The People's Champion: an Australian superstar and a Classic hero whose career was cut short

The Racing Post is trying to find the people’s champion – our readers’ favourite racehorse of all time. To make sure your favourite makes the shortlist of 80 horses, you can nominate using any of the methods below. In the meantime, here are two of our writers with their picks.

Lee Mottershead

Winx

Here at last is a race she cannot win. Still, however, she has my vote.

If this was a poll of southern hemisphere fans, Winx might well come out on top. There is no chance a mainly British or Irish electorate will recognise her with the same reverence but that isn't the point. In a life spent loving racehorses, some with deep affection, she is my number one.

I made three trips to Australia with the prime motivation of watching her compete. The memory of the final two Cox Plates and then her farewell outing in Sydney, where she completed her 33rd consecutive success, will stay with this groupie forever.

There was a sense of theatre about her races. Winx really did seem to understand that racing is showbiz on hooves. She made a lot of people extremely happy. I was one of them.

Justin O'Hanlon

El Gran Senor

They obviously knew El Gran Senor was going to be good when they named him after Horacio Luro, trainer of his sire Northern Dancer. As a racing-mad teenager, I saw him twice in the flesh, once when he beat stablemate Sadler's Wells in a common canter in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh and a second time when he readily saw off Rainbow Quest in the Irish Derby.

That was the last time he was seen on a racecourse. I was 14 when I left the Curragh that day in June 1984 in wonderment at what I thought was the best horse I had ever seen and 39 years later my opinion has not changed.

And to think that he underachieved. His Derby defeat simply should not have happened. But the performance he put up in the 2,000 Guineas was exceptional. His explosion of pace to pull away from Chief Singer inside the last was breathtaking, considering the latter went on to win the St James's Palace Stakes by eight lengths in a course record time and the July Cup at 6f before stepping back up to mile to win the Sussex. Injury robbed El Gran Senor of the chance to prove beyond doubt his greatness. But some of us have no doubt about it.

How to nominate

By post Send the name of your horse and make your case to The People's Champion, Racing Post Editorial, Floor 7, Vivo Building, South Bank Central, 30 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9LS. Letters must reach us by no later than Tuesday, August 1.

By email Get in touch at peopleschampion@racingpost.com.

Online Click here and follow the instructions.

Read more from the People's Champion series . . .

The People's Champion: an Aintree Hurdle specialist and a horse who fulfilled his potential for Henry Cecil

The People's Champion: an injury prone Rolls-Royce and a poor-jumping, hold-up horse

The People's Champion: a horse who didn't like to hang about and another with a unique record

The People's Champion: our series begins with a true legend of the turf and a popular grey