Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Written by Jessica Owers
With the 2021 breeding season only days from kicking off, it was welcome news on Wednesday when the Winx Ownership Group confirmed that Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), Australia's 25-time Group 1-winning superstar, was booked to visit Pierro this spring.
The news was announced on Winx’s official website and pushed out by trainer Chris Waller, and it was well-received around the racing world by the industry and race fans alike.
“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,” the media release stated. “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-bound
Winx retired from her glittering track career in April 2019, visiting I Am Invincible at Yarraman Park for her maiden cover that spring. She carried her first foal, a filly, almost to term.
In October last year, the owners released a statement with the sad news that Winx had lost her foal in traumatic circumstances, and the story carried around the racing world. Co-owner Debbie Kepitis said it was particularly stressful for the horse, but it didn’t surprise her that Winx has overcome it this year.
“She had a hard time, but we managed,” Kepitis told TDN AusNZ. “There was a lot of work done and people put a lot of time into her, and she’s an amazing horse that gets through things. We saw that when she was racing. She was lucky most of the time and had no problems, but whenever she did have a problem she managed to fight her way through it.”
"There was a lot of work done and people put a lot of time into her (Winx), and she’s an amazing horse that gets through things. We saw that when she was racing." - Debbie Kepitis
To this day, Kepitis’ admiration of her horse is obvious. She is thrilled that they’ve managed to get Winx towards another stud season, but she is equally cautious about it.
“She’s not in foal yet, but we’ve got the possibility of hoping that she can get in foal,” she said. “That’s all you can ask for when you’re breeding. I’ve got a bunch of broodmares and I know how difficult it is to get them in foal, even when they’re as healthy as can be. Winx is as healthy as she can be now, so we’re hopeful and excited.”
Pierro | Standing at Coolmore
The choice of Pierro this season was one that Kepitis said was based on a few things.
“We wanted a horse for her that was a proven stallion and wasn’t overly big,” she said. “But we also wanted something that would give quality. The farm told us that she had put a lot of herself in that first foal she lost, so we wanted a horse that would be comparable to her and Pierro was my gut feeling. Luckily the rest of the ownership group were pleased to go with that decision.”
Pierro will stand his ninth season at Coolmore this spring at a fee of $110,000 (inc GST).
He’s had a marvellous career, getting 23 stakes winners to date, among them Arcadia Queen, Regal Power and Shadow Hero. His sire sons include Pierata at Aquis Farm.
The world is still watching
The level of public interest in Winx is a caravan that has rolled on and, on days like these, when Winx news hits the media, the swell of public interest surprises Kepitis only a little.
“It does, but not greatly,” she said. “Because she was so admired as a racehorse, and she touched people in such a huge way, it doesn’t surprise me that people want to know what’s happening. Winx has got a huge following all over the world, so I guess the only thing that still surprises me is the volume of interest still.”
To this day, Kepitis and her co-owners manage Winx very carefully, from the horse’s stud choices to the press releases about her life. It’s not about controlling the narrative, but more about the years they have spent with one of the world’s most high-profile animals.
"She (Winx) was so admired as a racehorse, and she touched people in such a huge way, it doesn’t surprise me that people want to know what’s happening." - Debbie Kepitis
When the news is good, managing a horse of this calibre is easier, but when the news isn’t so positive, like last year’s foal loss, carrying the weight of the world’s reaction can be a challenge. The owners did so last year with good grace.
“We think long and hard about the decisions we make with Winx,” Kepitis said. “She is very important to the whole ownership group and we take looking after her as a huge responsibility. She was so good to us, and so good to racing, so we like to try and make sure it’s a good story, but if it’s something bad, we’re not afraid to cope with that as well.”
Patty and Peter Tighe, Winx, Umut Odemislioglu, Debbie and Paul Kepitis | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
