On the day Winx is set to equal Phar Lap's immense total of 37 career wins, it is fitting that a distant link between the pair has been uncovered.
The Herald has traced Winx's family tree back nine generations to 1898, where a horse called William the Third appears and the link to Phar Lap lies.
Family ties: Winx shares a distant relative with Depression-era Australian racing hero Phar Lap.Credit:AAP
William the Third was the great grandsire – or great grandfather – of Phar Lap but also played a part in the bloodline of Winx.
The wonder mare's great-great-great-grandam, Gay Abandon, was sired by a horse named Theio, whose great-great-grandsire was William the Third.
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The distant link between the pair has never been raised before and was news to Winx part-owner Peter Tighe, who said the revelation was a "nice touch" as his prized mare prepares to claim the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and equal Phar Lap's mind-boggling total of 37 career wins.
"It's a nice touch, isn't it?" Tighe said.
"I hadn't heard that before but I suppose the further back you go, the more likely you are to find a link."
While playing a part in the breeding of Australia's two greatest horses is perhaps William the Third's greatest achievement, he was no slouch on the track either.
Bred in Great Britain, he won the Ascot Gold Cup, Queen Alexandra Stakes and Doncaster Cup as a four-year-old.
He also features in the bloodline of Silver Beam, the dam of Gay Abandon.
He was sired by St Simon, an undefeated star which was widely considered one of the greatest horses of the 19th century.
Magic Millions bloodstock manager Clint Donovan said the link was not a rarity given the loose links between many star horses but was also surprised Read More – Source
On the day Winx is set to equal Phar Lap's immense total of 37 career wins, it is fitting that a distant link between the pair has been uncovered.
The Herald has traced Winx's family tree back nine generations to 1898, where a horse called William the Third appears and the link to Phar Lap lies.
Family ties: Winx shares a distant relative with Depression-era Australian racing hero Phar Lap.Credit:AAP
William the Third was the great grandsire – or great grandfather – of Phar Lap but also played a part in the bloodline of Winx.
The wonder mare's great-great-great-grandam, Gay Abandon, was sired by a horse named Theio, whose great-great-grandsire was William the Third.
Advertisement
The distant link between the pair has never been raised before and was news to Winx part-owner Peter Tighe, who said the revelation was a "nice touch" as his prized mare prepares to claim the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and equal Phar Lap's mind-boggling total of 37 career wins.
"It's a nice touch, isn't it?" Tighe said.
"I hadn't heard that before but I suppose the further back you go, the more likely you are to find a link."
While playing a part in the breeding of Australia's two greatest horses is perhaps William the Third's greatest achievement, he was no slouch on the track either.
Bred in Great Britain, he won the Ascot Gold Cup, Queen Alexandra Stakes and Doncaster Cup as a four-year-old.
He also features in the bloodline of Silver Beam, the dam of Gay Abandon.
He was sired by St Simon, an undefeated star which was widely considered one of the greatest horses of the 19th century.
Magic Millions bloodstock manager Clint Donovan said the link was not a rarity given the loose links between many star horses but was also surprised Read More – Source
