling out in front.

CHRIS: She lost balance.
Hugh did as well.

COMMENTATOR:
The charge is on at the Epsom.

And Hooked and Sons of John
have raced up to hit the lead.

It's Hooked and Sons of John
from Ecuador.

Now Winx is starting
to close in from Kirramosa.

Hooked and Sons of John,

but Winx is starting
to unleash

with her powerful strength.

And Winx races up
to hit the lead.

CHRIS: Back in the field,
storming home.

She's starting
to form a pattern.

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR: Hugh Bowman,
the man from Dunedoo,

wins his first Epsom today

and how easy at the finish.

ANDREW: Hugh Bowman
looks as if he was born

with a slow heartbeat and just
enough nerves to stay awake.

He doesn't even blink much.

He's from six generations
of back country horsemen.

It still shows in little ways.

Feet full in the irons,

hands light on the reins.

HUGH: I dunno,
I just loved dressing up

and getting on the...
on the rocking horse.

I used to call the races.
I did the lot.

My mother would come out
from the kitchen,

she'd come round and say,

"Now, Hugh,
you don't always win.

"You must sometimes
let other horses win."

ANDREW: This documentary
filmed back in 2001

captures a 21-year-old Bowman

soon after he was named
Apprentice Jockey of the Year.

They all thought I was,
um, had impaired speech

because I...because
I used to speak so slow.

And I s'pose
being in the game,

I've sort of
quickened my speech up

a little bit since then,

but, yeah, they always
used to say,

"Can't you speak
any quicker, you know?"

DOCUMENTARY NARRATOR:
Make no mistake,

this special young man has
the background, the support,

the talent
and, most importantly,

the character
to overcome any obstacles

and fulfil his goals.

Following the Epsom, we've
gotta think about what's next.

Cox Plate?

Well, I doubt it.

It's won by the best horses
in Australia every year.

(STIRRING MUSIC)

DEBBIE: To pure racing people,

the Cox Plate
is the pinnacle race.

The Melbourne Cup
is a wonderful race

and everyone
aspires to win it,

but the Cox Plate

is racing's weight-for-age
premium race to win.

ANDREW: The winners' list
over the past hundred years

is a roll call of
Australian racehorse royalty.

COMMENTATOR:
But the great grey Gunsynd

in front, he's too good.

What a champion!

COMMENTATOR 2:
It's Kingston Town, Lawman.

Lawman in front. Kingston Town
wearing him down.

He'll win
the million-dollar plate.

COMMENTATOR 3:
And Bonecrusher

races into equine immortality.

COMMENTATOR 4:
Mahogany, Octagonal.

Octagonal, Mahogany.

Octagonal's got his nose
in front.

Octagonal wins the Cox Plate.

COMMENTATOR 5:
It's all over for Sunline.

Look at her go!

She might be the greatest
in the world, Sunline.

She streaks home in the
Cox Plate, fighting back.

COMMENTATOR 6:
And it's Makybe Diva

in front of Lotteria.

Fields of Omagh
coming back from the middle.

But Makybe Diva,
she's the champion!

ANDREW: In 2015, the Cox Plate
was an all-male affair.

Almost.

Winx was the only mare
in the race.

SONG:
♪ I'm unapologetically fly

♪ Don't wonder why
That's just my attitude... ♪

ANDREW:
The boosters and the betting

said the best
should be Highland Reel,

the brave Irish campaigner,

fresh from winning a Group 1
stakes race in America.

Highland Reel
had a mind of concrete.

He was as tough as they come.

ANDREW:
Another contender that year

was the Tasmanian cult horse,
The Cleaner.

ANDREW CLARKE:
The Cleaner was really famous

for a brave frontrunner.

You know, he'd -
especially at Moonee Valley -

get to the lead,

kick on the turn
and off he'd go.

COMMENTATOR: Three of Chris
Waller's Cox Plate runners

are making their way out
onto the track.

We've got Preferment going out
and Kermadec.

So is Winx.

Which one is the one that
you have most confidence in

of winning the race?

Well, I'd have to say
Kermadec.

ANDREW RULE:
Moonee Valley Racecourse,

the smallest, tightest,

first-class track
in the world.

The Valley has been called
"a cauldron" and "a cockpit".

It has the blunt shape
of a boxing ring

and the crowd
has a ringside seat.

(LOUD CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

The noise is deafening.

There's a gladiatorial
atmosphere.

A whiff of the bullring.

(ROUSING MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR: Alright, the
runners are making their way

into the mounting yard

for the William Hill
Cox Plate.

The Australasian
weight-for-age championship

of Australia,

over 2,040m, worth $3 million.

(FANFARE PLAYS)

-(CROWD CHEERS)
-(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(HORSE HOOVES CLICK)

CHRIS: It's the grand final.

She's never been
in that type of environment

where the crowd are noisy,

the atmosphere's sky-high.

(FOREBODING MUSIC)

ANDREW: The Cox Plate start

is right at the head
of the straight.

The horses line up in
the barrier next to the crowd.

It's a big test
of their nerves.

COMMENTATOR: Right, they're
loading for the Cox Plate.

(CLOCK TICKS)

HUGH: 2,000m race
around Mooney Valley.

It's a test of stamina because
the pressure's on early.

To get involved in the race,
you need speed.

And to win the race,
you need stamina.

COMMENTATOR: They're set.

Stand by for the greatest
two minutes in sport.

HUGH: When those gates open,

you're standing there
at the top of the straight.

It's about 220-odd metres
to the winning post,

maybe 250 to the first corner.

If you can establish
your position

in that period of time,

it can have a huge...impact

on how you finish the race.

The concentration levels in
that time are extraordinary.

You have to have
a bit of a plan

as to how things might unfold,

but you also have to be
open for change.

-(CLATTERING)
-(HORSES SNORT)

You don't have time
to be scared.

(CHEERING)

(GATES OPEN)

(CHEERING)

(COMMENTATOR SPEAKS)

COMMENTATOR:
..having to beat for the lead.

Criterion went over the heels
at the start.

Complacent, Arod
are up there at the post,

and then Mourinho
and Gailo Chop not far away.

Down past...

HUGH: I settled to about
three lengths back

from Highland Reel
who was outside the leader.

The most important thing
at the beginning of the race

is that your horse
isn't wasting energy

'cause they're gonna
need it later.

COMMENTATOR:
1,000 metres to go

and The Cleaner is the leader
in the Cox Plate,

Arod a little bit keen,
second Highland Reel,

third Complacent deep out,

and then came Winx
getting up on the inside...

HUGH: I was stuck in
on the fence

and I was just starting
to feel for options.

I'm thinking,
"We'll need to start to think

"about getting out."

COMMENTATOR: The Cleaner
had the skill to lead it.

From on the outside,
Complacent and Arod,

Highland Reel are
still there from Mourinho.

I've got The Cleaner
in front of me.

I've got Highland Reel
to the outside.

And all of a sudden,
The Cleaner shies at something

and runs off the fence
two horses.

Winx's response
was unexpected.

She hit the gap like that.

(INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR: She's blitzed
them in the Cox Plate.

(SQUEALS EXCITEDLY)

COMMENTATOR: Winx
has bolted in the Cox Plate

by four lengths to Criterion,
Highland Reel ran third,

Pornichet four.

COMMENTATOR 2:
It's a track record - 202.98.

HUGH: It was my
first major victory.

It was Chris's
first major victory.

(EMOTIONAL MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR: Hugh Bowman,
outstanding ride on Winx.

You've taken a deep breath and
you're just so overwhelmed.

HUGH: Um...

All I wanted to be when...

..when I was a little boy
was be a jockey.

I just can't believe it,
to be honest. (SOBS)

CHRIS: She's just won the race

that Hughie and I
dreamed about winning.

That would never be forgotten.

Hugh Bowman
would never be forgotten.

And Chris Waller
would never be forgotten.

Whether they never won
another race again,

they'd won the Cox Plate.

OLLY KOOLMAN: "October 2015.

"She settled into country life
at The Hermitage.

"There's plenty of grass.

"She's eating, sleeping,
grazing and drinking.

"She's very active
in the paddock.

"We often catch her
kicking up her heels.

"Perhaps still celebrating."

Yeah, so, we're on a property.

We're, you know,
a couple of hundred acres.

ANDREW: Yep.

It was quite convenient

for Chris to send horses out
to us.

ANDREW: For 12 weeks,

Winx luxuriates
like a film star

at a private chalet.

There was always the company
of other elite horses

in nearby paddocks,

but, like Greta Garbo,

she had to be left
strictly alone

in her own paddock.

(THUNDER CRASHES)

(SNORTS)

OLLY: "November 2015.

"She slept in the barn
this week

"as forecasts
of electrical storms

"got the better of my nerves.

"We did get hit with a storm

"but she was well
out of harm's way

"tucked in her box
with a night light on,

"just bright enough to dull
the flash of lightning."

(THUNDER CRASHES)

OLLY: We didn't want a flash.

We didn't want her kicking out
at her stable

or reacting to something.

You know, there were times
when I slept in the barn.

Just didn't want anything
going wrong on my watch.

ANDREW: Winx quickly becomes
part of the Koolman family.

ANDREW:
What was she like to ride?

-You were just a passenger.
-ANDREW: Yeah.

She never did anything wrong.

She could read your mind,
knew what you expected of her,

and she just did it.

It was as if she knew
she had a purpose

and she knew
what her purpose was.

(ENCHANTING MUSIC)

ANDREW: The farm's hill track

provides the ultimate
in resistance training.

OLLY: I think it was
an integral tool

in developing a young horse,

building
their hindquarters up,

strengthen them up
through the hocks.

(WINX PANTS)

OLLY: "After a 25 day holiday,

"she's handled
the last 22 days

"of trot and canters
up the hill

"and is absolutely bursting
with energy.

"I am as excited as anyone

"for the autumn."

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR: Winx is
going through her gears

and look at her go!

Winx! Great return to racing.

SONG: ♪ Come and get
some happiness

♪ Come and get some happiness

♪ Nothing's gonna break
my stride

♪ Or shake my confidence

♪ Come and get
some happiness... ♪

COMMENTATOR:
The public cheering her home.

COMMENTATOR 2:
They love her, Ronnie.

SONG: ♪ Come and get some. ♪

CHRIS:
There's a lot of expectations.

I was just trying to take
one day at a time.

(MOODY PIANO MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR: We're all set
now, ready for the Doncaster.

(GATES OPEN)

(HOOVES THUNDER)

CHRIS: She was making
hard work of the track.

For the first time, I'd seen
Hugh's arms starting to flap.

Bad sign.

COMMENTATOR: Around the turn.

And Vergara's gone for home,
six lengths clear...

CHRIS: I thought she was
close to her bottom.

COMMENTATOR:
Winx has bottled up.

Bowman goes back
to the inside.

She's got daylight now.

Winding up on the outside
is Happy Clapper

and Good Project.

Vergara in front.

But here she comes, Winx.

Happy Clapper tries.

So does Azkadelia,

but Winx has drawn clear
in the Doncaster.

It is nine in a row.

(CHEERING)

CHRIS: She picked herself up
and she came to win the race,

carrying more weight
than the opposition.

I thought she was beaten
at the half-mile,

let alone the 200-metre mark,

so she must have
amazing will to win.

INTERVIEWER:
What is it? Do you know?

It can only be that.

(PENSIVE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

(PEOPLE CHEER)

INTERVIEWER: Winx has...

Well, she's got an entourage
now of press, media.

There's cameras
following her everywhere.

People can't get enough
of her.

CHRIS: "I am mindful
that it was a very tough run.

"I have never seen her
under so much pressure

"at the half mile.

"For her to dig that deep,

"it's really hard to gauge

"how much pain she is
putting herself through.

"It's almost unnatural
the things she is doing."

ANDREW: Waller pulls Winx out
of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

She's been heavily backed
into favourite,

but he has his reasons.

CHRIS: My gut told me that
she might have had enough.

Whilst I felt bad
and got some abuse

from those that had put money
on her in the Queen Elizabeth,

morally, I had to do
the right thing by the horse.

Let's get her
properly checked out,

make sure she's 100%.

So, this little area here of
irregular bone right here,

which is probably
about 6mm by about 8mm,

so it's a quarter
of your little fingernail,

is what it is,

and that's on the front
inside part of her fetlock

and that should all
look like this.

Should look nice and smooth,
and it's lifted away here,

so it's a little fragment
that's just broken away

at some point during...
during her exercise

or during a race.

When a small piece of bone
comes away,

that little pebble
causes irritation

and that irritation
causes inflammation

and that inflammation
leads to osteoarthritis,

which can then cause,
you know,

permanent lameness
down the track.

The best thing was
to do keyhole surgery

and remove that fragment
while she's under anaesthetic

and that's...that's part of
the condi...part of the risk,

is that she was gonna have to
have a general anaesthetic

to have this procedure done.

So, you've got to take
a 500-kilogram horse

and carefully anaesthetise it,

get it to sleep, lift it up

and then put it onto a table,

'cause this procedure's done
with them on their back.

CHRIS: Anything can go wrong
in surgery.

They're lying down,
they're groggy,

they get up, their leg slips,
they can fracture a pelvis,

their leg kicks out,
they can fracture a leg,

they can bang their head.

It can be catastrophic.

She's not lame,
she's never been sore,

there's no heat.

It's probably not gonna
affect her.

ANDREW: Waller really had to
make a decision.

Do I just keep going
and take a chance

she's going to be OK
and keep racing her?

Or do I stop her preparation
and operate as a precaution

to take this bone chip out?

CHRIS:
There was only one option.

That was doing things right,
following the vet's advice.

It could affect her long-term.

She could end up
getting arthritis,

it might need treatment.

I didn't tell anyone.

It was no-one's business,
in my opinion.

I told the owners, of course.

I didn't want to complicate
things and scare people.

(GAS HISSES)

Surgery went well.

She woke up
and she's on her feet.

ANDREW: And then she's got to
recuperate from...from the op,

so they send her up
to the farm,

to The Hermitage at The Oaks,

and they travel her up there
incognito.

They call her 'Skinner'.
They give her an alias.

(INTERCOM BEEPS)

MAN: Skinner's on board.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

OLLY: When I first heard
from Chris

that she's gonna...

We're gonna get her
to the Cox Plate,

I'll be honest,

I didn't think
it was gonna happen.

I thought, "How's...

"Well, let's give it a crack,

"but I don't know if
we're gonna be able

"to pull this off, you know."

He's under strict instructions

to try and accelerate
the healing process

without doing her any harm.

It's cut it very tight
to get her fit in time

to have the lead-up races
to get to the Cox Plate.

ANDREW: Waller modifies
the veterinary advice

to fit his own experience
and instincts.

He writes his plan down
for Olly Koolman to follow.

(GENTLE MUSIC)

(HORSES SNORT)

OLLY: And I vividly remember
Chris saying,

"OK, now's the time we've got
to start hand-walking."

And I was thinking, "How am I
gonna bring this horse out

"and hand-walk her
and contain her?

"She just wants to explode.

"She just wants to
get out there."

So, anyway,
I brought her out of the box

and I got her out onto
the sharp stones, you know,

and she had bare feet

and I thought, "Well, this
is alright. She'll just...

"She'll just walk like a cat
on a hot tin roof

"and let's just
stretch her legs, you know?"

(ENCHANTING MUSIC)

CHRIS: "She arrived
back safely

"into the stable yesterday
and she looks well

"and went out
for a quiet canter

"this morning.

"Her regular rider Ben Cadden

"was very happy

"with the way she felt

"and also commented on
how well she has come back."

(TENSE MUSIC)

CHRIS: And
she's...she's picture-perfect,

as you can see.

She's a...a big mare now.

She's never, ever
been this strong.

At your command, she's ready
to...ready to do something

and wouldn't ever do
anything silly, dumb.

COMMENTATOR: Here's
the season premiere of Winx.

There's 10 in a row.

(WATER SPLASHES)

COMMENTATOR: 11 in a row.

COMMENTATOR:
But Winx is too good.

Far too good.

Went pretty much to plan,
I suppose.

ANDREW: Winx has come through
Waller's strategy perfectly.

Now the end game.

Well, Saturday's Cox Plate
is being hailed as

the biggest match race
in 30 years

with Winx going head to head

with emerging superstar,
Hartnell.

JAMES: Hartnell was as good
as you got in that era.

He was in
his career-best form,

he was at a beautiful age
where he was peaking.

His lead-up runs
were phenomenal.

He was winning by big margins.

(TENSE MUSIC BUILDS)

(CAMERA CLICKS)

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR:
This is the moment

that we've been waiting for
all day.

It's the build-up to
the William Hill Cox Plate,

the Group One feature.

$3 million in prize money
on offer.

The queen
of Australian racing, Winx.

CHRIS: There was divided
corners. She had her fans.

Hartnell's captured
the underdog rating

of the up-and-comer

that's gonna knock
Winx off her pedestal.

COMMENTATOR: Yeah, look,
I'm in Hartnell's corner.

He is just winning too well
to not tip him.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

HUGH: I could feel
the anticipation

of what was about
to eventuate.

COMMENTATOR:
And they're racing.

And Winx jumps well.

Vadamos was slow to move.

Hartnell got away quickly.

It was put down as
a two-horse race

and I knew exactly where
Hughie would have been

in the race.

COMMENTATOR:
Less than 1,000 metres to go.

HUGH: When we got in
the back straight,

I just let her creep up
to Hartnell's hindquarters.

COMMENTATOR: Hartnell.
Winx has moved up now.

And the two great champions
are together

at the 800-metre turn.

HUGH: I just creeped up
close enough

so James McDonald
could see me.

COMMENTATOR: Happy Clapper
pulled to the outside.

JAMES: I didn't think it was
gonna be Hughie on my right.

When I seen
the white bridle come up,

I couldn't believe
what was happening.

(TENSE PERCUSSION MUSIC)

I pushed away
for a few strides.

HUGH: I moved up a bit closer

and forced Hartnell
to go quicker.

COMMENTATOR:
The great race is on here.

It's Hartnell, the leader.

Winx striding up
to join him...

JAMES: I look over
and you don't really have time

to think about speaking,

but that day,
it was quite weird.

I just said, "You're fricking
kidding me, Hughie.

"You can't be doing that
to me."

(CHEERING)

COMMENTATOR:
But Winx has raced away

around the home turn.

She's put two, three lengths
on Hartnell.

It almost needed a tow rope,
you know?

But he was off and gone.

(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC)

I let her go
and the rest is history.

COMMENTATOR: Two in a row

and she joins the all-time
greats of the turf.

To get to this stage last year

was something different
for me,

but to get back here again,
yeah.

For her to win like that
is probably pretty fitting

for the horse she is.

It's like a dream.

(GENTLE MUSIC)

CANDICE: The early stages
of her prep

is when you could really
get her as more of a horse

rather than an athlete.

I think I had a window of
maybe, like, a few weeks

where she'd enjoy it when
she came back from a spell,

'cause, for some reason,

that's when she was
the most loving

and I could actually get
some affection out of her.

And, like, I could scratch her
and she'd scratch me back.

And I could feed her my apples

and we'd just have
a great old time.

It sounds really corny,

but if I was having,
like, a rough day,

I'd just go and, like,
sit in her box.

She didn't really always
pay attention to me,

but she'd just sort of
come over and be, like,

"Oh, it's you.
You're here. OK, cool."

Yeah, those were the...
Those were the cute times.

Bring someone in,

a celebrity,
to come and see her,

turn around,
put her backside to them.

Bring a young child in,
come straight to the box,

puts her head down,
gets a nice pat.

She just knew
when to turn it on,

she knew when to turn it off.

I think she knew
Chris was the boss.

She didn't want to go
and stand in the back corner

when he was doing
an interview.

She really looked like
she knew what was going on

and the interview was on
and she was there.

INTERVIEWER:
Do you talk to her?

CHRIS:
A little bit. A little bit.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

ANDREW: To watch her
before a race

was like watching
a trained sniper

before they go out and work.

COMMENTATOR: 14 in a row.
The winning streak continues.

Winx is back.

ANDREW: Winx's stride has been
measured at 6.8 metres,

which is only slightly longer

than that of
the average racehorse.

The average galloper's
stride rate

has been measured at
between 130 to 140 a minute,

but Winx's is closer to 170.

You did somewhat feel
like the hunted.

"When is she coming?"

COMMENTATOR:
Winx is up on the outside,

stalking Hartnell.

Sort of just waiting for her
to flash by.

COMMENTATOR: He hasn't even
pushed the button

on the mighty mare Winx

and she's really starting
to pull away.

It was like she teased you
at times.

COMMENTATOR: Hauraki in third
and Winx is inching closer.

She let you think
you were a chance.

COMMENTATOR:
Look at her rip clear!

Here's sweet 16 for Winx.

-(GATES CLANG)
-(CHEERING)

COMMENTATOR: She's
racing royalty, this mare.

Here's 17 in a row.
The grandstand's shaking.

ANDREW: Little did
the Winx camp know

that the new threat
would be the enemy within -

a rival on her own stable.

Her name was Foxplay.

This little grey mare and Winx
were stablemates.

They went to
the beach together,

they travelled together
and they spelled together.

(BOLD JAZZ MUSIC)

Time has now softened
the iron-grey filly

into a snowy-coloured
broodmare,

but back in the day
as she trained beside Winx,

she was picking up tips

and planning
to bring her down.

KERRIN: Leading into
that race that day,

I actually drew a barrier in
very close proximity to Winx.

I think Winx might have
been in 2 and I was in 3.

(BOLD JAZZ MUSIC CONTINUES)

COMMENTATOR: The light is on.

As the gates
were about to open...

COMMENTATOR: And we're set.

Winx rares up in the gate.

COMMENTATOR: And
the gates open. They're off!

The mare's missed the start
by four lengths.

I went, "Oh, fuck!"

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR: And a sensation.

Winx is last and Ecuador's
going to lead comfortably.

What can I do? Just hold on
and go with the flow.

COMMENTATOR: And Bowman's
putting himself in a position

where he can start to creep
a bit closer.

And Winx, she's still last.

HUGH: I'm not thinking
about the streak.

We're in the race.
Get focused.

COMMENTATOR: And Winx,
she's still back last

as they go past
the 500 metres.

Ecuador...

KERRIN: I got a run up
the inside rail and...

COMMENTATOR: Then Harper's
Choice, Red Excitement.

Winx gets to the outside.

Foxplay gave an almighty kick.

COMMENTATOR: Foxplay,
the stablemate to Winx,

makes the run on the fence.

I was still in front
and I couldn't see Winx.

"Jesus, I might win
this race here now."

COMMENTATOR:
Winx is four lengths away.

She's cutting loose now.

HUGH: I must admit,
I got a little shock.

I thought, "We're in trouble."

COMMENTATOR:
Winx is down the outside.

It's going to get desperate!

Winx is going to Foxplay!

Winx goes!

Yes! She got it!

Winx got up to beat Foxplay.
There's 18 in a row.

But what about
the drama today?

CHRIS: Hughie stayed on
the horse. I don't know how.

He could have
been knocked out,

come within an inch
of losing his life.

Winx was very professional
in all areas,

but she had a slight phobia
in the barriers

and that was from day one
to the end.

(BARRIER GATES CLANG)

COMMENTATOR:
Winx flopped out the back.

HUGH: I remember at Randwick,
her second trial,

she rared up and put her foot
on the barrier

between the two stalls.

-(WINX NEIGHS)
-MAN: No! No!

COMMENTATOR: One a little
restless. That was Winx.

HUGH: If you're on a horse,

it is fractious
in the barriers.

No! No! No!

HUGH: You know,
there's a lot of metal around,

they're big
and they're precocious

and if that leg goes over,

she'd panic and
go over backwards.

Who knows?

Horse's hearing,
very sensitive.

After that barrier mishap,

Chris decided maybe it's best
we put the earmuffs on her.

(CROWD CHEERS)

CANDICE: It was
always nerve-racking

when you get up there

and you're, like,
"Oh, please be fine."

Like, that time with Foxplay
when she missed the kick,

you're just, like,
"Oh, my God, is she OK?

"Who cares if she wins.
Just is she OK?"

COMMENTATOR: Been very calm
and relaxed here today.

Racing with earmuffs
for the first time.

HUGH: She was relaxed
in the barriers.

COMMENTATOR:
So, Red Excitement comes up.

JOSH: Red Excitement
was so brave.

He had that typical style
of racing on speed.

Often led the races
that he raced in

and he was always there
at the business end,

just knocking on the door.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

ANDREW:
Winx and Red Excitement

share the same
training track at Rosehill.

And Red Excitement's trainer,
Gerald Ryan,

has always been
a wily tactician.

BEN: With Gerald watching her
in track work

and seeing her every day,

I think he knew that we didn't
really have her screwed down

and she played up
and missed the start

in the Warwick Stakes

and I think he thought,
"I've got a fit horse.

"Now's my time.
Now's my chance."

COMMENTATOR: Gates open now.
They're racing.

She's jumped much better
today, Winx.

Settled about midfield.

And Red Excitement's going to
take up the early lead.

Chocante quickly
into stride...

JOSH: Our tactics
were quite bold.

COMMENTATOR: Red Excitement
ensures a good gallop here.

HUGH: Red
Excitement

took up
the lead

and I
just settled

at a pretty
sedate tempo.

COMMENTATOR: And Winx about
midfield, one off the fence.

Further back...

JOSH: We went
at a speed

that had most
of the horses

uncomfortable
in that race.

He's a very
strong horse

so he was quite willing
to do so.

COMMENTATOR:
Josh Parr ensuring

a very strong tempo here
on Red Excitement.

HUGH: I could sense a big gap

being extended
from Red Excitement

to the horses
that I'm following.

COMMENTATOR: Around the turn,
Red Excitement,

Life Less Ordinary
and Sarrasin.

JOSH: I was still
a helluva long way in front

and there was no sign of Winx.

COMMENTATOR:
Parr sitting pretty quietly

six lengths clear.

JOSH: I thought,
"I'm going to win.

"I'm about to pull this off."

COMMENTATOR:
Now Winx is getting cracking.

She saw him. Instant.
Her action just went quicker.

COMMENTATOR:
Red Excitement five in front.

JOSH: Three strides later,
I could just hear power.

I could hear Winx.

COMMENTATOR:
Now Winx has only got

one more to pick off.

Red Excitement three in front.
Winx is coming.

Red Excitement.
But here she comes.

Right over the top, Winx!

Barnstorming finish again.
19 in a row.

(CHEERS)

(GENTLE MUSIC)

MAN: Another heart-stopper.
Another heart-stopper.

When she beat Red Excitement,
that's my favourite race.

Everyone wants to go on about,
"Ooh, Foxplay on the line."

She made up 10 lengths,
no whip 'cause Hughie lost it.

She's just gone,
"Hold my beer.

"I've got this. Don't worry."

And she just takes him,
just runs him down.

You can really see how much,
like, she just loves her job.

JOSH: Winx went by me
in a matter of strides

like she had just started
the race

and I couldn't believe it.

I was in complete shock.

I almost felt the deflation
of Red Excitement as well.

We went past the line

and the both of us had thought
we had done so well

and we'd done
so much to try and win,

and we hadn't.

PETER TIGHE: Great tactics
by the leader.

I mean, they worked it out
pretty well

and I thought they did
a great job

and even greater for her
to run it down.

The expectation on Hughie
was...was massive.

He took it all in his stride.

Ice runs through his veins.

COMMENTATOR: And the champ
makes it 20 in a row!

COMMENTATOR 2: Hughie Bowman
was a long way off them

again today,

and he was niggling at her

more than usual.

HUGH:
Winx having the earmuffs on,

she just wasn't racing
with the same purpose

that I was accustomed to.

Something was upsetting her.
Was she sick of racing?

Had we asked too much of her?

COMMENTATOR: The massive crowd
gathering here at Flemington.

Beautiful conditions.
The sun is out.

HUGH: Chris decided
to take the earmuffs off.

CHRIS: The pressure
wasn't putting her

in the right position,

bringing her out
at the right time.

It was keeping her safe.

COMMENTATOR: And they're
ready for the Turnbull.

Winx a little bit edgy.

DEBBIE: As you have
the races build up,

as you have her

championness come out...

COMMENTATOR: Well,
you know, there's a superstar

stepping out when the jockeys

climb the steward's tower
to watch on.

DEBBIE: You needed a person
that could cope with that

and mentally maintain that.

(GATES OPEN)

COMMENTATOR: Stalls are back
and they're racing

at the 2,000 metres.

Bowman hasn't flinched.
He's doing it easily.

21 today
on the biggest dance floor

of them all.

Winx by eight lengths.

DEBBIE: There was just this
partnership between them.

She knew him and he knew her.

Winx wouldn't have been Winx
without Hugh Bowman.

HUGH:
She didn't enjoy affection.

She didn't resent it,
but she didn't enjoy it.

Someone wrote a letter
to me once

why I didn't pat her
after our race,

so I started to after that,

but I didn't need to pat her

for her to know
that I love her.

You know,
I didn't need to pat her

to show that
I was happy with her.

She didn't need me
to show her affection

to know how good she was.

I just felt so alive

that I was
so closely associated

with this amazing athlete.

-She's doing the job.
-Mm, she is.

HUGH: Personally, it's
probably my favourite time

riding her
here in the morning.

(WINX PANTS)

You can hear her breathing.

Very rhythmic.
It's very unique.

And here we go.

Even when
she was on her own,

she'd be chasing
the winning post

and she knew where it was.

Now the afterburners...

..give you an idea.

If I was holding onto her,

she wouldn't be happy
until I let her go.

It was never enough.

Whoa, bub.

(INTRIGUING MUSIC)

ANDREW: Winx is going for her
third consecutive Cox Plate.

Only one horse has ever
achieved this feat -

the great Kingston Town
trained by Tommy Smith.

COMMENTATOR: And
Kingston Town's gone on to win

by four lengths.

COMMENTATOR 2: Kingston
Town wearing him down.

He'll win the
million-dollar plat.

COMMENTATOR: Oh,
Kingston Town ogling them!

What a run! Kingston Town wins
at a length on Grosvenor.

ANDREW: 35 years later,

Winx attempts to equal
the legend's record.

(CHEERING)

COMMENTATOR: Great scenes
here at Mooney Valley.

A massive crowd.

(CAMERAS CLICK)

ANDREW: She was clearly
in the peak of her power.

The fact is that
when it's such a big deal,

when it's big-time sport,

so many hundreds of thousands

or millions of people
are invested in it,

that it gets
a life of its own.

It gets the sheer velocity
of numbers,

a force in itself.

(CROWD SINGS)
♪ ..be, little darlin'

♪ We'll be riding
on the horses, yeah, yeah

♪ Way up in the sky,
little darlin'

♪ And if you fall,
I'll pick you up

♪ I'll pick you up. ♪

(CHEERING)

(CHEERING FADES)

(PENSIVE MUSIC)

HUGH: I don't want to be
derogatory to the opposition,

but there was no headline
horse in the race.

ANDREW: But in the field,
there is one likely danger -

a horse called Humidor.

I thought, approaching
this race against Winx,

he was a live chance
to test the great mare.

We had to come up with a plan
to try and beat Winx

and that was patient,
save ground, attack her late.

COMMENTATOR:
Winx is a little bit edgy.

(BARRIER GATES CLANG)

COMMENTATOR: They're racing
and Winx got away cleanly.

Gailo Chop towards the inside
of her was away the best.

BLAKE: We just

went
back early,

find the rail

and just let
the race unfold.

COMMENTATOR: Now Winx is
four and five deep.

Just staying out of trouble
at the moment.

BLAKE: We knew Hugh was going
to stay one off the fence,

come wide
and ride Winx how he did.

COMMENTATOR:
A couple of lengths to Winx

followed by Humidor.

They head towards
the top corner.

BLAKE: And then from
about the thousand,

then the race
started to change shape.

COMMENTATOR: 1,000 metres
to go in the Cox Plate

and it's Gailo Chop
in front by a length.

BLAKE: I'm back on the rail
and I've had one eye on Hugh.

COMMENTATOR: Then came Winx.
Next, Humidor.

BLAKE: And I was tracking up

to try and find
that clear path

to get to his outside

to attack
approaching the turn.

COMMENTATOR:
Then came Hardham.

Winx peels to the outside now.

Gailo Chop in front,
but here comes Winx.

We've waited
35 years for this.

BLAKE:
Hugh made his move out wide.

COMMENTATOR:
The Valley's rocking

and the world is knocking.

BLAKE: Little gaps
started to appear.

Opportunities came for me
to just keep creeping ground

and I got to a point
around the turn

where I'd spent
really no energy

and I was ready to attack her.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

There's a race on here.

(CHEERING)

HUGH: I came round the corner
thinking, "I'm home,"

but I could almost hear
a gasp from the crowd.

This was at the point
where I felt

I was going...
I was going to get her.

(CHEERING)

COMMENTATOR:
Humidor to the outside.

It's Winx in front
by a length.

Humidor on the outside
is trying hard.

HUGH: There was a fleeting
moment which forced me

to have a peek
over my shoulder.

COMMENTATOR:
It's Winx in front.

Humidor's coming at her.

HUGH: I was surprised
to see Humidor so close.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

COMMENTATOR:
Winx is holding on.

The great mare completes

the great trilogy of the turf.

Winx has won the Cox Plate

by a half length.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(CHEERS)

COMMENTATOR: Winx has done it.
She's created history.

But she gave us
a massive fright.

Humidor has run
the race of his life.

-Winx just held us at bay.
-Yep.

-As she always did.
-As she always did, yes.

COMMENTATOR:
Listen to that crowd

as she comes back to scale

with Hugh Bowman
in the saddle.

HUGH: I probably rode her
more aggressively that day

than in any other race

and she subsequently broke
her own track record,

so I would suggest
that maybe that is

her superior Cox Plate
performance.

MAN: Great job, Chris!

MAN 2: Well done, Chris!

(WOMEN CHEER)

Thanks, boys. Ta.

-Well done, matey.
-Thanks, boys.

COMMENTATOR: Champion trainer
Chris Waller's with me now.

Chris, you said
you wanted to win

a third Cox Plate with her,
you've done that.

Could we see her on
the global scene next year?

CHRIS: I'm not sure.
Let's get through today and...

She'll only go if she's still
at her very best.

ANDREW: One of the many
pressures on Chris Waller

was that there was
this continual undercurrent

from critics, from racing
writers, from racing fans,

from other owners,

and particularly
from overseas people,

saying, "Oh, yeah,
if she's so good,

"why don't you
take her overseas?"

"Why didn't she go to Dubai?

"Why wouldn't she go
to New Zealand?

"Why wouldn't she go
to Hong Kong, Japan, America?

"When's she coming to take on
the best in Europe?"

PETER TIGHE: We'd been
well courted to go to Ascot,

you know, to what
they were gonna do for us

and how good it would be

and the world stage
and all that sort of stuff.

And the media were just, well,
insatiable, wanting an answer.

Where are we going?
Where are we not going?

Yes, we wanted to win on
the other side of the world,

but it needed to fit in

to protect
this winning sequence,

to protect her name
and keep it going.

And it all got down to,
"What's best for Winx?"

She's never travelled
on a plane,

so you just don't know how...
how they're going to cope.

It's 36 hours
by the time they get there

and they have to take them off

and they have to stand
the whole flight.

It's a gruelling operation.

We were wondering
when the end was,

so we just thought
you can't be everywhere.

You can't be at every dance.

You've got to respect
she's an animal.

If they want her
to win in Australia,

something's gotta give.

She can go to Royal Ascot
and beat them,

but can she come back
and beat them back here?

Well, what do you want?

You want everything?
It won't happen.

His discipline to manage her
the way he did

is why she continued to race
at the level she did

for as long as she did.

He never asked her
to go beyond her means.

I never wanted her to go.

I felt it was
too risky for her

and there was
nothing to prove.

After weeks of deliberation,
she's staying home.

Winx's connections have
decided the champion mare

will not go overseas
to race this year

and trainer Chris Waller
has sent out a challenge

for others to come
and face her here.

CHRIS: Second half of
her career, you're thinking,

was she going to lose
that determination,

that will to win,
that killer finish?

Surely something had to give.

Is today her last race?

Will she be retired
after she gets beaten?

COMMENTATOR: She's going
for 23 wins in a row.

She's going for
her 16th Group One win.

CHRIS: We were petrified
going to the races.

What happens
if she misses the start?

What happens if she falls?

What happens
if she hurts herself?

What happens
if she doesn't win?

What am I gonna say
to the media?

What am I gonna
say to the owners?

INTERVIEWER: There just seems
to be a calmness in the camp.

She's giving you that feeling.

Yeah, you could have spent
the last half hour with me

and seen how I was going.

I'm starting to get anxious,
nervous.

ANNOUNCER: Looking to break
more records today...

CHRIS: I wouldn't even watch
her going into the barriers

'cause I'd know
she was a time bomb.

I didn't even want to see her
throw her head

or do something.

I just wanted to hear
the commentators say,

"They're racing."

COMMENTATOR: They're racing.

Winx was the last
out of the gates.

About three off the lead.

CHRIS: If you watch the race
with other trainers,

they'll say,
"Oh, Winx is going no good."

COMMENTATOR:
Winx is still back second last

at the 600 metres.

"Well, she can't win
from there."

(LAUGHS) I don't want
to hear any of it.

COMMENTATOR:
Hugh Bowman just sitting there

like a department store
mannequin.

Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.
Away she goes, the champ.

INTERVIEWER:
Very easy to watch today.

-(CHRIS LAUGHS) Was it?
-Don't you think?

The last part was, yeah,
for sure.

ANDREW: The public is
expecting this horse

to keep winning

and the whole expectation of
a nation was focused on him.

CHRIS: It was all about
this horse.

Sacrifices that you make -

not going on a family holiday

because Winx
is racing next week,

not going home for Christmas

because you've just
come back into work,

not being there for Steph when
the kids are starting school.

I went to Tyler's first day
at school

and I can remember it clearly.

I had to miss a trial,
but that was a big deal.

I couldn't
put my thoughts into

Tyler's first day at school.

I was worried about
this horse.

Um...

That's how it took over
your life.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

HUGH: It just built up.

It was like a snowball -

the attention,
the expectation.

Everything about
the whole experience

was out of control.

You know,
and people ask me every day,

"How do you cope
with the pressure?"

I've said, "What pressure?
Just do it."

I was very mindful
to be present for her.

As the journey went on, that
became even more important.

COMMENTATOR: And Performer's
got a lot of work to do.

Legend of Condor, Ef Troop,
Tchaikovsky, Aylmerton.

Oh, Bowman's off
the favourite, Performer.

HUGH: It was probably one of
the nastier falls I've had.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

Quite a lonely place, looking
down at the height of a horse

with nothing underneath you.

We hit the ground hard,

hit my head hard,

and was unconscious
for some time

and spent the night
in hospital.

It has shot my nerves a bit.

I think that's maybe why I,

you know, cringe a bit now

and hold my breath,

like, if, you know, I see him

in a race and I might think

things are getting a bit tight
or whatever.

COMMENTATOR:
Winx with Hughie Bowman up,

he's back on board today.

HUGH: I think the effects
of that fall

were with me for some period
of time afterwards.

Certainly made me more aware

because of the longevity
it took

to just feel, you know,
110% again.

COMMENTATOR:
Winx is edging clear

for a world record
of 17 group ones,

and Winx wins it
by three-quarters.

On the throne
for 25 consecutive wins,

to equal the record
of the great Black Caviar.

COMMENTATOR: It might be happy
birthday, Black Caviar,

but Winx has gone past you.

COMMENTATOR:
Long live the queen!

Winx by four lengths
to Le Romain.

ANDREW: By winning another
race in an unbeaten sequence,

you take another step
on the tightrope.

COMMENTATOR:
There's a gap for Winx.

She's gonna have to explode.

Trap For Fools at the 200.

Kings Will Dream
back to the inside,

Winx down the middle.

Kings Will Dream
at the hundred.

It's getting desperate.

Now Winx is storming home!

Winx over the top!

Oh, she's too good!

They can't beat her.

Just had to be a gap
that was there.

Cool as a cucumber,

Hugh Bowman has switched
off the heels of Youngstar.

ANDREW: You are getting closer
to the day

when you're going to
fall off the rope

and tumble down.

HUGH: You know,
if Winx was beaten,

I would never
have forgiven myself

if it was because of
a mistake that I made.

I let my emotions to the side,

Christine to the side,
the kids to the side,

Chris to the side.

It was about managing
the fairytale.

(PENSIVE MUSIC)

CHRIS: The fourth Cox Plate,
we prepared ourselves

as if it could be
the last race.

She shows any signs
of not coming up,

not being happy,

everyone was on the same page
that we could call it a day.

Personally,

I was building up towards
it could be her last run.

Yes, she was getting
a bit older,

yes, there were the unknowns,
but the preparation went well.

No setbacks.

Perfect work.

No temperatures, no sore feet,
no sniffs, no coughs.

Eating well.

Looks great.
Starting to dapple up.

She used to get these
beautiful dapples in her coat.

About a week
after the Cox Plate,

this time - she actually
had it before -

she just looked
a million dollars.

She needed to win it

because I wanted her
to be remembered

for the right reason,

not ever for being beaten
after all that time.

I was accepting
of it happening,

but if I could try and help
hold it together,

I'd do everything I could,

because she only
deserved that.

I get very emotional
with a lot of things,

but, in particular, horses,
and memories.

(WISTFUL MUSIC)

We lost a horse
called Rangirangdo.

Um... Oh, here we go.

Um, years ago, and, um...

..he was there,
and it broke his heart.

He lost his life in a race,
so...

It was the toughest day
of my life.

Yeah, just walking down,
giving him the pat...

..knowing he was taking
his last breath,

it was tough.

And I've never forgotten it.

And I got...
got the same thoughts...

..when Winx was getting
towards the end.

If something happened
to her...

..it would have been
the end of me.

I was starting to feel
physically sick

before she raced.

There was a few conversations,
like, "Can we stop?"

Like, "How long's it gonna
keep going?"

But I... He knows
what he's doing, so...

..trusted him.

But, yeah, there was a lot
of times I'd had enough,

like, "Stop! I just want
her to be safe."

I was worried, if anything
happened to her,

what it would do to Chris.

(PENSIVE MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR:
There is just not one place

you can find a spot now.

Everyone is crammed in

for a magic couple of moments.

38,000 people are here
at Moonee Valley,

millions of people are
tuning in around the world.

(SOLEMN MUSIC)

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

(MUSIC BECOMES HOPEFUL)

COMMENTATOR:
It's history at the Valley.

Winx with her fourth
Cox Plate.

$3 million in prize money

takes her
to the all-time record

for world prize money
earned by a racehorse.

Winx stands tallest.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CHRIS: I was wrecked,
mentally.

Just put so much
into the preparation.

Asked myself, "Come on,
when's enough enough?

"What more does this horse
need to do?"

Where was the boundary,
where was the red line,

and when did she break?

A decision needs to be made.

I don't know if I can do it
anymore.

And pretty sure
I said to Steph,

I said, "I think that's it."

We called a meeting
to discuss the next step.

Chris did a full evaluation
of Winx.

X-rayed her body,
had the vets check her over,

do everything, make sure
everything's alright.

We were never
going to race her

if she ever gave them
the impression

that she'd had enough.

I said, "What I can tell you
is the horse is fine.

"If you want to win another
Queen Elizabeth, we can.

"But let's do it responsibly.
Let's do it as one."

The decision was made

that we would send her out
for a spell,

and we'd bring her back

and we would, hopefully,

give her four races,

concluding with
the Queen Elizabeth in 2019.

"If that's what you want,
it's done.

"We'll make the Queen
Elizabeth the last."

(SPIRITED MUSIC, RAIN PATTERS)

"Can it end
in a fairytale dream?

"Doubt it. Probably not.

"But it's Winx.

"Anything's possible."

So we took that approach.

She's won 29 races in a row,

unbeaten now for three years,

and tonight Winx holds
a new title

that many here already knew.

She's now officially

the world's best racehorse.

Ladies and gentlemen,

let's give a huge round
of applause to Winx.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

REPORTER: The wonder mare

who's caught
the world's attention.

This isn't a bad way

to begin what may be Winx's
final victory lap in 2019.

ANDREW: Waller plots
the coming campaign

with the focus
of a safe-cracker.

CHRIS: The four-race sequence,

the first, the second,

the semifinal,

you just want everything
to go right.

From the running around
the track

every morning
before she worked

to the making sure
that the traffic

wasn't gonna be too bad
driving to the races.

All the one-percenters
had to be there

so we wouldn't bugger up
the story.

(ANIMATED MUSIC)

It's very stressful

when you shoe the best horse
in the world.

ANDREW: There's an old saying
in racing -

"No foot, no horse."

Yeah, just making sure
the expectation

of not just the trainer,
but myself

and the whole of Australia
and now the world,

the expectations
of her winning

and getting through
each run.

She definitely had
her diva moments.

So, I was in the wash bay,
she was tied up like this,

I went to turn it off,

and as I turned it off,
she got a fright.

She broke the chain, she
smacked me into the wall

and then escaped.

I caught her
out by the walker,

not a scratch on her.

I thought I was gonna have to
move to Germany.

I thought I needed to have
no extradition,

Chris was gonna murder me.

Imagine if I maimed
the best horse in the world.

(CHUCKLES)

CHRIS: It got to
the stage where,

originally, we had
a security company,

we thought, "No, we've got to
do it ourselves."

So we just started
rotating the clock,

watching the security cameras,

making sure that no-one
could get to her,

make sure that
there was no rat or something

coming into the stable
in the middle of the night

that could be upsetting her,
and...

..Umut was there.

It's such an important part of
keeping things consistent.

The highs and lows
can upset a horse.

Umut was just the same
person every day.

We could see him
starting to feel the tension,

start to feel the pressure.

There's no room for error.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

COMMENTATOR:
Here she comes now, Winx.

She just sidles up
on the outside,

takes the lead
and draws away again.

Age shall not weary the champ.

She can just take off...

..when she's, like,
at the home straight.

COMMENTATOR:
She starts to draw clear.

Winx, 31 in a row.

She's a one-of-a-kind horse,

and, well,
who wouldn't love her?

COMMENTATOR:
The world champion, Winx,

simply invincible!

CHRIS: Everybody else was saying

how great it's gonna be
that she wins the last race.

Like, it doesn't work
like that.

(PENSIVE MUSIC)

I was on edge.

And my staff were all becoming
aware of Winx week,

as they called it.

Don't even go near her,
just let her be a horse

and let Umut do his job,
Candice do her job,

and we'll stay out of
their way, me included.

I'd have a passing glimpse

as I walked past her stable
a few times a day.

Two more gallops.

One more media call.

(CAMERAS CLICK)

CHRIS: I just didn't feel

people got to see
the beauty of Winx

for what she was.

She was an amazing specimen.

She had this beautiful head.

She posed for the cameras

and she had these
rotten earmuffs on

every time she turned up
at a media call.

The media call's 99% done,

and Chris decides
to take her earmuffs off.

(CAMERAS CLICK)

The clicking of the cameras,
she could sense it.

She was letting rip
at the straps behind her.

We had to get it off
pretty quick.

(CAMERAS CLICK)

REPORTER: The strappers
quickly calming her down

and whisking her away
to the stables.

Thankfully, she was unharmed.

The advertising boards,
not so lucky.

CHRIS: It was
pretty appropriate

that it was the Longines sign

running in the Longines
Queen Elizabeth,

and Chris just made a mockery
of the day.

So the fairytale's
only a few days away,

and...we're not
looking into it too much,

but... (CLEARS THROAT)
..she's certainly ready to go.

REPORTER: What will
you guys miss most

about this great horse?

All the media attention.

(LAUGHTER)

WOMAN: I bet.

(TENSE MUSIC)

(CHEERING IN DISTANCE)

(SOLEMN MUSIC)

CHRIS: You get there

and all you can see
is these Winx flags,

and...just everything
is blue...

..from the flags
to the flowers.

The crowd,
they've all got blue on.

DEBBIE: You looked around
and you thought,

"Oh, this is just gonna be so
bad if it doesn't come off."

And that's how you felt.

You just felt that you wanted
it to be the fairytale.

PATTY: Would she win?

And how do you prepare
yourself for a loss...

Yeah, it was...

..after what
we'd been through?

(EXPECTANT MUSIC)

CHRIS: People
were there to see

a dream sporting event unfold,

and it still hadn't happened.
(CHUCKLES)

It's like watching your child
have its first game of rugby

or walking your daughter
down the aisle.

CANDICE: It didn't really
get to me

until we really walked into
the Theatre of the Horse

and I see all of the people.

It was just that
so many people loved her.

(SOLEMN VOCAL MUSIC)

COMMENTATOR: On this racetrack
today, it's absolute peace.

From every country
around the world,

all nationalities, religions,
you name it,

they come to watch racing,
they came to watch Winx.

HUGH: I had all these
sporting dreams as a kid.

I dreamed of opening
the batting for Australia.

I dreamed of playing rugby
for Australia.

I just dreamed of
a pressure moment in my life

where I've got to
get the goal.

COMMENTATOR: 42,000-plus
here at Royal Randwick.

She's really become
the people's horse.

This is the final chapter.

Here we go.

And Winx completes
the line-up.

The red light is on.

And the crowd are ready
to send her off.

And the gates open!

They're off
in the Queen Elizabeth.

(CHEERING)

Massive roar to the crowd.

She's going to settle in last,
Winx.

And Hartnell is first out,
Mask of Time's mustering.

So is Harlem.
Happy Clapper handy.

He's Eminent's back last.

Kluger runs handy fifth
and Winx is moving forward.

Bowman wants a better spot.
McDonald...

HUGH: I was unusually anxious
in the run.

I could feel the electricity,

you know,
I just couldn't relax.

COMMENTATOR: No surprises yet.

They've got 900 to run.

Mask of Time a length clear
from Harlem,

then Hartnell, Happy Clapper.

Now he starts the run on Winx.
He's starting to move forward.

Just showed him, Kluger.

HUGH: I set sail a bit sooner
than I usually would,

probably a result
of that nervous energy.

COMMENTATOR: And Winx
is rounding them up,

coming right around the field.

Kluger takes an inside run.

She's gone for home already,
Winx.

(EXCITING MUSIC)

(SWEEPING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)

Today we farewell
an Australian icon,

the greatest of all time.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

PETER: She'd fulfilled
all of our dreams

and the dreams
of so many other people.

DEBBIE: She did everything
she had ever promised us.

(HEARTWARMING MUSIC)

(HAUNTING VOCALS)

HUGH: To see the full house
at Royal Randwick...

..applauding a champion.

CHRIS: I walked out there,
and for the first time ever...

(VOICE CRACKING)
I walked out onto the track

to sort of greet her
and lead her back in.

You've done it.

It's probably
the proudest moment.

(MAJESTIC MUSIC)

HUGH: And it was just
the three of us.

Chris, myself
and the amazing Winx.

(FLASHBULB POPS)

(TENDER PIANO MUSIC)

ANDREW: No-one knows when
a winning streak begins,

only when it ends.

Before Winx leaves Wallerland
for the last time,

she stars in a group photo

with the huge team
of stable staff

who played their part
in her story.

Her constant attendant
and loyal bodyguard, Umut,

escorts Winx one more time.

(ANIMATED PIANO MUSIC)

TOM MAGNIER: I was so proud
and so honoured

to have the responsibility

of getting Winx
back to her birthplace.

I tell you, I had a bounce
in my step

the day that they told me
she was coming.

I remember
she got off the truck

and she came down
to the box, like,

"OK, what racetrack is this?
Where am I running today?"

Good afternoon.
Just update with Winx.

She's eight today.

She's absolutely chilled out

and loving life here

with a routine
going in and out.

I've just brought her in now
ready to put her to bed.

But she's absolutely thriving

and I couldn't be
any more happy with her.

TOM: So then it was time
for her to become a mother,

and obviously
there was great excitement.

ANDREW: Worldwide speculation
ends with the announcement

that the champion Australian
stallion I Am Invincible

is the lucky fella.

The big horse
they call 'Vinnie'

will get to father
Winx's first foal.

PADRAIG KELLY:
And this is your foetus here.

And if you look close,
you'll see

just a little flicker
of a heart beat

in the middle just there.

Just there. See it beating
away there, yeah.

So I'm very pleased with that,
and fingers crossed

all goes well.

So she's in good shape
at this stage.

I'm very pleased. Thank you.

PADDY: Good morning.
Just update on the champ.

She's just come out for
her breakfast this morning.

She's absolutely loving life.

She's got a few foals
around her,

so she's getting used to them.

We've gone in
the right direction.

She's three weeks off today,
off her due date,

and we couldn't be
any more happier with her.

I thought I'd come down to
the foaling unit

and show you what it
looks like at night time.

As you can see,
these are the foaling yards

where she'll foal into.

And so it's all lit up.

ANDREW: The Disney
story for Winx would be

she goes and lives
happily ever after,

and she has her first foal
to a handsome prince,

and it's a beautiful foal,

and it grows up
to be a champion.

But the reality is otherwise.

One evening,
or early one morning,

we got the news that she'd...
she'd had a foal,

but it was...

..stillborn.

(PATTY SOBS)

DEBBIE: You want to know why,

but you know you're
never gonna know why,

because I think
these things happen.

You want to blame someone.

There's no-one to blame.
You...

Because you know everybody
that's with her,

they're feeling the same loss
that you're feeling.

(WISTFUL MUSIC)

That poor little foal.

We've buried her on the farm.

She was very respected.
Beautiful from all accounts.

But from what they said,
Winx tried to be a mother

even with a passed-away baby,

as you do as a...as a woman.

For a mare
to have been through

what she'd been through,

to answer every question
asked of her,

and do it perfectly...

..for her to lose that foal,

it was just soul-destroying.

She got sick afterwards.

She got colic.

And things just went
from bad to worse.

DR NIAMH COLLINS: So, I got
the call on a Saturday evening

to say that Winx was
uncomfortable

and showing signs of colic
out at the farm at Coolmore.

And so got in the car,
packed up the scanner

and headed out to see her.

And we thought that
the best thing would be

is that she get transferred
into the hospital immediately.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

DR JESSICA PARTLOW:
We don't always know

why horses exhibit colic.

Sometimes it can be
a major change in her life.

I've witnessed mares,

the disappointment
in the morning.

When mares lose their foals
here in the hospital,

we give them time to grieve.

And to realise that
they've lost their foal.

It is something substantial
for a horse, I think.

DR TROY BUTT: We did
have some concerns

about her large colon
at the time.

The large colon is quite long,

and it can freely move around
the abdomen,

and because of that,

it can twist and kink
and things like that.

The best course of action was
to perform abdominal surgery.

JESSICA: My educated brain
said, "Right.

"This was a straightforward
colic surgery.

"We've got a good chance."

My superstitious mind
wouldn't relax. (CHUCKLES)

You know, this is Winx
on the table.

This meant that she had to go
through another surgery.

This time a bowel resection
was required.

And the energy that her body

was going to need
to heal from that,

we knew that she was
depleting her stores.

TROY: Surgery was
the only option for her.

If we didn't do the surgery,
she was not going to survive.

Whenever we have to
go in a second time,

the prognosis
drops dramatically.

TOM: That's usually
the...the end.

It is the end.

I remember ringing
and saying to Debbie,

to Peter, to Elizabeth,
I said...

"I'm really sorry,

"you're gonna have to
come to the farm,

"because the mare's
not gonna make it."

And it was extremely emotional
for all of them.

They knew that they
were coming down

to say goodbye to Winx,

that Winx probably had another
four to five hours left.

TROY: Most major
complications happen

in the first three days
after surgery,

and I was pretty convinced
that we were...

..it wasn't gonna go well.

VOICEMAIL:
My name is Niamh Collins,

the medicine specialist
as Scone Equine Hospital,

looking after your mare, Winx.

Just to let you know that
she's trying her hardest

after a second surgery.

She does have a long
recovery road ahead,

and...but we are doing
everything we can

to support and help her,

and she's being very patient
with us.

But the one thing about Winx
is she had the will to win,

but she also had the will
to live.

And it was incredible to see
the fight that she put up.

Um...

Every time you thought
she wouldn't do something,

she did it.

She beat the odds every time.

DR LUCY CUDMORE:
She had an aura about her,

but she also was
extremely professional,

even as a sick horse,
she just sort of...

She tolerated a lot
and went about her business

and was incredibly brave
and strong.

TOM: I cannot
give credit enough

to the team in Scone Equine,

the level of professionalism
that they showed

around the clock.

There was people
in that hospital

that worked day on, day off,
no sleep,

just to get this mare
through it.

(CAMERA CLICKS)

PADDY: Good morning,
just update with Winx.

She's out in the paddock for
the first time in five months,

and, as you can see,
she's loving being out.

(AIRY MUSIC)

-MAN: Yay!
-WOMAN: Ooh!

Ooh, lean up against her mum!

Oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh.

(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC)

TOM: The dark clouds are gone.

The blue sky's coming back.

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

Starting to get pretty
independent now.

Yeah.

CHRIS: Hey.

How are you?

Good to see you.

It's pretty special to see Mum
after what she's been through,

to have this first child,
or first foal.

She's done a pretty good job.

Hello. How are you?

Very cuddly, isn't she?

(LAUGHS)

CHRIS: Almost
an identical product of Mum.

ANDREW: It's fitting

that Chris Waller
has the last word.

During filming, he was asked,

if he could make Winx
understand him,

what would he say to her?

CHRIS: Thanks for what
you've been through.

Thanks for what
you've given to everybody.

Thanks for being
part of history

that'll never be forgotten.

(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC)