With tears in her eyes, Winx part-owner Debbie Kepitis feared it could be the day the record winning streak of the world's best racehorse ended.

So when Winx finally overpowered her challengers in the final 100 metres of the famous Flemington straight, she was crying hard, overcome with both excitement and absolute relief.

"For some reason I had a different feeling today and that worries me," Kepitis said after Winx's unprecedented 28th consecutive win.

"I'm glad she's safe and that's the main part."

It wasn't a premonition as such, more of a feeling that it wasn't just a normal race day.

During those few breathtaking moments when owners of other racehorses jumped high with pure joy at the thought of achieving the near-impossible by beating Winx, jockey Hugh Bowman wasn't worried.

Did he think this would be the day she lost?

"No, I never really think that," he said, although he conceded the race did not go quite to plan.

"My concentration levels were high and I could just imagine the tension of the crowd.

"But I knew that I had another gear left."

Winx's usually emotional trainer Chris Waller kept his emotions in check after the wonder mare's back-to-back victory in the $500,000 Turnbull Stakes on Saturday - her 21st Group One win.

"You get a few flutters but once she had a clear run in, well what will be will be," Waller said.

"There will be a day when she's not as dominant but today all she had to do was repeat her form and she did that."

Amid the hype around another Winx victory, the TAB took its biggest ever bet on the champion as a punter splashed out $170,000 to take home a $27,200 profit.

Bought by Kepitis, Peter Tighe and Richard Treweeke for $230,000 in 2013, Winx has now amassed $19.88 million in prize money.

The owners, trainer and jockey all appreciate just how much of a crowd favourite she has become.

"It's more for them than us now," Tighe said.

"We want her to win but obviously the crowd is behind her.

"We used to be those people who came and watched Black Caviar and watched Makybe Diva, so we know how it feels to come and watch a champion and get the atmosphere.

"It's just something that we never expected to be involved in."

Winx's next goal is an unprecedented fourth Cox Plate on October 27.

It doesn't get any easier, Kepitis said.

"It's not easy to do this, to bring her back all the time and have her racing at this level.

"It's just phenomenal."

THIS is a match “Maid Of Heaven”.

Rachel King, Sydney’s champion apprentice last season, rode her first Group 1 winner on Maid Of Heaven in the $500,000 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick Saturday.

Fittingly, King combined with trainer Mark Newnham, who was most responsible in convincing the former English jumps jockey returning to race riding.

To complete the fairytale, Maid Of Heaven was also Newnham’s first major race winner as a trainer.

The two embraced immediately after the race Maid Of Heaven became only the second filly ever to beat the “boys” in the Spring Champion Stakes – just two years after Yankee Rose created racing history.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet, I’m lost for words,’’ King said. “I told Mark my throat is sore from yelling so much.’’

Newnham, a former jockey, only took out a trainer’s licence two years ago.

“I’m still buzzing,’’ Newnham said. “Just that last 50m, I had my heart in my mouth.

“I didn’t know whether she’d get there but the last two strides got us over the line.”

When King dismounted, Newnham was the first to embrace her as the pair celebrated their historic victory.

Maid Of Heaven ($14) came with a strong finish to run down Aramayo ($4.20) near the line to win by a long head with Thinkin’ Big ($3.40 favourite) just over two lengths away third.

“Mark and I thought we were both in with a chance of getting our first Group 1 last weekend (Lanciato ran 11th in the Epsom Handicap) but we managed to do it today,’’ King said.

“After Maid Of Heaven ran so well in the Flight Stakes last week Mark thought she deserved her chance in this race. I picked up the ride on Wednesday and couldn’t of been happier.”

King, 28, had ridden in England but was struggling for opportunities when she came to Sydney for a “working holiday” four years ago. She decided to stay – and the rest is history.

“When I first started work at Gai’s stables, Mark was still there,’’ King said.

“It was Mark who pushed me to start riding over here and have a go. He has never stopped supporting me the whole way through.

“I had my first Group winner for him the (Newcastle) Newmarket on Lanciato and now the first Group 1 - it’s very special.”

Newnham could easily have selected a more established senior jockey for Maid Of Heaven but he has always had confidence in King.

“When Rachel first got here from England there were plenty of people telling her it will be tough to be apprenticed and make it in Sydney,’’ Newnham said. “She has proved them all wrong.”

Maid Of Heaven’s win was also a milestone moment for Newnham, coming almost two years to the day since he trained his first winner.

“When I took out a trainer’s licence, I needed my family to come down and help me muck out the boxes as I didn’t have any staff,’’ Newnham said.

“But we have slowly built up the business and I have some great people working with me now. They deserve to share in this success because they all work so hard.’’

Newnham revealed that Maid Of Heaven’s owners including Arrowfield Stud supremo John Messara backed him when he decided to back her up in the Spring Champion Stakes.

“What encouraged me was her work through the line over the mile last week,’’ Newnham said.

“During the week she couldn’t have eaten any more and she showed me she was ready to back up

LEADING trainer Darren Weir looks set to play a major hand in this spring’s Group 1 three-year-old fillies races, having brought off the trifecta in yesterday’s Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington.

Amphitrite, a daughter of Sebring, firmed into $8 for next Saturday’s Thousand Guineas after making it three consecutive wins this campaign with a dominant one-and-three-quarter length success.

But Weir isn’t sure which direction the winner will head after her impressive win over stablemates Krone and Verry Elleegant.

“I liked her (Amphitrite) coming into the race, but the other two have probably got a bit more upside,” a delighted Weir said after Saturday’s Group 2 success.

“I don’t really know what we will do with her yet, but we’ve probably got to go there (Thousand Guineas). I suppose (the reservation) is that it might all just come too quick for her.

“I thought looking at her in the yard, she looked great today, so we might back up.

“We’ve gotta look after her now ... she is a good horse.”

He is more certain about the direction of the placegetters, with Krone a certain starter in the Thousand Guineas next week, having been shortened from $26 into $13 for the race. Verry Elleegant appears bound for the VRC Oaks.

The latter, having her first start for Weir after three starts in New Zealand, has been installed as the $7 equal favourite for the Oaks, following her slashing third,

“Krone definitely heads (to the Thousand Guineas), and the filly that ran third looks more like an Oaks horse,” Weir said. “I was really pleased with the way (Verry Elleegant) attacked the line, and Johnny (Allen) rode her beautifully to bring her on. She will learn a lot from that.”

I AM EXCITED RELISHES STRAIGHT TO WIN GILGAI
A LATE charge from Sydney mare I Am Excited has clinched a last-to-first win in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington.

Trainer David Pfieffer was keen to get I Am Excited onto the straight course at Flemington in the Gilgai after the four-year-old had finished second and fourth respectively in two Group 3 races at Caulfield this campaign.

I Am Excited was narrowly beaten in her only previous try on the straight course at Flemington last spring and Pfieffer was thrilled to see the mare arrive in time under Kerrin McEvoy to win Saturday’s 1200m race in a tight finish.

“I just think the Caulfield track hadn’t been suiting her that well,” Pfieffer said.

“In her first start there it was very obvious she didn’t cope with that turn for the first time. The next time she just got held up a fraction and she had to stop and start her momentum which doesn’t suit her.

“I was a bit more confident coming to Flemington, being down the straight and getting away from a turning track.”

Pfieffer now plans to run I Am Excited in the Group Three Begonia Belle Stakes (1100m) for mares at Flemington next month with the prospect of backing up a week later in the Group One VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) should she perform well again.

“It’s probably not a dumb idea to have a throw at the stumps,” Pfieffer said. I Am Excited, who firmed from $8 to $4.60, finished closest to the outside rail in the 10-horse field and got home by a half-neck over Eduardo ($8.50) with a half-head to Bons Away ($8.50) third.

“She did a good job because I was a long way off them,” McEvoy said. “Dave said to cover her up and get her to finish strong.

“It wasn’t until the last 50 metres that I thought I had got the race now, but she finished really well.”

JAMES Cummings was overcome with emotion minutes after his stayer Avilius had won the race named after his grandfather The Bart Cummings (2500m).

Cummings knew the narrow victory had secured the chance to emulate his legendary grandfather who won 12 Melbourne Cups, with Avilius as that win carried a golden ticket into Australia’s most famous race.

In a stirring finish Avilius, ridden by Glyn Schofield, held off a strong challenge from Jaameh to win by a short half head.

Cummings emotions were tempered though when Michael Walker who rode Jaameh protested for interference over the final 50 metres.

Walker alleged that Avilius changed its line and laid in on top of him and he didn’t have the opportunity to use his whip over the final 40 metres.

“I missed four or five chances to hit him and he just needed one decent whack and he would have won,” Walker said.

Schofield told stewards that Jaameh kept a direct line and had his opportunity to run past him.

“I’ve got no doubt he wasn’t going to run past my horse,” Schofield said.

Chief steward Robert Cram dismissed the protest saying both horses had a straight run to the line and dismissed the objection.

TAB fixed odds reacted by firming Avilius, who is undefeated in four Australian runs, in from $13 into $9 outright favourite for the Melbourne Cup.

Cummings made a brave decision to bypass last week’s Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick to try and win his way into the Melbourne Cup with Avilius.

“This is special to me. I’m excited to have a horse in the Cup. Today was about getting sheik Mohammed a runner in the Melbourne Cup,” he said.

Cummings described the win “as a terrific, courageous performance.”

“He carried 58.5kgs. He settled a lot closer in the run than he has out here as he had to be used up early to use his barrier and then he had to outmuscle the horse we thought was the one to beat one,” he said.

“Now he’s exempt we can now plot a path which best suits the horse — we’re not chasing our tail.”

Cummings has had two Melbourne Cup runners previously, Precedence who he trained with his grandfather who finished sixth in 2014 and Hartnell who finished 20th last year.

Cummings said he would let the dust settle before deciding on what path Avilius takes to the Melbourne Cup and whether that includes the Caulfield Cup.

David Hayes was disappointed the protest didn’t go Jaameh’s way and he’s now got to get him into the Melbourne Cup.

Hayes suggested Jaameh would try and win his way into the Melbourne Cup by winning the Lexus.

Both Jaameh and third placegetter Yogi, who ran home strongly, firmed from $51 into $26 with TAB fixed.

It’s no secret that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White loves when Conor McGregor is competing inside of the Octagon.

McGregor, who fights Khabib Nurmagomedov tomorrow night (Sat., Oct. 6, 2018) at UFC 229 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the undisputed lightweight title, is the biggest star the promotion has ever seen (and maybe ever will). When he fights, UFC as a whole soars high.

While White has praised McGregor in the past, including a recent comparison to the great Muhammad Ali, rarely do we hear “Notorious” pay respect to the UFC president. That all changed during UFC 229’s final press conference earlier this week (full replay here) when McGregor voiced his appreciation for White and everything he has done for the sport.

“Thank you so much, Dana. I appreciate the kind words,” said McGregor regarding White’s Ali comparison. “I also have nothing but good things to say about you. You’re an OG (original gangster) of the fight game. The work you’ve put in over the years to get this sport to each pinnacle. Like, honestly you don’t get enough credit that you truly deserve.”

“Even this new ESPN deal that we got,” McGregor continued. “Like when Lorenzo [Fertitta] bowed out I wasn’t sure what would happen. Then with the ESPN deal done it’s like…you’re a true pioneer and an OG of the fight game and it’s an honor to be up here doing business with you.

“I know we’ve had our ups and downs in our work relationship but it’s an honor, brother, alright? Thank you so much. So thank you for them kind words about Muhammad Ali and always…you tell the truth. No matter what, you tell the truth.”

With a new six-fight deal in place, McGregor and White better be getting along. Because whether or not McGregor is victorious at UFC 229 the future is bright for both the Irishman and UFC. There is a lot of money to be made and new trails to blaze, such as UFC’s upcoming crossover to ESPN in 2019.

McGregor and White are sure to butt heads down the line, especially if McGregor puts his hands on another Brooklyn dolly, but at the end of the day business trumps all. And in the words of Conor McGregor, “Business is good.”

Alan Patrick was a homeless kid who used to shine shoes in the streets of Brasilia to make a living. Decades later, he’s able to provide a completely different reality to his young son.

The 15-1 Brazilian lightweight talent, who holds a 5-1 record under the UFC banner, has decided to move full-time to Orlando with his wife and four-year-old son ahead of Saturday night’s UFC 229, when he faces Scott Holtzman at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Living in the United States and training alongside his long-time friend Ronaldo Souza at Fusion X-cell for four months now, “Nuguette” feels ready to perform at his best in the Octagon. Yet, being in Orlando has changed more than his fighting skills.

”Life’s great here, we have better access to things like wrestling shoes, gloves, and supplements than we do in Brazil,” Patrick told MMA Fighting. “Our work is 10 times more valued here. I enjoy the lifestyle here, it’s not too rushed like in Brazil. I love it. After four months here, I’ve adapted.”

Patrick has no plans to move back to Brazil anytime soon, and is thrilled to see his son make new friends in Orlando.

”It was more difficult for my wife and little son, but they are used to it already,” Patrick said. “When (my son) is too anxious we take him to Universal, the world’s greatest park [laughs]. I live 15 minutes away from the park and to see the look on his face, that’s priceless. And I also get to see a lot of Brazilians there [laughs].”

Patrick feels “a complete different ‘Nuguette’” after four months of training at Fusion X-cell, and sees many other benefits in living in the United States. For an example, he doesn’t feel he would have gotten a chance to compete at one of the biggest pay-per-view cards in UFC history if he was still living in Rio de Janeiro.

”That’s what I came here for: to speak their language, be closer to the UFC and give my son a better life, more comfort,” Patrick said. “Being here, it’s cheaper for the UFC to give me fights. Flight tickets in Brazil are so expensive, it’s unbelievable.”

”It would be really hard for me to get a fight in this card if I were in Brazil, but it was easier being here,” he continued. “And Wallid (Ismail, manager) did a great job landing me on this card. If it wasn’t for him also, I wouldn’t be on this card. It’s the fight of the century, the biggest fight in UFC history, and I’m happy to be part of this card. I’ll give my life in there to go 6-1 in the UFC.”

Holtzman brings a 4-2 UFC record to the cage against the Brazilian, looking for his third straight victory after decisions over Darrell Horcher and Michael McBride, but “Nuguette” promises a devastating win, his first knockout since his Octagon debut, to impress the fans who tune in early in expectation for the main event bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor.

”That’s the plan, go in there and shock everyone,” Patrick said. “This guy is expecting the same old ‘Nuguette’, but it’s going to be a whole new one. He comes in strong in the first round, trying to pressure his opponent against the cage and get the takedown, but I worked hard to block his takedowns. If he doesn’t go down in the first round, he goes down in the second.”

Dricus Du Plessis thought he would be looking at a new opponent for his first KSW welterweight title defense, but when Roberto Soldic was the only man who would step forward to face him in London he was happy to accept a rematch.

“[KSW] said I didn’t need to take the fight, and I could do it in December instead, and they would have another opponent for me,” the KSW welterweight champion told MMA Fighting. “I didn’t want to wait that long. I said, ‘There’s only one way to prove how great I am after beating the best guy in Europe, and that’s beating him twice’.”

The South African, an EFC double champion at welterweight and middleweight, sent shockwaves through the European MMA scene when he weathered blue-chip prospect Soldic’s early onslaught in April. He caught the Croatian destroyer in the second round, putting him down before finishing the fight with ground and pound.

As far as “Stillknocks” is concerned, his KSW title capture highlighted the hard work that he and his team have put into his career. With a victory over “Robocop” in his back pocket, he believes he has a huge psychological advantage ahead of their second dance on Saturday at KSW 45.

“It’s a big mental advantage. In all of his fights, he rattles his opponents; once he hits them with a hard punch they don’t want to be in there anymore. I train for that; I have guys in my camp that hit much harder than that. I’ve travelled all across the world, I’ve put in hours upon hours and I got a massive opportunity — I’m not going to go away because of a few hard shots,” he explained.

“I knew all of the punches he threw at me were the hardest punches he had; you could see it in his face, you could see it in his demeanor and you could see it in the way that he fights. He does hit hard, I’m not going to take that away from him. But unfortunately for him, this game moves too fast, it’s not just about how hard you can hit. He’s predictable, he slows down and you can see the shots coming. I could feel it as soon as I got him to the ground — I have this guy.”

Du Plessis is expecting much of the same from Soldic on Saturday night. If victorious, he hopes to mirror his EFC feat and focus on the promotion’s middleweight title, but only if KSW believe he has earned the right to fight for it.

“I’ll be there in December, that’s the plan. I won’t be fighting or competing, but I’ll be definitely checking out the finale of that tournament. I want to get that [middleweight] strap. 100 percent I’m going to beat Soldic tomorrow night and then I’m going to get my crack at that middleweight belt as well.”

Although he has eyes on the heavier weight class, he would like to see an anti-doping policy brought in by KSW, something he claims promoter Martin Lewandowski is considering at the moment.

“That’s a big deal for me. I don’t want to fight a juiced-up middleweight. I want to fight someone that’s clean and that works his ass off, like I do. Martin [Lewandowski] has clearly said he wants to bring in a commission that will make sure fighters are being monitored. With EFC I was tested for every single fight. I’m randomly tested as a champion and I would like to see a level playing field,” he said.

Du Plessis went on to outline why he believes Soldic cannot be considered a “clean” athlete.

“I don’t consider Roberto to be a clean guy, to be honest. I’m not saying he’s juicing or anything, but he’s not fighting under regulated rules and he never has. I’ve fought under regulated rules for my whole career. At middleweight that’s different, but right now I’m a massive welterweight, I walk around even heavier than most of those middleweights do. I know for a fact I can compete with [KSW middleweights]; I’ve fought more fights at that weight. I’m 100 percent eyeing that middleweight title if it’s something I deserve. I don’t want a shot if it’s something that I don’t deserve,” Du Plessis said.

LAS VEGAS — At UFC 229 open workouts, Michelle Waterson discussed her upcoming fight against Felice Herrig, why her fight against Herrig felt inevitable, the fued between JacksonWink and Donald Cerrone, and much more

1 hour ago, iann said:

he tried to sell ptp invite for $50

wrong section what you want to say?

58 minutes ago, X-Ray said:

Many Thanks.

No Problem dude.

anytime for you