Richard Treweeke hasn't been to the races for two years and has never seen his mare win a Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
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One of Winx's three owners who hasn't seen her race for two years and has never ventured to watch a Cox Plate has vowed to be trackside for her racetrack farewell if he can shake off a bout of vertigo.
A spritely Richard Treweeke, 88, has rarely been seen on course during Winx's glittering career, which will be capped with a 33rd straight win if she is successful in the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
The self-confessed couch jockey endures dizzy spells and has watched all four of his mare's Cox Plate wins from his Mosman home - and last went to watch Winx in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes two years ago.
Asked whether he would make it to Randwick for the second day of The Championships, Treweeke said: "Haven't I been to the races for two years? It's not the same [at home]. Being there is a more fulfilling [experience].
"If I'm well, I'll be there. Otherwise I'll have to watch her on the tele here at home. She's not back in the stall before the phone starts ringing at home on raceday [after Winx's races].
"This will be a big day. It will be a big day for the 100,000 or 200,000 owners of her and they'll love to see her win again."
Treweeke and co-owners Peter Tighe and Debbie Kepitis have long acknowledged the seven-year-old, which has banked more than $24 million in prizemoney during her career, was long ago made public property.
But her eldest owner has often remained out of the limelight.
Treweeke's family, led by daughter Elizabeth, have followed the mare across the country during her amazing exploits and had 125 people pack out a "Trewinx" marquee for the Chris Waller-trained horse's historic fourth Cox Plate last year.
Treweeke has never been well enough to fly to Melbourne for a Cox Plate and joked he went 50 years between owning racehorses before seeing one of his pride and joy win live at the track. It was when Winx won as a two-year-old.
"But what luck [with Winx]," he said. "You can't pick these things. You can maybe pick a good galloper and they might win one out of four or one out of five and they think it's a good horse."
Just like hundreds of thousands of Australians each weekend, Treweeke has not been immune from offering some friendly riding advice to jockeys from the comfort of his own lounge room. Even if it's directed at Winx's ice-cool hoop Hugh Bowman.
"Hughie is a great rider," Treweeke said. "He's got a feel for a horse. [But] it's always [a worry] something might go wrong. We'll never get anything like her again unfortunately."
Winx could set a new mark starting at the shortest price of her career with bookmakers shopping her as a $1.06 chance to beat her eight rivals in the highlight of the second day of The Championships.
Australian Turf Club officials are expecting a crowd of more than 40,000 to cram into Randwick for the day, topping the modern-day record set for last year's The Everest.
And not even her owners are prepared for the fairytale to end. "I haven't thought about," Treweeke said. "I don't particularly want to think about it. I don't want to go there. She has [been a huge part of my life], a special part of my life."
- The Sydney Morning Herald
