Global Weekly Review: Winx a throwback to a golden era

It is doubtful there could have been more top class racing worldwide crammed into one weekend - Santa Anita, Keeneland, Aqueduct, Sha Tin, Naas, Chantilly, and Randwick all had main attractions that captured headlines.

And, under a different code, the UK racing world were engrossed in the Grand National steeplechase at Aintree, Liverpool, which was won by a Scottish-trained horse (One For Arthur) for only the second time in its colourful 178-year history.

Yes, racecourse performance and the promise of Classic potential were stunning reminders that racing on a global scale remains as multi-dimensional as it is fascinating.

Despite the variety on offer, I have no hesitation in nominating Winx's 17th consecutive win, recorded in the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick, Sydney, as the most significant victory of last weekend.

Not since the days of Kingston Town in the early 1980s has there been a horse to race in Australia, who boasts such versatility and consistency at the highest level.

This daughter of the much-missed Darley stallion Street Cry is truly deserving of the accolades that come her way, and she remains on target to complete a hat-trick of wins in the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, Melbourne, in October.

Black Caviar and Makybe Diva were both great mares, but in an entirely different mould. Winx is reminiscent of the weight-for-age stars, who dominated racing in a golden era 50 or more years ago.

Meanwhile, in America, three Kentucky Derby trials produced nothing that form-followers could really latch on to - hence Always Dreaming, winner of the G1 Florida Derby a week earlier, has emerged top of the pile for the present.

Gormley, racing in the famous Zenyatta colours, landed the G1 Santa Anita Derby, over 9 furlongs, beating Battle Of Midway and Royal Mo in California. The winner was ridden by Victor Espinoza, one jockey who surely knows the 'feel' of a modern day American Classic winner.

Irap, carrying the purple and white Paul Reddam colours, took the G2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, Kentucky, in which McCraken finished third to keep his Classic aspirations alive. The latter reportedly 'blew' after the race, suggesting he would come on for the outing.

And, in New York, Irish War Cry re-entered discussions for Churchill Downs when making the most of a change of riding tactics by taking the G2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

In Hong Kong, the John Moore-trained Rapper Dragon lived up to all the fanfare when winning the G2 Chairman's Trophy at Sha Tin, which should have him primed for the G1 Champions Mile, where victory would almost certainly secure Horse Of The Year honours locally.

Werther finished strongly for fourth in a good trial for the QE II at Sha Tin on April 30, but he needs to watch out for Andre Fabre's Godolphin-owned colt Cloth Of Stars, who scored a decisive win in Chantilly's G2 Prix d'Harcourt at the weekend.

Cloth Of Stars, 8th in the G1 Derby at Epsom and 3rd in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris, has clearly trained on at four and has the potential to be a real force this season.

One other run of note came at Naas, where Joseph O'Brien sent out Rekindling to win the G3 Ballysax Stakes, a proven Epsom pointer, by half a length.

As for whetting the international racing appetite, I doubt there has been a better weekend.