Winx Versus Black Caviar - Who's The Greatest? (With Apologies To Muhammad Ali)

Winx and Black Caviar are undoubtedly two of the greatest Australian thoroughbreds ever. However, in a match race - which mare do you think would come out on top? We’ve compared their race records in detail below to try to come to a conclusion on the question of which would win the ‘match race of this century’. In the blue corner we have Winx, still currently racing…and in the red corner (actually salmon with black spots) we have the unbeaten Black Caviar, now at stud.

Black Caviar retired in April 2013 - just over a year before Winx made her debut in a mid week event at Warwick Farm - so they never had the opportunity to go head to head on the race track. They may not have competed against each other, but we’ve lined up their race records head to head in an attempt to figure out which would come out victorious in the theoretical match race -
 

Winx Versus Black Caviar - The Facts and Stats
Number of Starts   Wins   Strike Rate   Group 1 Wins   Strike Rate in Group 1s   Winning Distance Range   Career Prize Money   Seasons Raced   Started Favourite   Shortest Odds   Longest Odds   Return on Investment   Course Records   Most Weight Carried   Average Winning Margin   Biggest Winning Margin   Most Outstanding Victory   Trainer	Winx *                   39                   33                   84%                   22          22 of 25 = 88%         1100m - 2200m            $22,854,000                    6               37 times                $1.10                $9.00                +60%                    1                  57kgs             2.5 lengths             8.0 lengths         2016 Cox Plate            Chris Waller	Black Caviar                  25                  25                 100%                  15        15 of 15 = 100%        1000m - 1400m           $7,287,033#                    5               25 times                $1.10                $3.00                +32%                    1                 58kgs             3.2 lengths             6.0 lengths       2012 Diam. Jubilee            Peter Moody

  * Note: Winx statistics are up to October 28th 2018        (# Includes $283,355 Euros converted to Australian $s)
 
Ok, let’s play referee and score them both on points in the bout as they size up to each other on our twelve different measures -

(1) Strike Rate - Black Caviar gets the points here - her 100% win rate fairly and squarely outpoints Winx’s 84%.
(2) Group One Wins - Winx recently surpassed Black Caviar with respect to beating the best - she has achieved 22 victories in elite Group 1 company compared to Black Caviar's 15.
(3) Winning Distance Range - Score one for Winx here for versatility as she has been successful over a wider range of distances (1100m to 2200m) than Black Caviar - although we may be being a bit harsh on the sprint queen because she was never given the opportunity to race beyond 1400 metres.
(4) Return On Investment - From a betting perspective, Winx comes out on top as the punters’ pal. If you backed her in all of her races you would have made a 60% profit on your investment compared to a 32% return with Black Caviar.
(5) Course Records - A galloper that can run faster time than any other horse that has gone before it and record a course record is pretty special. Black Caviar did just that over the Flemington 1000 metres trip whilst Winx also achieved the feat - for the Moonee Valley 2040 metre journey in her 2015 Cox Plate win. Score one point each.
(6) Weight Carrying Ability - Winx has always been well placed by her trainer Chris Waller and surprisingly has never carried a weight of more than 57 kgs in her races. Black Caviar was similarly well placed by her trainer Peter Moody and was only asked to carry more that 57 kgs on three occasions - twice scoring with 57.5 kgs on her back and once with 58 kgs. Score them a point apiece based on that.
(7) Average Winning Margin - Here Black Caviar comes up trumps - during her career she won by an average margin of 3.2 lengths compared to Winx’s 2.5 lengths.
(8) Biggest Winning Margin - Winx gets the nod with her breathtaking 8 length victory in the 2016 Cox Plate. Black Caviar’s greatest winning margin was 6 lengths.
(9) Most Outstanding Victory - The amazing win of Winx’s in the 2016 Cox Plate was certainly something to behold. Remember, the horses which finished 8 lengths behind her in second and third places, namely Hartnell and Yankee Rose - were both impressive last start Group One winners - and she donkey licked them. It was also the greatest winning margin in the history of the race. Arguably Black Caviar’s most impressive victory was in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot in England, where despite being unsuited by the rain effected track, suffering an injury during the run and an ill judged ride by jockey Luke Nolen - she still claimed the prize. It’s difficult to line up such wonderful performances - but playing ref - I score them a point each on those efforts.
(10) Ability to Handle Different Track Conditions - Winx has won convincingly on all kinds of track surfaces - good, soft and heavy. Black Caviar on the other hand never stepped out on a heavy rated track - the Moody camp weren’t keen to race her in such conditions as they didn’t believe she’d be suited. One point to Winx.
(11) Versality in Racing Pattern - Black Caviar virtually always had the same racing pattern - sitting up on the speed, being taken to the lead early in the home straight, motoring past her rivals under a hold and then being eased down before the finishing post to win easily. Winx on the other hand seems a little more versatile. She normally sits up on the pace or races mid field. However, on a number of occasions she has raced with the backmarkers and flown home late to win - most notably in the Sunshine Coast Guineas where she settled 18^th in the run and stormed home to score by nearly two lengths. On the basis of her greater versatility with respect to racing pattern, award one point to Winx.
(12) Toughness - Black Caviar was as tough as they come. Twice she got injured in her races yet somehow still won. Winx is also a tough cookie. On several occasions she has met with severe interference in the run yet overcome it to claim the major prize. Again, score them a point each.

And at the bell, after sizing up both Winx and Black Caviar based on the above criteria…..the judge’s decision goes to ..…the blue corner Winx, with the ref scoring her 10 points to Black Caviar’s 6. 

Any theoretical match race between Winx and Black Caviar would ideally be run over 1400 metres - a distance that both champs excelled at. Which mare do you think would win the match race?

Early in 2018 Winx was rated as the best thoroughbred galloper in the world. In October she won her fourth consecutive Cox Plate - which was her 29th victory in a row. She may now very well lay claim the title of the best horse to ever race in this country.

                          
                                                                                           
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