MERCEDES-BENZ PARRAMATTA and Phar Lap, for example, had stride lengths of around 8.5m. “The extraordinary ability Winx has is her ability to change stride length and frequency at will that her current rivals don’t have,” Dr Putt told the ABC last year. “This means she can settle or accelerate at any time during a race. I think this makes her unique.” Hugh agrees that Winx’s outstanding balance and ability to smoothly change speed, and then hold that speed, is what sets her apart. “When I let her go, quite often she is already in front. And when I do let her go, I don’t feel her quicken because she is so balanced and so economical when she moves. I just can’t feel that speed because she is so smooth,” he says. “I can only feel it if I wait at the back to let her go through the gears and then watch as I go past the rest of the field. If the race permitted me to do that, I would do it. But it’s we are racing against the best horses in the best races and I don’t want to treat them or the race with contempt.” Winx has also got a strong competitive desire to win. Hugh says he finds that she can sense the big moments and steps up her performance in response. “And the bigger the race, the better she performs,” he says. “She is even like that at track work. She rarely works with other horses because she is too competitive. She doesn’t need a lot of stimulation. “It’s only on the odd occasion that you will get on a horse that knows it’s all about winning and, when they do, the effort they give is incredible. Well, with Winx it’s expected. She’s not quite the same as other horses.” Even with all her natural talents, it takes a team effort to ensure Winx is healthy, fit and peaking at the right time to win signature events. That team includes the owners, trainer, training staff, jockey and everyone else associated with Chris Waller Racing. A PARTNERSHIP FORGED OVER A GREAT HORSE Hugh and Chris, another Mercedes-Benz Parramatta Friend of the Brand, have created a formidable partnership. Hugh is Chris’ top rider at track work and on race day. That means he gets the pick of the rides. Winx isn’t the only horse Hugh is excited about right now. Hugh is also looking forward to getting on board a few other Chris Waller- trained thoroughbreds in the coming months including D’argento, Unforgotten, The Autumn Sun, and Zousain. On Waller, Hugh says, “He’s a very disciplined individual and has built a business model that works so well. We have a good personal relationship, but it doesn’t interfere with our professional relationship. That’s good for us both as we’re not in each other’s pockets.” “That’s a key ingredient for success, having that understanding and respect for one another, which has obviously grown with the presence of Winx and everything that comes with her. “Before that, we had a very good relationship and it has certainly developed since Winx. We’re both striving to be the best as individuals and we both benefit from each other’s professionalism and support.” As a senior jockey in the business, Hugh rides the horses when their preparation demands an exerted, high-pressure training run: their main gallop in the lead-up to hitting the track. “These are the better horses and they are starting their preparations now for around six- or eight-weeks’ time,” Hugh says of the track work. “Even though it’s the off-season, the horses filter up through the system. “The better class horses start to do more and more work now, after being in the stable for around three weeks. At this stage of the year, it’s also about getting my fitness back to a desirable level. It’s hard to get the metabolism going on cold mornings like this.” Jockeys are able to have a longer career than most other athletes. At 38, Hugh sees several years still ahead of him. Although, as he already noted, fashions move fast in racing. He describes the system of acquiring rides as like a ‘big spider web’. Top jockeys will get the pick of the horses in the field, as long as they stay on top. Right now, Hugh is the spider and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon. 12 GAME