‘A Horse Named Winx’: One of the best Aussie films of the year
Image: Source: Transmission Films
One of the best Australian films to screen in cinemas this year is an enchanting documentary called A Horse Named Winx.
Winx is an iconic retired champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse, which won a staggering 33 races between 2013 – 2019. She broke many records on the racecourse during these years, winning its owners a prize pool of $26 million.
The mare received recognition for holding the record prize money won by a racehorse and was also regarded as the Australian icon best horse of all time.
This documentary delves into the amazing career of this incredible racehorse. All of the 33 winning races are explored, each with varying screen time.
From early beginnings, detailed footage is included of the exhaustive boot camp and training sessions, the horse’s initial wins and then being labelled ‘a forgotten horse’ owing to successive failures on the racecourse.
The cameras follow the horse’s return as the winning streak begins. Scoring victory after victory on the racecourse in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand audiences will experience the excitement and thrills as the story of Winx unfolds.
Winx’s astonishing speed on the final leg of the races was aptly described as ‘changing gear from 1st to 2nd while driving a jaguar.’
There are extensive interviews with horse strappers, the horse’s owner and associates, other horse owners, Winx’s biographer and notably the horse’s most regular jockey, Hugh Bowman.
What stands out in this documentary is the love everybody who worked closely with this horse felt for the ‘athlete’ and the trauma suffered by all when health issues followed. The insatiable media frenzy surrounding Winx is also extensively highlighted.
Bowman had a lifechanging relationship with this wonder horse and once stated that “It’s almost unnatural what Winx is doing. She knows what her purpose is and I feel so alive to be associated with her”.
The love he felt for this horse was unfathomable and the time came when he questioned, “Is Winx a time bomb? What if something happened to her? Should she continue racing?”
The story plays out like a fairytale with many high and low moments. Emotions will be stirred and audiences should warm to this phenomenal racehorse which reportedly posed for the cameras and had the personality of a diva. It was stated that it would be justifiable to mention Winx in the same sentence as that other iconic racehorse Phar Lap.
A Horse Named Winx is perfect viewing for the entire family and for optimum enjoyment it’s not a prerequisite to be a fan of horse racing. There will be laughter and tears and a very affecting conclusion to the amazing story of Winx, a racehorse that had the will to win and live.
★★★★
In cinemas September 5
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