THE idea that the result of a race, in terms of the precise margins between the horses and the overall times of those horses, must automatically reflect the abilities of those involved is considered old hat in most quarters these days.

Sometimes it does, such as in the Prix de l’Opera mentioned elsewhere in this column, and sometimes it doesn’t. In both instances it is necessary to consider how the result came about, including what sectionals gave rise to those overall times.

Frankel was an important horse in driving this point home, with split times showing he was better than the bare result in the Royal Lodge Stakes, 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes fairly early in his career, and Winx is doing her bit to put a final nail in that particular coffin on the other side of the world.

CLOSING SPLITS

Judged on her overall time and fairly narrow margins over second tier horses, Winx’s win in last weekend’s Turnbull Stakes at Flemington was pretty ordinary. Judged on sectionals and on her ability to get herself out of a bad position despite a quickening pace ahead of her, it was anything but.

According to Timeform Australia, who use much the same sectional upgrading methodology I invented several years ago, Winx’s 97 basic timefigure goes up to around the 130 mark – very close to her best – if you factor in her scintillating closing splits of 10.74s, then 10.60s and finally 10.87s.

She had no right to win a slowly run race from where she was turning in, and yet she ended up doing so with a degree of comfort.

For my money, Winx is not quite at the level Black Caviar was at a few years back, but there should be no doubting that she is very good indeed, and some of the arguments suggesting otherwise are downright crass.

Her late coming style has put a few people away, but it has also demonstrated that she is capable of not just winning top races by Frankel-like margins – something she has done more than once in the past – but of overcoming considerable adversity. Enjoy her while you can!