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It’s never easy to farewell a champion, especially one as wonderful and as enduring as Winx.

But as the world prepares for the end of an era, there’s another way to celebrate the memory of wonderful Winx … with a glorious Winx Rose produced in her honour.

The astonishing Winx has strung together an extraordinary 32 consecutive wins over four years — a world record 24 at Group 1 level — and will farewell the racetrack in the $4 million Gr 1 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 13.

Her amazing record stands at 42 starts, 36 wins, 3 seconds and $24,016,674 in prizemoney. She has won at distances from 1100 metres to 2200 metres, during which time she has been cared for meticulously and always with her welfare of paramount importance by her trainer Chris Waller, his staff and jockey Hugh Bowman.

There is only one more, emotional, soul-stirring race to come.

We have built a remarkable catalogue of incredible memories of Winx’s spine-tingling performances that have etched her name alongside legends such as Phar Lap, Carbine, Makybe Diva and Black Caviar as one the greats of the Australian turf—and arguably the best of them all.

Winx’s connections – Peter and Patty Tighe, Richard Treweeke and Debbie Kepitis - have combined with Knight’s Roses to produce a unique commemorative rose in Winx’s honour.

The Winx Rose, like the great mare, is the epitome of class. This beautiful flower is the product of exquisite breeding designed to capture the qualities that define Winx—elegance, longevity and brilliance.

Just as Winx is a once-in-a-lifetime horse, the Winx Rose is a fittingly unique tribute to the world’s best racehorse.

“The Winx Rose is a very special way to recognise Winx’s achievements. As owners we are incredibly proud of Winx and humbled by the support and love from her fans around the world.

"We are excited to have worked with Knight’s Roses to produce a lovely memento to allow fans to celebrate our wonderful mare. Like her, it’s beautiful,” said Patty Tighe on behalf of the Winx owners.

Daniel Knight, proprietor of Knight’s Roses, describes the Winx Rose as a “new rose released for the first time in Australia. It’s an extremely elegant garden rose with a pristine white colour and is the perfect choice if you want a bright, white garden rose.

“It’s a perfect choice as the flowers are retained for a long time and the dense dark green glossy foliage creates an excellent contrast to the flower. The bushy habit provides a good groundcover and is ideal for bedding, borders, hedging and for small or large-scale planting. It is also an outstanding container rose.”

The Winx Rose, a commemorative boxed bare root can be ordered online at www.winxrose.com.au and will be available at selected nurseries for RRP $26. Bare root roses will be dispatched in May. Potted roses will be available in spring.

Winx’s owners have selected the National Jockeys Trust as the nominated charity to receive a $1 donation for every Winx Rose sold.

Footnote: Why a White Rose, not a Blue Rose: Why is the Winx Rose white and not the famous blue (with white M) of the colours worn by Winx’s jockey Hugh Bowman?

Kelvin Trimper AM, Past President of the World Federation of Rose Societies explains that “There has never been a blue rose produced or bred. We have mauve and purple roses but, despite many dollars invested in research and rose breeding throughout the world, a blue rose has not been achieved.

“Occasionally, we see blue roses in florist shops or in flower arrangements. These are generally white roses which have been placed in a blue dye liquid which then allows the stems to artificially create a ‘blue rose’.

“However, in the plant world, we never say something is impossible and with modern scientific methods we may, someday, see the creation of a blue rose.”