The Champions of Flemington Racecourse Part 8 – This decade

Adorning a wall of the Betting Ring at Flemington Racecourse are the racing colours of a select few Melbourne Cup winning horses.  With 159 Melbourne Cup races run so far, there are 153 horses that have stopped our nation on the first Tuesday in November.  The 28 horses featured on the wall here each have unique attributes, their reason for being featured.  We’re delving a bit deeper to provide the information for those who are interested in learning more about these horses and what makes them worthy of being remembered in this way.  Our descriptions will follow the order of appearance from left to right, which also coincides with the chronological order in which each horse won their Melbourne Cup/s.

Green Moon

Winner of the 2012 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Robert Hickmott. Ridden by Brett Pebble.

Green Moon is a bay entire who was born in Ireland on 16 February 2007, although the exact location is unrecorded.  He was sired by the great Irish stallion, Montjeu and his dam was a French-bred mare called Green Noon.  She died later in the same year that she produced her only foal.

He was bred by Ben Goldsmith, who initially raced him in England under the care of Harry Dunlop.  He raced twice, unplaced, as a two-year-old in England but then won his first three starts in his three-year-old season including a dominant win at Ascot.  His next three starts were all unplaced and so Goldsmith decided to sell the stallion. 

He was purchased by Lloyd Williams for Macedon Lodge and made the journey down under in late 2010, half-way through his 3-year-old Northern Hemisphere season.  He spent the Australian Summer and Autumn settling in and preparing for a re-launched career of racing in Australia.  His new trainer was Macedon Lodge’s Robert Hickmott.

In the August, Green Moon raced in two sprints, one each at Flemington and Moonee Valley and was unplaced in both.  He then finished second in the 2000 metre Girls Day Out Handicap at Flemington on September 3rd, 2011, ridden by Michelle Payne (as were his previous two races).  He then travelled up to New South Wales and took first place in the 2300 metre Newcastle Gold Cup on 15 September.  Exactly one month later he took second place in the 2011 Caulfield Cup, a length and a half behind the winner, Southern Speed.  Two weeks later he finished twelfth in the Lexus Hotham Stakes on Derby Day at Flemington.  He pulled up distressed after that race so it was back to Macedon Lodge for a few months spell.  The stallion raced just once in the Autumn where he won the 1600 metre Blamey Stakes at Flemington.  Then another spell, this one lasting nearly six months.

His next race on 1 September 2012 saw him finished fifth in the 1400 metre Memsie Stakes at Caulfield followed by second place in the 1600 metre Dato’tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley.  In the October he won his first Group 1 race in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, but finished seventh in the WS Cox Plate three weeks later.

By the time he started in the 2012 Melbourne Cup, he’d earned himself the nickname “Blue Moon” as in “he wins once in a blue moon”.  At six years old, he was given the fairly light weight handicap of 53.5 kilos.  Having never raced further than 2500 metres he wasn’t rated highly by the bookmakers, who had him at 20-1 odds.  The two favourites for the 2012 Melbourne Cup were the winners of the previous two, Dunaden (2011) and Americain (2010).  Eighteen of the 24 starters were bred in Europe and half of those were Irish.  Only two of the 24 horses were born in Australia, the remaining four were bred in New Zealand.  It was a star-studded field and Green Moon upstaged them all, in what was later described as a major upset.  It was a great year for Ireland though as the first seven finishing horses were all bred in Ireland.

Ridden by Brett Prebble, Green Moon picked up the pace on the straight and made the field around him look tired and lazy.  He took the lead with 200 metres remaining and raced home unchallenged from there, winning by a length and a half in front of Fiorente.  It was the first Melbourne Cup win for both the trainer and jockey, but the fourth for his owners.  The Williams’ matched three other owners, at this point all with four Melbourne Cup wins.  In 2016, Almandin would take them to the lead, which was further extended in 2017 by Rekindling; six winners seems pretty hard to match let alone overtake!

The race was attended by HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, the latter presented the trophy to the winners, with her husband taking the honour in the following race, the Diamond Jubilee Plate.  Race 8 is officially known as the Melbourne Cup Day Plate but was so named on this day as 2012 was the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.  On accepting the $175,000 Loving Trophy from Camilla, Nick Williams was understandably ecstatic “We put a lot of money in and a heck of a lot of effort so to get this result today is terrific," he said.  "God bless everyone who wrote him off."

Green Moon finished unplaced in all but one of the remaining 16 races, he finished second in the Australian Cup at Flemington on 8 March 2014.  He ran in the 2013 Melbourne Cup but with 4 more kilos to carry than last time, the best he and Prebble could manage was 21st.  His very last race turned out to be the Doomben Cup where, aged 8 years old, he finished in last place. 

After the Doomben Cup run on 9 May 2015, Nick Williams announced Green Moon’s retirement on Twitter by writing “Not sure we have ever owned a horse that tried so hard, today he said enough. #champion #greenmoon #stallion #goodlookingmares”.   His racing career ended with over five million dollars in prize money from 7 wins and 4 second placings from 36 starts.

Green Moon now resides in Ireland, along with another 2012 runner and taker of 7th place, Mourayan.  Both horses reside with Luke Comer, a property re-developer who also breeds, trains and owns horses.  Mourayan has sired a few goals, most notably the three-year-old colt He Knows No Fear.  The colt became the biggest-priced winner at 300/1 odds on 13 August this year when winning at Leopardstown Racecourse in Dublin.  Green Moon is believed to be serving privately as a stud for Comer’s hurdlers, although I have been unable to discover whether he has produced any offspring.

Fiorente

Winner of the 2013 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Gai Waterhouse. Ridden by Damien Oliver.

Fiorente is a brown stallion who was born at Ballymacoll Stud in County Meath, Ireland on 26 February 2008.  His dam was the Irish mare Desert Bloom who descended from Danzig through both her parents.  His sire was the German great, Monsun, who was Germanys leading sire in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006.

The stallion Fiorente initially raced in England and was trained by Sir Michael Stoute out of Newmarket in Suffolk, England.  He enjoyed a favourable start to his racing career, winning his second race at Newbury and then placing second in his next two starts at Ascot and Goodwood over the British summer and spring of 2011.  He raced five more times for Stoute in 2012, winning one and taking second in another.  His last race in Europe took place on 16 September 2012 where he finished fourth in the Group 2 Prix Foy at Longchamp in Paris, France.  Shortly thereafter he was purchased for $1.2 million by Sydney-based trainer, Gai Waterhouse, for a group of owners, and he travelled to the quarantine facility at Werribee Racecourse.  He arrived at Werribee on 19 October 2012 and from there Mrs Waterhouse oversaw his training until he was released from quarantine.

In his first ever race on Australian turf, Fiorente ran a brave second place behind Green Moon in the 2012 Melbourne Cup, putting himself on a map where previously he was barely a consideration and providing his trainer with her third runners up place.  Her previous runners-up were Nothin’ Leica Dane in 1996 and Te Akau Nick in her second year as a registered trainer, 1993.

Following the 2012 Melbourne Cup, Fiorente travelled up to Gai’s headquarters in Sydney.  Aside from a few trials, he finished third in his only race in the Autumn of 2013, the 1400 metre All Aged Stakes at Randwick on 27 April 2013.  He returned to Melbourne for the Spring Racing Carnival and finished sixth in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on 31 August.  Two weeks later he followed up with a win in the Group 2 Dato’Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley.  He ran a respectable fourth in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on 5 October then took third place in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on 26 October while carrying 59 kilos. 

Ten days later Fiorente was back in the race that started his Australian racing career, the 2013 Melbourne Cup on 5 November 2013.  Waterhouse had secured Damien Oliver to ride Fiorente into the Cup and he was set to carry 55 kilos and they raced from Barrier 5.  They ran a steady race keeping in the middle of the field, close to Red Cadeaux.  In fact, as they field entered the straight at the final turn the two horses made bold moves forward.  For the final 200 metres Fiorente and Red Cadeaux led the way home, neck and neck until the 100-metre mark.  At that point, Fiorente surged forward and Red Cadeaux’ best efforts could not catch him.  Fiorente won by three-quarters of a length and brought home the Melbourne Cup trophy for his well-deserving trainer.

Damien Oliver had two Melbourne Cup wins to his name already, having ridden Doriemus to victory in 1995 and Media Puzzle in 2002.  He was thrilled to provide the First Lady of Australian Racing with her first Melbourne Cup trophy.  Gai Waterhouse became the first daughter of a Melbourne Cup winning trainer to win a Melbourne Cup herself.  Her father, Tommy Smith, won two from 51 entries with Toparoa in 1955 and Just A Dash in 1981. 

Fiorente raced again the following February and won the Peter Young Stakes at Caulfield.  Two weeks later he entered the Australian Cup at Flemington on 8 March 2014.  Sadly, his win in the 2014 Australian Cup was overshadowed by the news that Roy Higgins had passed away.

He returned to Sydney later that month and finished seventh in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill on 22 March.  This was followed by third place in The BMW, also at Rosehill on 5 April.  Two days later it was announced that, at age 6, Fiorente had suffered a serious tendon injury and was consequently retired from racing.  From 20 starts had won six races, placed second in 4 and finished third on three occasions, winning 6.25 million dollars along the way.

He was sent to stud and currently stands at Sun Stud near Riddells Creek, Victoria for a fee of $17,600.  His stud debut came at the 2017 Inglis Premier Yearling Sales, with 29 of his yearlings listed in the catalogue.  He has a long career at stud ahead, but some of his 100+ progeny thus far include Hawkshot, Stars of Carrum, Beauty Legacy, Florent and Power Scheme.

Fiorente is a cheeky chap with a wonderfully playful personality for a stallion.  Click here if you would like for us to introduce you to him.

Protectionist

Winner of the 2014 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Andreas Wohler. Ridden by Ryan Moore.

Protectionist is a bay stallion who was born in Germany on 21 March 2010.  He was foaled by Irish mare Patineuse and sired by the German stallion Monsun.  He is part-owned by his breeder, Dr Christoph Berglar who sold half his share to Australian Bloodstock who are based in Newcastle, New South Wales.  He is the half-brother of Fiorente (2013 Melbourne Cup winner) and also Almandin (2016), the three share the same sire, Monsun, who sadly didn’t live to see any of his sons win the Melbourne Cup as he passed away in September 2012.

Initially, Protectionist was trained in Germany by the champion German horse trainer, Andreas Wöhler.  In Germany, he won his very first race in 2012 and finished second in his second.  The following year he again only raced twice, finishing third but winning the second.  In 2014, Protectionist raced four times in Europe before travelling to Australia for the Melbourne Cup.  He placed second in his first two and won the second two which were Germany’s 2400 metre Hansa-Preis and the 3000 metre Prix Kergorlay in France.

His first race in Australia was the 2014 Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes over 3000 metres at Caulfield in which he carried 59 kilos.  He finished fourth but could have easily won the race, his strong and fast finish only needed a few extra metres for him to overtake the leaders.

He started in the 2014 Melbourne as joint third-favourite and set to carry 56.5 kilos.  His rider was the English jockey Ryan Moore, who’d won the Cox Plate only ten days earlier on the Irish trained Adelaide.  This would be their one and only race together.  They settled behind the middle of the field for most of the race, making their move as the field fanned out across the straight on the final turn.  They took fourth place as they hit the 400-metre mark, and took the lead with 200 metres to go.  Once free of the pack, Protectionist really opened up and won the race comfortably by 4 lengths and in the fourth fastest time of 3 minutes and 17.71 seconds. 

Protectionist became the first German bred and German trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup.  His trainer, Andreas Wöhler, is the first (and still the only) German trainer to win the race that stops the nations, and this was his first entry into a Melbourne Cup.  It was an exciting win for all involved, which was overshadowed shortly after the trophy presentation with sad news* that to this day still overshadows Protectionist’s highly impressive Melbourne Cup win.

Following the 2014 Melbourne Cup, Protectionist changed trainers with the idea of racing in Australia permanently.  He moved to Newcastle and the care of trainer Kris Lees.  Under Lees he raced 9 times in 2015 and was unplaced in each including eighth in the Australian Cup, seventh in the Sydney Cup and fifteenth in the Caulfield Cup. 

Shortly after the 2015 Caulfield Cup run, the decision was made that Australian soil was too firm for the stallion and he was returned to Europe and the stables of Andreas Wöhler.  Protectionist raced three more times over the European summer of 2016 and won all three races. 

In 2017, Protectionist was retired to Röttgen Stud in Cologne, Germany for a fee of 6.5 thousand Euros.  From twenty-two starts he had achieved eight wins and four placings and nearly 5 million dollars in prize money. 

Thus far, he has sired more than 50 foals, with the first ones born in 2018.  His first foal to race, Amazing Grace, finished second in her first appearance in July this year.  She is owned by her breeder and her sire’s breeder, Dr Christoph Berglar.

Prince of Penzance

Winner of the 2015 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Darren Weir. Ridden by Michelle Payne.

Prince of Penzance, also known as Prince and/or Pop, is a Bay Gelding who was bred at Rich Hill Stud in Richmond Downs on New Zealand’s North Island.  He was foaled on 20 November 2009 by imported American mare Royal Successor and sired by imported British stallion Pentire.

The gelding was purchased by bloodstock agent John Foote, on behalf of trainer Darren Weir, for fifty thousand New Zealand dollars at the Karaka Premier Yearling Sale on 31 January 2011.  The purchase saw the bay move across the Tasman to Weirs stables, Forest Lodge at Miners Rest located just north of Ballarat, Victoria.  

His very first race came two years later, a 3-year-old Maiden Plate over 1300 metres at Stawell in Victoria where he finished first of seven starters on 8 March 2013.  Seventeen days later he finished third of ten over 1350 metres at Donald, followed by another win over 1600 metres at Ballarat another 17 days after that.  On his first visit to Melbourne on 20 April 2013 he finished second of 16 in an 1800 metre 3-year-old handicap at Caulfield.  He rounded off his first season of racing with a win over 2000 metres in a 3-year-old handicap at Flemington on May fourth.

Prince of Penzance spelled over the Winter and Spring, reappearing the following season at Flemington on 14 December 2013, where he finished seventh in another handicap.  Two weeks later he won a 1600 metre handicap at Moonee Valley.  He raced four more times early the following year for one win, two second placings and a fourth.

His five-year-old season commenced in Melbourne for three races unplaced.  His fourth race of the season provided a second place over 2050 metres at Moe.  Nine days later, on Cox Plate day 2014, he won the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup and in doing so he set a new track record with a time of 2:36:01 (which has since been bettered, twice).  On 8 November, he took second place in the 2600 metre Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington.  Then followed third place in the 2400 metre Sandown/Zipping Classic on 15 November.

Prince was spelled for a few months following the Zipping Classic and in February 2015 he suffered a near-fatal brush with colic.  Many horses fail to fully recover from colic but after life-saving surgery, Pop bounced back better than ever.  He returned to racing six months later on August 29 where he finished eighth in the 1400 metre Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.  The following months saw three races unplaced before he returned to the Moonee Valley Cup to defend his title.  He ran a bold race and led from the front for most of the race, unfortunately he was overtaken with 50 metres remaining and finished the race in second place.

His next start would be his twenty-fourth race, all but one of them ridden by Michelle Payne (she missed his second place in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes due to injury).  Their next race together would bring fame and fortune to them both, the 2015 Melbourne Cup.  At 5 years old, Prince of Penzance entered the Melbourne Cup weighted with 53 kilos and under-rated by the bookmakers.  The Race-day guide book stated “Yet to measure up at the top level and would surprise”.  He started the race at 100/1 odds with bets mostly coming from ladies who liked his name or liked to back female jockeys and some who backed him just because he wore the colours of the Suffragettes (green and purple).

They ran a steady race from barrier one and moved out wide on the final turn taking sixth place with around 400 metres remaining.  They took the lead with 150 metres to go and the best efforts of Max Dynamite were not enough to catch them.  They won by half a length and re-wrote the history books.  Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup.  Women were first given licence to jockey, train or book-make in 1979 and the first female jockey to ride in a Melbourne Cup was Claire Lindrop on the unplaced Debden in 2003.

After his big win, bringing home 3.6 million dollars for his owners, Pop enjoyed a spell for a few months, lapping up the limelight in his home town of Ballarat.  His next race didn’t occur until May 21, 2016 when he and Payne finished second in a Group 3 at Morphettville in Adelaide.  Two days later, his jockey fell off a horse mid-race in Mildura and underwent emergency surgery to repair her split pancreas. 

The spring of 2016, Prince of Penzance raced 4 times, unplaced in each.  The last of the four was the 2400 metre Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield on 8 October, 2016.  In his first handicap race since winning the Melbourne Cup, Pop finished fourth.  Sadly, it was later found that he had fractured a foreleg and would require surgery.  A metal plate was inserted by veterinarians and whilst he was later cleared to race again, his owners decided not to take the risk of further injury.  They announced his retirement in February 2017, stating that he owed them nothing but they now owed him visits and carrots.  From 29 starts Prince of Penzance won 7 races and placed in 9, winning $4,459,190 in prize money.

The gelding now predominantly resides with Darren Weir, although he is a regular visitor to Living Legends, usually around Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival.  He starred (as himself) in the 2019 movie, Ride Like a Girl, which is the life story of his jockey Michelle Payne.  We wish him a long and happy retirement and we look forward to seeing more of him at Living Legends when he comes to visit.

Cross Counter

Winner of the 2018 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Charlie Appleby. Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy.

Cross Counter is a bay horse who was bred in Europe by Godolphin and was foaled in England on 5 April 2015.  He was most likely born at their Darley Stud in Newmarket, Suffolk.  His dam is the American import Waitress and he was sired by Irish stallion Teofilo, who stands at Darley Stud in County Kildare, Ireland.

As a colt, he raced twice over the winter of his two-year-old season, winning both races at Wolverhampton.  He was then spelled for 19 weeks during which time the colt was gelded.  He returned to racing that (European) Summer and placed second at Sandown, Surrey and then fourth in the King George V Stakes at Ascot, his first handicap race.  He followed this up by winning the 2018 Woodford Reserve Handicap at Ascot and then the 2018 Qatar Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.  He raced one more time, finishing second in the Voltigeur Stakes at York, before entering quarantine to race in Australia.

He would race just once in Australia that year, in the 2018 Melbourne Cup.  In Europe he was still considered a three-year-old but he would be classified as a four-year-old.  He was weighted with just 51 kilos and would be ridden by regular rider for Godolphin, jockey Kerrin McEvoy.  To that point, McEvoy had already tasted Melbourne Cup victory twice.  The first was at 20 years-old when he rode Brew to victory in 2000, followed by another in 2016 on board Almandin.

They jumped from Barrier 19 and settled at the rear of the field. They were lucky to escape harm as The Cliffsofmoher pulled up lame** just after the first passing of the finish line.  They stuck to the rear of the field, dipping to second-last along the river side and barely pushing forward for much of the race.  They started to make their move on the final turn and with 300 metres remaining were still behind at least half of the field.  As the front-runners started to tire on the final straight, Cross Counter picked up his pace, joining the front third of the field at the 200-metre mark.  With 100 metres left to race, they took second place and then took the lead with 50 metres to spare.  They won the race by a length ahead of Marmelo in second and Prince of Arran in third place three lengths behind.

Cross Counter’s 2018 win marked the first Melbourne Cup victory for Godolphin in 20 years of trying.  It was also the first Melbourne Cup win for an English trainer.  After a long draught of 25 years spent trying, British trainers took first, second and third in that race.

The following March, Cross Counter headed to Dubai, the home of his owner’s headquarters.  On 30 March 2019, Cross Counter won the 2-mile Dubai Gold Cup.  He was back in Europe for their summer of 2019 where he finished fourth the Gold Cup at Ascot and third in the Qatar Goodwood Cup Stakes at Goodwood.  Then followed a fourth place in the Irish St Ledger at Curragh (sponsored by Comer Group, the folks who now own 2012 Melbourne Cup winner, Green Moon).

In just his second race on Australian turf, Cross Counter finished 8th in the 2019 Melbourne Cup, but only 2 lengths behind the winner, although this time weighted with 57.5 kilos and carrying Godolphin jockey William Buick.

From Melbourne, Cross Counter travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where he finished fifth in the Longines Turf Handicap in February this year.  Then it was back to England, where this year, he took third place in the Gold Cup at Ascot on 18 June 2020.   

As of June 2020, Charlie Appleby had hopes to bring him back to Melbourne for 2020 Melbourne Cup.  However, Cross Counter was not one of the 29 international horses who arrived from Europe at Werribee’s International Horse Centre on October 3rd, nor is he listed among the 94 first acceptances to this year’s Melbourne Cup.

As far as we can tell, Cross Counter is still racing and thus far his record stands at 6 wins, 2 second places and one third place from 16 starts and over six million dollars in prize money.  His most recent race was the 2-mile Group 3 Coral Henry II Stakes at Sandown in Surrey, England on 5 July 2020.  He finished third in that race; the winner was Dashing Willoughby.

Dashing Willoughby is one of the 29 international horses to have entered quarantine at Werribee this week and is on the list of first acceptances for the 2020 Melbourne Cup.  Dashing Willoughby will remain in the Antipodes post-Carnival, as he has recently been purchased by Sir Owen Glenn’s New Zealand-based Go Bloodstock.

Red Cadeaux

Melbourne Cup entrant in 5 races spanning 2011-2015.  Trained throughout his career by Ed Dunlop.  Ridden by Michael Rodd in 2011 and 2012 and by Gerald Mosse in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Our final horse is not one who is honoured with his racing colours on display in the Betting Ring at Flemington.  That would be because he has never won the Melbourne Cup.  However, he is the only internationally trained horse to have travelled to Australia for five Melbourne Cup races.  He is also the only horse to have placed second on three occasions.  Red Cadeaux entered a total of 5 Melbourne Cup races over consecutive years from 2011 to 2015. 

Red Cadeaux was foaled in Great Britain on 6 March 2006 by Artisia and was sired by Cadeaux Genereux.  He first raced as a colt in 2009, winning or placing in four of his first seven starts.  He was then gelded and spelled over the British winter of 2009/2010.

Affectionately known as Big Red and trained throughout his career by Ed Dunlop out of Newmarket, England, Red Cadeaux raced 54 times in eight different countries; Australia, Japan, Great Britain, Ireland, Singapore, Hong Kong, France and Dubai.  His seven career wins include the 2011 Curragh Cup over 2800 metres in Ireland, the 2800 metre Yorkshire Cup in 2012 and the 2012 Hong Kong Vase over 2400 metres which was his only Group 1 win. 

His finish in the 2011 Melbourne Cup was the unluckiest of the second placings.  The official records state that Dunaden won by a nose but a closer look at the photo finish and the gap is actually little more than a quarter nostril!  In another split second, Red Cadeau might have won that race.  In 2012 he finished in eighth place.  In 2013 he finished three-quarters of a length behind Fiorente and followed that by finishing 4 lengths behind Protectionist for second place in 2014.

Big Red placed second on thirteen occasions, some of those in some very big races.  In addition to the Melbourne Cup second places, he also took second in the 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick, the Coronation Cup at Epsom in 2012 and 2013 Dubai World Cup.

Red Cadeaux was purchased for Hong Kong businessman, Sir Ronald Arculli (a former chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club) for the bargain price of 55,000 guineas (around £110,000).  When he was retired in 2015, he was the highest earning horse in British history, having earned just shy of five million pounds and having won only 7 races with 20 placed from 54 starts. 

A favourite at the International Equine quarantine centre at Werribee, Red Cadeaux Barn was named in his honour in 2014.

Red Cadeaux’ last race turned out to be the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday 3 November 2015.  Having run a good race, he and jockey Gerald Mosse found a good position on the inside rail as they entered the final straight.  However, 150 metres from the finish line they pulled up short and did not cross the finish line; brave Big Red, at the age of 9, pulled up lame.  As his jockey fled to the jockey’s rooms in floods of tears, Red was rushed to the University of Melbourne Equine Centre at Werribee.  

Scans showed that he had fractured the medial sesamoid in his front left fetlock.  His leg was put in a splint and equine veterinary experts around the world were consulted before he underwent surgery to repair the fracture.  On 5 November 2015 it was reported that the surgery conducted the night before had been a success and the gelding was standing in his stall and was eating – all good signs of recovery. 

He was retired from racing and on November 9 is was announced that arrangements were being made for him to join the boys at Living Legends as soon as he was healed enough to be transported.   Sadly, complications arose post-surgery which resulted in an irreversible loss of blood flow to his left hoof.  In his best interests, the decision was made to euthanise the popular chestnut and he was put to rest on Saturday 21 November 2015.  His remains were cremated and then buried, at his owner’s request, at his favourite racetrack, Flemington.  As such, he is still remembered by all who visit the race-day stables and pre-parade ring at Flemington Racecourse.

Unveiled on 20 February 2016 is Red Cadeaux’ final resting place at Flemington.

*The Caulfield Cup winning favourite, the Japanese-trained Admire Ratki, who had finished in last place when his jockey pulled him up on the straight, had collapsed and died in his stall post-race.  It was later discovered that he had suffered a cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation (an abnormal heartbeat).  Another horse, the seventh-placed Araldo, was being rushed to the equine hospital at Werribee with a shattered hind leg bone.  He had been spooked by a member of the crowd waving a flag in his face and had kicked one of the fence posts in his panic.  Sadly, a shattered bone in a horse’s leg is irreparable and Araldo was euthanised to spare him from any further pain.

**The CliffsofMoher fractured his shoulder at around 600 metres into the race, just before the first turn.  His jockey, Englishman Ryan Moore, pulled the horse up to stop his race.  Unfortunately, the colt could not be saved and he was later euthanised.

The Champions of Flemington Racecourse Part 7 – 2000’s

Adorning a wall of the Betting Ring at Flemington Racecourse are the racing colours of a select few Melbourne Cup winning horses.  With 159 Melbourne Cup races run so far, there are 153 horses that have stopped our two nations on the first Tuesday in November.  The 28 horses featured on the wall here each have unique attributes, their reason for being featured.  We’re delving a bit deeper to provide the information for those who are interested in learning more about these horses and what makes them worthy of being remembered in this way.  Our descriptions will follow the order of appearance from left to right, which also coincides with the chronological order in which each horse won their Melbourne Cup/s.

Makybe Diva

Winner of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Melbourne Cups. Trained in 2003 by David Hall and in 2004 and 2005 by Lee Freedman. Ridden by Glen Boss on all 3 occasions.

Makybe Diva was sired in Ireland by the Irish champion Desert King.  She was foaled at Britton House Stud, Hewingbere Farm, North Perrot in Somerset, England on 21 March 1999.  Her dam was an American-bred mare named Tugela, who raced in England.

Makybe Diva is a Bay mare and is owned by Tony Šantić, who is arguably Australia’s most successful Tuna fisherman.  Šantić was born in Croatia but he has long called Port Lincoln, South Australia home and is the CEO of Tony’s Tuna International.  He took the first two letters of the first names of the 5 women who worked in his office:  Maureen, Kylie, Belinda, Diane and Vanessa to come up with Makybe Diva.  Šantić had bought Tugela already in foal and tried to sell the filly in England but the reserve price was not reached.  Thus, Makybe Diva travelled to Australia with her mother in August 2000.  She was sent to the training stables at Flemington and the care of trainer David Hall.

Under David Hall, Makybe Diva’s first and only race as a three-year-old was on 29 July 2002 where she placed fourth of 11 over 1200 metres at Benalla, Victoria.  Having been born in the Northern Hemisphere, she would race in an age bracket that was technically six months older than herself.  Her 4-year-old season commenced from her next race on 13 August 2002 but she wouldn’t officially turn 4 until the following March.  That said, she won all of her next six starts including the 2000 metre Werribee Cup at Werribee and the 2500 metre VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington.  She finished the season with 3 races unplaced.

The following season, commencing in Spring 2003, saw her race 10 times for 2 wins and 3 third places.  She finished unplaced in 5 including fourth place in the 2003 Caulfield Cup when she was ridden by Glen Boss for the first time.  But oh, those two wins! 

On Tuesday 4 November 2003, from 18th place with 600 metres to go, Makybe Diva won by over a length and in front of the largest ever crowd to attend the Melbourne Cup at 122,533 people.  This record will never be beaten as a capacity limit was put in place in 2007, the maximum crowd size is now 120,000.  At 7-1 odds and carrying 51 kilos, she became the thirteenth mare to win a Melbourne Cup and is still the most recent mare to win it.

Her second win of the 2003/04 season came the following Autumn, when she won the Sydney Cup at Randwick on 17 April 2004.  She became the fourth horse (and the only mare) to win both the Melbourne and Sydney Cups in the same season; following Lord Cardigan (1903/04), Straight Draw (1957/58) and Galilee (1966/67).  She was named Australian Champion Stayer 2003/04.  Following her Sydney Cup win, David Hall left Australia to train in Hong Kong, where he still trains.  Her owner then placed her in the care of Lee Freedman at his Markdel property at Fingal on the Mornington Peninsula (which is now St Andrews Beach Brewery).

Her first four starts in the 2004/05 season saw her unplaced twice and second placed in the Feehan Stakes at Moonee Valley and the Caulfield Cup.  Her next (and fifth) race fell on Tuesday, 3 November 2004.  She went out carrying 55.5 kilos and as the 5-2 favourite in a star-studded field.  She did not disappoint in her second run of the Melbourne Cup.  Looking over her shoulder as she took the lead with 200 metres to go, she continued to look sideways to ensure she’d keep her lead.  Once sure she won’t be beaten, she gives a swish of her tail then puts her head down to win by a length and a quarter ahead of Vinnie Roe and Zazzman.  She made history by becoming the fifth horse and the only mare to win a second Melbourne Cup, the fourth to win back-to-back and she is still the most recent dual winner.  Later that season she also won the Australian Cup at Flemington and the BMW Stakes at Rosehill before boarding a flight to Japan when she raced twice unplaced.  At the end of the 2004/05 season she was named Australian Racehorse of the Year, Australian Champion Filly/Mare and Australian Champion Stayer.

In August 2006, Flemington Racecourse honoured the champion mare with this life-size statue by British sculptor and former jockey, Philip Blacker, one of his many horse sculptures worldwide which includes Red Rum, Desert Orchid and Northern Dancer.

Her 7-year-old season was short but successful, winning four of her five starts that Spring and finishing second in the other.  In the August of 2005, she won the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield and finished second in the Feehan Stakes at Moonee Valley in September.  October saw her win the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington followed by a comfortable win in the WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.  She became the fifth horse to win the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in the same year.

In the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, 1 November 2005, she again started as 7-2 favourite, this time carrying 58 kilos.  Despite the late surge from On a Jeune, the son of 1994 winner Jeune, who didn’t catch up in time and finished second a length and a quarter behind.  Makybe Diva took the lead with 250 metres to go and didn’t look back and re-wrote the history books as the only horse to win a third Melbourne Cup. 

In the winner’s circle after the race, her trainer said “I don’t want to run Phar Lap down but I never saw Phar Lap win three Cups” and also “Go find the smallest child on this course, and there will be the only example of a person who will live long enough to see that again”.  I’m not so sure about that, it is hard enough to win two Melbourne Cups let alone three.  Her record three wins may well stand forevermore.  The Cups King, Bart Cummings, said “Well, you can’t do better than that”.  Her owner compared her to Muhammad Ali.

That was the last time she raced; she retired a champion that very afternoon.  Despite not racing for the rest of the 2005/06 season, she was named Australian Racehorse of the Year, Australian Champion Stayer (her third successive) and Australian Middle-Distance Champion.  She was also inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2006 (and elevated to legend status in 2010).

Her career stands at 15 wins from 36 starts with 4 second and 3 third places.  To this day, she still holds the record for the fastest 2000 metres at Flemington.  And she is still the third highest money earner in Australia and New Zealand, after Winx and Redzel. 

Upon her retirement she was put to breeding.  Her first foal was Rockstardom who was born 17 August 2007.  Since then she has foaled 6 more; La Dolce Diva in 2008, Coaster in 2009, Taqneen in 2011, Surrey in 2012, Divanation in 2015 and Sublime Diva in 2016.

In addition to the statue at Flemington, Makybe Diva is also remembered with this statue in her owners’ home town of Port Lincoln, South Australia.

Delta Blues

Winner of the 2006 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Katsuhiko Sumii. Ridden by Yasunari Iwata.

Delta Blues was a Bay gelding, born on 3 May 2001 at Northern Farm in Tomakomai City, Hokkaido, Japan.  His sire was Japanese stallion Dance in the Dark who had five wins and three placings from 8 starts.  His dam was an imported American mare called Dixie Splash who raced in the USA for six wins and seven placings from 17 starts.

Along with stablemate Pop Rock (also born at Northern Farm), Delta Blues was brought to Australia by trainer, Katsuhiko Sumii, for the sole purpose of competing in the 2006 Caulfield and Melbourne Cup races.  Both horses had been racing in Japan, with mixed success, since 2003.

Pop Rock was given 53 kilos to carry in the Caulfield Cup and started at 12-1 odds.  Delta Blues was given 56 kilos to carry and odds of 80-1, perhaps because in the lead-up, the stable spokesperson described him as ‘lazy’.  From the gate Delta Blues settled deep in the middle with Pop Rock trailing behind.  The field widened a little on the final turn as horses searched for the best place to make their run.  It was very close for the final 50 metres including at the finish line.  The David Hayes trained Tawqueet won by a long neck over Gai Waterhouse’s Aqua D’Amore.  A short neck behind Aqua D’Amore came Delta Blues in third.  His stablemate finished 7th.

Neither Japanese horse was given a weight increase for the Melbourne Cup, but Caulfield Cup winner Tawqueet was given an extra 2 kilos to carry, going from 53.5 at Caulfield to 55.5.  Despite all this, Poprock and Tawqueet were joint equal favourites for the Melbourne Cup.  Delta Blues started at 16-1 and still carried more than either of them.  This might be in part due to Pop Rock carrying Damien Oliver into the race and Delta Blues’s jockey, Yasunari Iwata, was on his first ever visit to Australia and had never ridden at Flemington before. 

At 3pm on Tuesday 7 November 2006, the barriers opened triggering the start of the Melbourne Cup race.  The two Japanese horses started side-by-side in barriers 10 and 11.  Pop Rock and Damien Oliver settled into the middle of the field.  Some might say the Japanese jockey’s inexperience was showing by letting his horse take the lead from the start, but Jim Cassidy and Might and Power proved in 1997 that a horse can win from start to finish.  At no point throughout the 3200 metres did Delta Blues dip further back than third place.  As they turned onto the straight with 400 metres to go, the bay stallion took the lead with his stable mate gaining places not far behind.  With two hundred metres to go, Delta Blues is half a length in front and Pop Rock has taken second place and is closing the distance on Delta Blues.  100 metres to go and the gap is only half a length.  But Delta Blues held on to defeat his stablemate by a half head.  So rapid was their run home that the pair finished four and a half lengths in front of the third placed Maybe Better.  Oliver is so impressed with the ride he reached over and slapped Iwata with a high-five.  The pair had dominated the finish and Japan celebrated wildly.  On entering the Winner’s Circle, Iwata was so excited he struggled with the language barrier for a while before finally shouting gleefully “Very happy, very happy.  My biggest winner ever!”.

Not only had a Japanese, bred and trained, horse won the Melbourne Cup for the first time, but they’d taken first AND second.  This was the ninth trainer quinella in the history of the race and is the most recent.  Delta Blues is the first Japanese winner and the third internationally trained winner of the Melbourne Cup, after Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002).

Delta Blues raced 11 more times after his visit to Melbourne, but was unplaced in each.  He was retired in 2009, having achieved 6 wins and 5 places from 32 starts, and returned to his place of birth at Northern Horse Park.  There he joined other retired Japanese horses in training new riders.  Northern Horse Park is open to the public and while you can’t access the stud, the park has many opportunities to meet, pat and even ride horses.  You can visit with Delta Blues by appointment.   

There has been at least one Japanese trained horse in 5 of the last 6 Melbourne Cups.  At this rate, it is very likely they’ll win another soon – and then maybe it will become the race that stops 3 nations!  With very few staying races held in Japan over their Autumn (our Spring), many Japanese race fans already stop to watch, especially when one of their own is racing.

Viewed

Winner of the 2008 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Bart Cummings. Ridden by Blake Shinn.

After retiring from full-time employment, a private breeder named Ian Johnson established a farm on the Hawksbury River on which to keep a few mares for breeding.  Located at Gunderman, he named the property Finch’s Crossing and purchased a New Zealand mare from the ‘Heights’ line of mares, named Lover’s Knot.  He sent her to the Irish sire Scenic, who lived in Western Australia but visited Victoria for a season.  On the 4th of October, 2003 she foaled a Bay colt who was named Viewed.  Johnson contacted the bloodstock manager Duncan Ramage to take a look at the colt, Ramage purchased the colt for Data Tan Chin Nam. 

His new owner sent the colt to his long-time friend and successful trainer, Bart Cummings.  Under Cummings’ meticulous planning Viewed came along nicely and commenced racing as a three-year-old in the 2006/07 season.  He won three of his first 12 races and finished second in a further three, all of which took place in Sydney.

During his four-year-old season he travelled around Australia’s East coast a little more, winning twice at Rosehill and once at Randwick before heading up to Brisbane.  He finished sixth in the Doomben Cup at Doomben then three weeks later won the 2008 Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm, next stop Melbourne in three months’ time.

Viewed caught a virus in the early spring of 2008 and missed a week of training.  He was also having trouble with a hoof injury at the time.  He was an excessive puller, which concerned his jockeys, but this habit was cured during trackwork by using a string across his nose which would connect to the bit; when he pulled, the string would put pressure on his nose and he soon stopped pulling.

That September, Viewed finished eighth in the 1400m HKJC Stakes at Flemington and seventh in the 1800m Caulfield Stakes two weeks later.  One month later he finished tenth in the Caulfield Cup.  Two weeks later, at the Melbourne Cup Carnival, he finished last in the Mackinnon Stakes on Derby Day.

By Tuesday, 4 November 2008 his odds of winning the Melbourne Cup were 41-1.  He was ridden by Blake Shinn, who is descended from trotting (harness racing) trainers.  Shinn had only ridden Viewed once before, in the Caulfield Cup, 17 days earlier.

Once the barriers had opened, Viewed and Blake settled in near the front, waiting for the final turn.  On the turn they pushed forward and took the lead at around the 300-metre mark.  The English horse, Bauer, also broke free and came up hard only half a length behind Viewed at the 100-metre mark.  For the entire final 20-30 metres the pair were neck and neck, the exact same as when they crossed the finish line.  The photo finish revealed that Viewed hit the finish line a nostril in front of Bauer and Viewed was declared the winner.

Viewed provided a 12th Melbourne Cup trophy and 250th Group 1 win for his trainer, a fourth Melbourne Cup trophy for his owner and the first for his jockey.  With this win, his owner topped the owners Melbourne Cup winners list, which would stand until Almandin won a fifth for Lloyd Williams in 2016.

Viewed ran four more times in Sydney in the Autumn, for two placings.  He returned to Melbourne in the Spring of 2009 and ran three times unplaced; in the Memsie Stakes and Underwood Stakes at Caulfield and the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.  His next run was the Caulfield Cup where he was given the top weight of 57 kilos.  On this occasion he was ridden by Brad Rawiller, who kept Viewed toward the back of the field for much of the race, moving him up to sixth for the final turn.  When the horse in front moved away from the railings, they took their opportunity and surged forward to take the lead and won the race by 2 and a half lengths. 

This was the first time the top weighted horse would win the Caulfield Cup.  It was also his trainers seventh Caulfield Cup victory and the first from two attempts by his jockey.

Two weeks later he finished third in the Mackinnon Stakes on Derby Day.  Three days after that, penalised for his Caulfield Cup win with the top weight of 58 kilos, he finished 7th in the 2009 Melbourne Cup – denying his trainer a baker’s dozen.

He raced twice more the following February, unplaced in each.  After 9 wins and 6 placings from 32 starts thus far, he was sent for a spell to his owner’s Think Big Stud near Bowral, New South Wales.  It was while resting there that he suffered with a twisted bowel (aka colic) and became gravely ill.  The most humane solution to his suffering was euthanasia and he passed that day, 18 April 2010.  He was six months shy of his seventh birthday.  In the words of his trainer “we hadn’t seen the best of him yet”. 

Shocking

Winner of the 2009 Melbourne. Trained by Mark Kavanagh. Ridden by Corey Brown.

Shocking is a dark brown stallion who was born at Ilala Stud in Scone, New South Wales on 23 September 2005.  He was sired by the Irish-bred stallion Street Cry which makes Shocking the older, half-brother of the champion mare Winx.  His dam was a British bred mare named Maria Di Castiglia.

He was purchased at the Gold Coast’s Magic Millions Yearling sale for $45,000 by horse broker, Kevin Thomas, who broke the colt in.  Thomas then sold the colt to Laurence and Prue Eales of Eales Racing for $64,000.  They also owned his half-brother Whobegotyou, who was also sired by Street Cry.  Both colts were sent to Mark Kavanaghs stables at Flemington for training.

Shocking’s first race came at the end of his two-year-old season, at Ballarat on 3 May 2008, where he finished 5th of 12 runners.  He raced 7 times as a three-year-old the following season, winning 3 and placing in the other four.  The first six of those races were in Victoria, at Sale, Bendigo, Ballarat, Caulfield and Flemington.  The seventh race was the Group 1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm, in which he placed second.

His four-year-old season began unplaced at Caulfield and Moonee Valley.  Then followed third place in the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley and second place in the Herbert Power Stakes and David Jones Cup, both at Caulfield.  Then followed a win in the Group 3 Lexus Hotham Stakes on Derby Day, 31 October 2009.  Winning this race qualified him for the Melbourne Cup three days later.

In just his fifteenth start, Shocking entered the Melbourne Cup with the weight of 51 kilos, with 16 of the 23 runners carrying 53 kilos or less.  Top weight went to the previous year’s winner (and second favourite for this race), Viewed, who carried 2.5 kilos more than anyone else at 58 kilos, the next closest carried 55.5.

Shocking was ridden by Corey Brown, in his ninth run of the Melbourne Cup without victory, but having lost by a nose the year prior.  The pair jumped from gate 21 and also wore the number 21.  They settled 3-wide from the rails and spent much of the race in that position, which meant they had to cover more ground than those on the inside.  The horses that usually run so wide, run out of steam by the time the reach the straight for the final 500 metres.  Not so for Shocking, who amazed everyone when he picked up the pace on the straight and defeated Crime Scene by a length at the finish line.  A Shocking win in more ways than one!

After the race his trainer, Mark Kavanagh, was quoted “This is a dream I don’t wanna wake up from.  I’ve wanted to win this race since I was six years old”.  Seems the jockey had the same feeling “I’m so happy.  This is obviously the race that stops a nation, it’s every jockey’s dream and my dream has just come true – I can’t believe it.”

Shocking raced, unplaced, twice more the following February and then spelled for six months.  Despite the spell, he was named Australian Champion Stayer for the season, 2009/2010.

He raced 10 more times the following season (2010/2011) as a 5-year-old and won the Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes (formerly the Craiglee Stakes).  He ran in the 2010 Melbourne Cup but finished 18th but he did take 2nd place in the Turnbull Stakes on 3rd October at Flemington.  He was unplaced in all but one of the other races.  Once again ridden by Corey Brown, on 12 March 2011, Shocking won the Australian Cup.  This was the first time his trainer had entered a horse in that race.  It was to be Shocking’s last ever race as two months later it was announced that he was to be retired.  He won nearly five million dollars with 7 wins and 8 placings from 27 starts.

On 18 June 2011, he travelled to Richmond Downs in New Zealand where he still stands at Rich Hill Stud.  His starting fee was NZ$12,000 which was very cheap considering his sire, Street Cry, was standing for $100,000 at the time.  These days Shocking stands for NZ$8,000 plus GST and he has already sired 8 Group 1 winners.  His progeny includes Fanatic, Chocante, Camino Rocoso and the taker of fifth place in the 2019 Melbourne Cup, Surprise Baby who is expected to return in 2020 (we will know for certain on 31 October 2020).

Americain

Winner of the 2010 Melbourne. Trained by Alain De Royer-Dupre. Ridden by Gerard Mosse.

Americain is a dark brown stallion who was foaled by Irish mare America and sired by American stallion Dynaformer and is the nephew of 1986 Cup winner, At Talaq.  He was born at Wertheimer et Frere in Kentucky, USA on 22 April, 2005.  Wertheimer et Frere is owned by Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, who inherited a love of horseracing from their father and grandfather.  They also inherited the original racing stable in France of the same name which was established by their grandparents, Pierre and Germaine Wertheimer.  From their father, Jacques, they inherited House of Chanel, established by Coco Chanel and revived by investment from Jacques.

Americain might be the best-travelled horse to have won a Melbourne Cup, having raced all over France as well as in Kentucky, New York (city and state), Florida, Hong Kong, Geelong, Melbourne and Sydney.  In February 2010, the Wertheimer’s sold the stallion for $225,000 to Melburnians Gerry Ryan (founder and owner of Jayco Australia) and Kevin and Colleen Bamford (founders and owners of Label Makers), who dreamed of owning a Melbourne Cup winner.  After the change of ownership and trainer (from American Todd Pletcher to Frenchman Alain de Royer-Dupre), Americain won three of four races in France before his trip to Australia for the Melbourne Cup. 

His first race in Australia was the Geelong Cup on 20 October 2010.  The Geelong Cup is a Group 3 handicap with no age, gender or class restrictions.  The winner is guaranteed a start in the Melbourne Cup, making it an ideal entry race for the international horses wanting a barrier for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup and don’t fancy their luck with the Caulfield Cup ballot.  Carrying the top weight of 58 kilos, Americain won the Geelong Cup by a head and became the first top-weighted horse to win the Geelong Cup since Craftsman in 1965.  Only three horses have won the Geelong Cup and then followed it up with the Melbourne Cup win and each of them were internationals: Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011).

On Melbourne Cup Day, 2 November 2010 Americain carried 54.5 kilos, a lighter load than in the Geelong Cup, and started at 13-1 odds.  The favourites were Bart Cummings’ dual Cox Plate winning So You Think (3-1), Lexus Stakes winner Maluckyday (9-1) and the 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking (12-1), followed by Americain. It rained that Cup Day resulting in a slow track, the field knitted close the entire way around the racetrack until they reached the straight.  So You Think made a move on the outside and looked like he might take the win, but Americain caught him up with 200 metres to go and then accelerated.  With 50 metres to go, he was clear and gaining ground.  About one metre before the finish line, and safely clear by two and three-quarter lengths, Americain stepped off the gas pedal and his jockey Gerald Mosse blew a kiss to the crowd.

They had just won the 150th Melbourne Cup and Americain was the first French trained horse to win it.  De Royer-Dupre became the first French trainer to win (on his first attempt!) and the same for French jockey Gerald Mosse.  Another French-trained combination would follow in their footsteps the very next year, Dunaden.

Five and a half weeks later, they raced in the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin on 12 December 2010 and finished third.  Then it was back to France for their Spring/Summer (our Autumn/Winter) where Americain and Mosse took one win from four races.  They were back in Melbourne for the 2011 Spring Racing Carnival and took first place in the Gold Cup at Moonee Valley on 22 October 2011 before returning to Flemington to defend their title.  The 2010 win earned Americain the top weight of 58 kilos and he started as 5-1 favourite.  This time around they settled on the outside at the rear of the field, making their run on the final turn but they had to swing out so much wider to get around all the other horses.  They covered so much extra ground in this race that they struggled to catch up.  The race ended as one of the closest finishes in the races history with photos to decide between 1st and 2nd and also between 3rd and 4th.  Despite a heroic effort on the straight, Americain was beaten into fourth place by half a nose.  First place was taken by Dunaden, who was trained by de Royer-Dupre’s former student, Mikel Delzangles.

Eleven days after the 2011 Melbourne Cup, Americain won the Zipping Classic in its first year with that title after the name change from Sandown Classic (the race was originally the Williamstown Cup, until 1963). 

Over the summer of 2011/2012 his owners sent Americain to Euroa to be trained by David Hayes.  He raced three times in the Autumn for one third and one second place.  His owners realised their error and sent him back to de Royer-Dupre.  He raced once more in France and finished sixth.  He returned to Melbourne and finished fourth in the 2012 Caulfield Cup followed by the Melbourne Cup where he finished eleventh.

Americain was retired to stud after that last run in the Melbourne Cup; with 11 wins and 8 places from 34 starts.  He was initially sent to Swettenham Stud in Nagambie, Victoria but shuttled between there and Calument Farm in Kentucky, USA. 

His first foal was a filly born at Swettenham on 7 August 2014, along with her Melbourne Cup winning father, she is also the niece of Sandown Classic champion, Zipping, but I can find no evidence that she ever raced or even what she was named.   

In 2019, Americain moved permanently to the Bamford’s stud at Doreen, Victoria, known as Daisy Hill Stud, where he currently stands for $6,600.  Some of his more notable progeny includes Benitoite, Causeforcommotion, Costello, Eperdument, Folk Magic and Violet Blue.

THE NOTABLE EXCLUSION

Ethereal

In 2001, the bay New Zealand-bred mare Ethereal achieved the first Cups double for a female trainer.  She was trained by Sheila Laxon and ridden by Scott Seamer on both occasions and became the 11th horse to win the Cups double.  She is only the third mare to achieve wins in both races and is also the most recent Cups Double winner. 

Sheila Laxon became the first female trainer to win the Melbourne Cup since Mrs Hedwig (Granny) McDonald with Catalogue in 1938.  However, Mrs McDonald does not appear in the official record books because female trainers were not allowed a license at that time.  Instead, the record books show her husband, Mr Allen McDonald, as the trainer of Catalogue.

The Champions of Flemington Racecourse Part 6 – 1990’s

Adorning a wall of the Betting Ring at Flemington Racecourse are the racing colours of a select few Melbourne Cup winning horses.  With 159 Melbourne Cup races run so far, there are 153 horses that have stopped our two nations on the first Tuesday in November.  The 28 horses featured on the wall here each have unique attributes, their reason for being featured.  We’re delving a bit deeper to provide the information for those who are interested in learning more about these horses and what makes them worthy of being remembered in this way.  Our descriptions follow the order of appearance from left to right, which also coincides with the chronological order in which each horse won their Melbourne Cup/s.

Let’s Elope

Winner of the 1991 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Bart Cummings. Ridden by Steven King.

Let’s Elope was a chestnut mare bred at Highview Stud in Hamilton, New Zealand and born on 20 November 1987.  Her dam was New Zealand mare Sharon Jane and she was sired by American stallion Nassipour.

Initially trained and raced in New Zealand, she won two of her first six races in Zealand as a 3-year-old.  Her ownership changed hands, which saw her moved to Australia in the winter of 1991.  Under the care of her new trainer, Bart Cummings, she flourished.     

Starting with the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on 5 October 1991, she went on a 7-race winning streak, culminating in the Australian Cup at Flemington on 9 March 1992.  Among the 7 winning races were the Caulfield Cup at Caulfield, Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington, C F Orr Stakes at Sandown, St George Stakes at Caulfield and of course the 1991 Melbourne Cup at Flemington, she was the 8th horse to win the Cups double.  Let’s Elope was also the first mare in over 50 years to win the Cups double since Rivette in 1939.  Despite a fetlock injury cutting short her Autumn 1992 campaign, she was deservedly named Australian Horse of the Year for the 1991/92 Season.

Ellis, R. (1991). "Let's Elope" Runs Away to Win the Melbourne Cup. City in Background. [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

In a Melbourne Cup field exuding talent, Let’s Elope started in the 1991 Melbourne Cup with the light weight of 51 kilos on board and the 3-1 favourite, a tribute to her exceptional wins in the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup the month prior and her performance winning the Mackinnon Stakes on Derby Day three days earlier.  Her jockey for all three wins was Stephen King, who on Tuesday 5 November, 1991 turned 22 years old.  He celebrated by riding his new favourite mare in the Melbourne Cup.  True to form for all Bart Cummings horses, the pair kept quiet in the back half of the field for much of the race, making their run when the frontrunners start to tire as they round that final bend and head for home on the straight. 

Let’s Elope, looking like she’s running downhill such was her frantic-looking gallop, breaks free of a fray which saw one horse nearly lose his rider and many others lose stride, to storm down the straight and win.  She defeated her stablemate and half-brother, Shiva’s Revenge, by two and a half lengths but together they provided Bart Cummings with his fifth quinella and his ninth Melbourne Cup win.  The stallion Nassipour also achieved the quinella in this race as he had sired both the 1st and 2nd place getters.

Ellis, R. (1991). Let's Elope Wins the 1991 Melbourne Cup [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

For the first time that century a protest was raised after the Melbourne Cup, by Shiva’s Revenge jockey Shane Dye.  After deliberation, the stewards dismissed the protest and Let’s Elope was formally declared the winner.

Ellis, R. (1991). [Let's Elope and Jockey Steven King] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

After recovering from the aforementioned fetlock injury, Let’s Elope returned to racing the following two seasons but never entered a second Melbourne Cup.  She raced on 10 occasions after her return, including the Japan Cup where she placed 7th and also in the USA.  When she retired from racing in 1993, her record showed 26 starts for 11 wins and 5 third placings with 10 races unplaced.

She was retired to stud, initially in the USA.  She then returned to Australia, foaling a few winners, namely 2014 Adelaide Cup winner, Outback Joe and also Ustinov.  After her last foal was weaned, she spent the remainder of her years as a nanny, first at Seven Creeks Stud in Euroa, Victoria and then at Lauriston Park stud, also in Euroa.

It was at Lauriston Park that Let’s Elope died in her sleep under a gum tree in her favourite paddock, on 11 September, 2016, just two months shy of her 29th birthday.  *We have been unable to confirm where she is buried, we can only hope it’s somewhere pleasant.

Jeune

Winner of the 1994 Melbourne Cup. Trained by David Hayes. Ridden by Wayne Harris.

Jeune was a chestnut stallion born in Great Britain on 29 March 1989.  He was bred by Sir Robert McAlpine from the Irish stallion Kalaglow.  He is most likely named after his dam as he was foaled by French mare Youthful; Jeune is the French word for young.

Jeune had a relatively successful start to racing in Great Britain, winning 5 races from 17 starts in two years.  He moved to Australia near the end of his 4-year-old season in Great Britain.  He initially trained in Australia under the late Colin Hayes and then his son David.  His best season was the 1994-1995 as a 6-year-old when he won 4 races, finished 2nd in 7 and a 3rd place from 14 starts.  His success that season earned him the title ‘Australasian Horse of the Year 1994-1995 season’.

Ellis, R. (1994). [1994 Melbourne Cup Winner Jeune] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

One of those wins was, of course, the Melbourne Cup.  On Tuesday 1 November 1994, Jeune started in the Cup at 16-1 odds, which was mainly due to it being his first time racing more than 2400 metres.  Given his age, the handicappers set him the third-highest weight for that race and he carried 56.5 kilos.  The 5-1 favourite for the race was the previous year’s winner, the now 8-year-old Vintage Crop, who was laden with 60 kilos.  Jeune’s win was convincing and well-deserved.  He led by two lengths for the entire length of the straight, not tiring half-way like many do.  Those attempting a late run, such as second placed Paris Lane, failed to close the distance. 

His jockey was the 33-year-old Wayne Harris who had been pleased just to have a decent runner in the Melbourne Cup.  Harris’ career had regularly been interrupted by health struggles including a brain tumour more than 10 years prior.  Along with breaking nearly every bone in his body over the course of various racing falls, he’d also had his left index finger amputated.  The Melbourne Cup was a just reward for all the trauma that Harris endured over his career.

Ellis, R. (1994). [Jeune and Jockey Wayne Harris during the 1994 Melbourne Cup] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

Jeune was owned by Shadwell Racing which belongs to the Crown Prince of Dubai, Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.  Al Maktoum had fallen in love with horse-racing while studying in the UK and established his first stable in 1981 and now has 8 studs in both Europe and the USA.

The chestnut stallion, Jeune, was retired from racing in 1996 with 10 wins, 10 second and 7 third placings from 42 starts.  Initially, he served at his trainer’s stud, Lindsay Park, in South Australia.  In 2004 he transferred to Collingrove Stud in Nagambie, Victoria where he stood as one of the top 10 stallions in Australia, at a fee of $12,100.  It is seldom that a Melbourne Cup winning stallion is successful at stud, Jeune was a rare exception.  In just 10 years at stud he sired over 200 winners.  Some of his more notable progeny include Mummify, Alcopop, Lord’s Ransom, On A Jeune and True Steel. 

One particular foal was Jeune’s Mark, so named because the gelding greatly resembled his father.  Despite having Melbourne Cup winners on both sides of his family tree (his dam-sire was 1986 winner At Talaq), Jeune’s Mark had a relatively modest racing career with 7 wins from 27 starts, his most notable win was the 2003 Hobart Cup.  He retired to a farm in Gippsland, Victoria where he later enjoyed a brief return to fame when he saved his owner from death during the Black Saturday fires of February, 2009. 

On Wednesday, 4 January 2006, Jeune’s heart failed and he passed away at Collingrove Stud (now Swettenham Stud), aged 17.  He was buried on the property and adorning a tree is a plaque in his honour.

Photo kindly provided by Collingrove and Swettenham – thank you!

Saintly

Winner of the 1996 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Bart Cummings. Ridden by Darren Beadman.

Although he never would state a preference for any one horse over another, it is widely believed that Saintly was Bart Cummings’ favourite horse.  Having bred and trained both of his parents and then bred, raised and trained Saintly to victory, Bart would’ve been forgiven if he’d admitted to Saintly being his favourite.   

Saintly was born on the Cummings property, Princes Farm in New South Wales, on 21 September 1992.  He was foaled by All Grace and sired by Sky Chase, both of whom were foaled in New Zealand. 

He was nicknamed “the horse from heaven” partly due to his name but also because his regular jockey, Darren Beadman’ was a born-again Christian.  Beadman rode Saintly in each of his Group 1 winning races.

Saintly had all the makings of a great champion and he proved it.  From 4 starts as a two-year-old, all in NSW, he won one and placed third in another.  He would never finish unplaced again.  From 11 starts as a 3-year-old he produced 5 wins and 6 placings.  His wins that season included the 1995 Class 1 Handicap at Newcastle, the 1995 3-year-old Class 6 Handicap at Randwick, the 1995 Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington, the 1996 Expressway Stakes at Randwick and the 1996 Australian Cup at Flemington. 

The 1996-1997 season would prove to be his best and against an abundance of talent, some of his opponents being Juggler, Filante, Nothin’ Leica Dane and the sensational Octagonal.  The spring of 1996 saw Saintly finish second in the Warwick Stakes at Warwick Farm, the Chelmsford Stakes and the Craven Plate at Randwick, a third place in the Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick and a win in the Hill Stakes at Rosehill.  He visited Melbourne for the Spring Racing Carnival, entering two races and winning both.  In fact, throughout his career, he would always win when racing in Melbourne.

He became just the fourth horse after Nightmarch, Phar Lap and Rising Fast to win the WS Cox Plate/Melbourne Cup double.  On his first outing at Moonee Valley, he set a track record time when he defeated Filante by half a neck in the Cox Plate, winning in two minutes and 5.75 seconds.  When Lee Freedman, trainer of the 1995 Cup winner Doriemus and hoping to make 1996 Cup winner also, saw Saintly on the training track at Flemington prior to the Melbourne Cup, he was quoted as saying “it made me feel sick”.  No doubt it was because he’d just seen the horse that would defeat all of his hard work.  The 6-year-old Doriemus finished sixth that year, his competition was too strong. 

The entrance to Saintly Place, located beneath the general admission Hill Stand at Flemington. Formerly known as The Undercroft, the area was renamed in honour of both horse and trainer.

The morning of the 1996 Melbourne Cup, Bart Cummings and his wife Valmae checked in on their champ in his stable as they arrived at Flemington.  When they found him asleep, Bart knew his horse would be winning that day and he was right.  His relaxed stroll around the mounting yard before the big race assured the trainer further.  Despite his win in the Cox Plate, the bookmakers had concerns that he’d never run further than 2600 metres, he started at 8-1 odds.  Carrying 55.5 kilos Saintly, guided expertly by Darren Beadman, raced a classic Bart Cummings Melbourne Cup – hang back until the straight and then make your charge when the leading horses start to tire.  In doing so, they finished 2 and a quarter-lengths in front of second-placed Count Chivas and in the time of 3 minutes and 18.8 seconds.  This was Bart Cummings’ tenth Melbourne Cup win and Beadman’s second, his first was on Kingston Rule in 1990.

Saintly became the first horse to win the Australian Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in the same calendar year and joined Dulcify as the only horses to win the Australian Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same year.  Six days later, Saintly was on a flight to Tokyo, well actually three flights as no direct flights to Japan existed at that time.  Sadly, he suffered a terrible bout of travel sickness and was withdrawn from the Japan Cup the night before the race. 

He returned to Melbourne and the following February (1997) he won the CF Orr Stakes, it his first race at Caulfield… and his last.

He suffered a tendon injury not long after the Orr Stakes.  He would make improvements and resume training only to break down again.  This happened several times over the following 17 months until the decision was made to retire him completely.  He’d won ten times, finished second on 8 occasions and third three times from 23 starts with only two races unplaced in his first year of racing.  His wins the prior spring saw him, at seasons end in 1997, named Australia’s Champion Racehorse for the season 1996/97. 

Saintly on one of his visits to Living Legends, Victoria.

On his retirement in July 1998, he returned to Bart’s property, Princes Farm in New South Wales, the place of his birth and spent much of the rest of his days there.  He was a regular visitor to Living Legends when they first opened in 2006 but moved permanently to Princes Farm when Bart Cummings closed his Saintly Place stables on Leonard Crescent in Flemington in 2014.

Saintly lived to the age of 24, he passed on 16 December 2016.  Fifteen months after losing him, ‘The horse from heaven’ joined his master over the rainbow bridge.

Might and Power

Winner of the 1997 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Jack Denham. Ridden by Jim Cassidy.

Might and Power was born at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand on 6 October 1993.  He was foaled by Irish mare Benediction.  His sire was the extremely successful New Zealand stallion Zabeel, whose list of progenies is a veritable who’s-who of racing champions.  Might and Power became the first of Zabeel’s offspring to win the Melbourne Cup, he was followed by Jezabeel in 1998 and Efficient in 2007.    

Might and Power was purchased for $40,000 by Sydney fruit-and-veg seller, Nick Moriatis.  He was initially trained by Anthony Cummings but Moriatis sent the bay gelding to Jack Denham after only a few starts.

His first race was on 12 June 1996 at Canterbury racecourse in Sydney, he finished fourth of 10 over 1290 metres.  His first win came in his third race, when he defeated 11 others over 1400 metres at Randwick on 24 July 1996.  He raced 9 times in his three-year-old season, taking three wins and three second placings.

It is his four-year-old season that most folks remember and with good reason.  With one win from 4 races thus far that season, Might and Power, ridden by fellow-Kiwi Jim Cassidy, entered the Caulfield Cup field at 8-1 odds.  The favourite was the Lee Freedman trained gelding, Marble Halls, at 11-4 odds. 

Jim Cassidy enjoys a quiet visit with his former winning ride and Living Legend, Might and Power.

Saturday, 18 October 1997 Might and Power re-wrote history.  Having led the field for the entire race, Might and Power won the 1997 Caulfield Cup by a record seven and a half lengths.  He set a track record time too, 2 minutes and 26.2 seconds.  His trainer gave him a rest and chose not to enter him in the WS Cox Plate.

His next race would be his first time running further than 2400 metres and his Caulfield Cup win had awarded him an extra 3.5 kilos to carry.  Despite that, he started his next race as 7-2 favourite.  Once again, he led from start to finish, but this time he’d been challenged three times including the final few metres.  The race was the 1997 Melbourne Cup.  In the final 100 metres Doriemus made a late charge down the outside, determined not to lose to him a second time.  As they crossed the line Doriemus’ jockey, Greg Hall, felt sure that they’d won while Jim Cassidy on Might and Power felt gutted to have been beaten at the last second.  Both men were wrong, the photo of the finish showed Might and Power the victor by a short half head. 

Might and Power became the 10th horse to win the Cups Double.  He had led all the way to win both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and to this day is the only horse to have won both races in such a manner.  His efforts saw him rated as the World’s Best Stayer in 1997.  He was also named Australian Horse of the Year for his 1997/98 Season.

The following spring, he returned to Melbourne and while he did not race in either the Caulfield or Melbourne Cups, he did win the 1998 Cox Plate.  He set another track record in that race too, the time of 2 minutes and 3.54 seconds was not beaten until Winx’s first Cox Plate win in 2015.  Might and Power became only the second horse since Rising Fast in 1954 to win the Spring Grand Slam, albeit in different years.   That same season, as a five-year-old, Might and Power also won the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick over 1600m, the 2000m Caulfield Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth Handicap over 2500m at Flemington (the final win of his career).  He was again named Australian Horse of the Year for the 1998/99 Season.

He injured a tendon in 1999 and did not race for two years.  He returned in the spring of 2000 and raced twice but without success and was retired from racing late 2000, aged 7.  Initially he retired to his owners’ stud but repeatedly suffered with colic.  From 33 starts he had achieved 15 wins, 7 second places and 1 third. 

Might and Power horsing around at Living Legends.

When Living Legends was first being discussed and planned, the organisers contacted Nick Moriatis to see if Might and Power might join them.  As a result, Might and Power became one of the founding members of Living Legends along with Fields of Omagh, Doriemus and Better Loosen Up.  His next 14 years would be spent there, taking carrots from his legions of admirers at Living Legends but also at myriad events around Melbourne.  He had an active social life that was the envy of many, including myself!

He suffered a bout of colic earlier this year and surgery was unable to save him thus sadly he passed away 12 April 2020, aged 26.  Once cremated, his ashes enjoyed one final visit to each of the Spring Grand Slam venues (Caulfield, Flemington and Moonee Valley) before his last trip home to Woodlands Park where he was laid to rest alongside other racing royalty such as Better Loosen Up, Regal Roller and his old rival/mate Doriemus. 

Help Living Legends by contributing to Bob’s Rainbow HERE.

Writing objectively about a horse who has meant so much to our tours, our guests and our staff might be one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my career.  How do you give full justice to his phenomenal racing career when your more prominent memories are filled with smiling faces finally meeting a hero?  Rest in Peace champ xx

Always a favourite at Living Legends be it for his prowess and talent as a racehorse or because he was always quick to join the tour to get his carrot snacks!

THE NOTABLE EXCLUSIONS

Kingston Rule

Ellis, R. (1990). [1990 Melbourne Cup Winner Kingston Rule with Jockey Darren Beadman and Unidentified Man] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

In 1990, Kingston Rule, ridden by Darren Beadman and trained by Bart Cummings, set a new track record when he won the Melbourne Cup.  He completed his race in 3 minutes and 16.3 seconds, beating the record of 3 minutes 17.1 seconds set by Tawriffic the year prior.  Thirty years later, his record remains unbroken. 

Kingston Rule had been unimpressive prior to joining Bart Cummings’ stables.  The trainer transformed him from a delicate, skittish horse to a relaxed and confident champion.  The chestnut stallion was born in Kentucky, USA in 1986 and retired from racing in 1991, aged 5 due to damaged tendons.  He spent his retirement as a stud at Ealing Park near Euroa, Victoria and over two decades sired over 190 race winners.  He died at Ealing Park on 7 December 2011, aged 25 and was buried on the property.

Subzero

Ellis, R. (1992). Subzero - Melb. [i.e. Melbourne] Cup Winner [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. SOURCE: State Library of Victoria.

The gelding Subzero didn’t break any records when winning the 1992 Melbourne Cup, the fifth for a grey horse.  But after his retirement from racing in 1994, Subzero spent 15 years as a Clerk of Court horse at Flemington and other racecourses around Victoria.  He was ridden by Clerk Graham Salisbury, who later purchased Subzero for $1.  When they retired from their Clerking duties in 2008, the pair spent their days travelling around to visit communities, care homes and schools.

Subbie and Graham on a visit to Living Legends.

Adored by all who met either, both sadly passed away this year.  At age 76, Graham Salisbury passed on 20 June 2020 after a 14-year battle with prostate cancer.  His beloved friend Subbie attended his memorial at Bendigo Racecourse and then joined him barely two months later on 29 August 2020 and just one month shy of his 32nd birthday.  Subzero was cremated and his ashes are beautifully enshrined within the Salisbury family home.  May they both Rest in Peace, together forever.

Vintage Crop

Ellis, R. (1993). [1993 Melbourne Cup Presentation] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

In 1993, Vintage Crop became the first internationally bred and trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup.  The chestnut gelding was born in Ireland in 1987.  He was trained in Ireland by Dermott Weld and together they competed in 3 Melbourne Cups, winning the first and then placing 7th and 3rd in the subsequent years.  Incidentally, the second internationally trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup would be Media Puzzle in 2002 – who was also trained by Dermot Weld.

Over his career, Vintage Crop won 16 from 28 races and placed in a further six (3 second and 3 third).  For his owners, he earned over one million pounds and for himself, his efforts awarded him the 1993 Cartier Award for Top Stayer.  Although a gelding, he retired to the Irish National Stud in Kildare, Ireland after his 1995 Melbourne Cup run at age 9.  He received many visitors over the subsequent years and died at the stud on 14 July 2014 aged 27.  He was buried at K Club Golf Course in County Kildare, Ireland.  He is also honoured with a life-size statue overlooking The Curragh Racecourse also in County Kildare, Ireland.

The Vintage Crop Statue at Curragh Racecourse, County Kildare, Ireland.

One of the barns at the Werribee International Horse Centre quarantine facilities.

The Champions of Flemington Racecourse Part 5 – 1970s & 1980’s

Adorning a wall of the Betting Ring at Flemington Racecourse are the racing colours of a select few Melbourne Cup winning horses.  With 159 Melbourne Cup races run so far, there are 153 horses that have stopped our two nations on the first Tuesday in November.  The 28 horses featured on the wall here each have unique attributes, their reason for being featured.  We’re delving a bit deeper to provide the information for those who are interested in learning more about these horses and what makes them worthy of being remembered in this way.  Our descriptions will follow the order of appearance from left to right, which also coincides with the chronological order in which each horse won their Melbourne Cup/s.

Think Big

4th Dual Winner of the Melbourne Cup in 1974 and 1975. Trained by Bart Cummings. Ridden by Harry White.

A bay horse who was born in New Zealand in 1970.  He was purchased for $10,000 at the Trentham Yearling Sales on the impulse of Bart Cummings who “liked the look of him”.  Perhaps it was his lineage that Bart liked, Think Big was sired by Sobig and foaled by Sarcelle.  Cummings then sold a share to his new friend Dato Tan Chin Nam who “wanted to buy a horse to win the Melbourne Cup”.  This part owner would one day buy the Inverness Stud farm at Burradoo in New South Wales and re-name it in Think Big’s honour, despite Think Big being a gelding. 

The 1974 Melbourne Cup was the third time the race would be run over the metric 3200 metre rather than the imperial 2 miles*.  Think Big was set to carry 53kg and he started the race at 12-1, the fourth most popular horse in the betting ring that year.  He would be ridden by his regular rider, Harry White.  The favourite was another Bart Cummings trained horse, 4-year-old Leilani, at 7-2 odds and carrying 55.5kg, ridden by Peter Cook. 

The race began in the usual fashion, most horses settling into the race and Think Big sat at the back of the field.  With 1000m to go, Think Big was still third last.  As they entered the straight, he appeared to be stuck on the rails behind at least a dozen other horses.  White found a gap and they edged across to their right and the outside of the field.  Once clear, Think Big charged down the outside for the final 400 metres, overtaking his stablemate Leilani and beating her by a length.  On winning his fourth Melbourne Cup, Bart Cummings appeared downcast.  He, like most of the crowd, had thought Leilani would win it.  In effect, he had “beaten himself”. 

The following year, having not won a single race in between, Think Big entered the 1975 Melbourne Cup as a 5-year-old at 33-1 odds.  Based entirely on his previous Cup win, he was given the second highest weight to carry at 58.5 kilos.  The top weight (59.5kg) went to 11-2 second favourite, Fury’s Order, who finished 14th.  On a slow, wet track Think Big went back-to-back, again beating a stablemate to the finish line, this time Holiday Waggon, by ¾ length.  His jockey again was Harry White, who was so relaxed he took a nap in the medical room before the race and had to be woken.  The VRC’s medical officer who woke him misheard White’s “I’m in this” for “I’ll win this” and immediately backed Think Big.  At 33-1 odds, he wasn’t disappointed!

Photograph of trainer Bart Cummings and jockey Harry White with Think Big, c1974-75. Source: Australian Sports Museum.

Think Big won two Melbourne Cups from two attempts making him the final dual winner of the 20th century.  He was entered to race in 1976 but was scratched early on by his trainer due to lameness.  Think Big provided Bart Cummings with his fourth and fifth Melbourne Cup trophies.  He didn’t win a single race between his Melbourne Cup wins.  Nor, after the 1975 Melbourne Cup win, did he win any of his next 19 starts over the following three years.

He was retired in 1977 and gifted to his regular jockey Harry White, by the horses owners; Bart Cummings, Dato Tan Chin Nam and Rick O’Sullivan.  Harry White rode to victory in four Melbourne Cup races, Think Big providing two of those.  He won again in 1978 riding Arwon and in 1979 on Hyperno.

Think Big saw out his days on White’s farm near Gisborne, becoming a part of the family.  He died there in his sleep on 23 February 1995, aged 25 and was buried on the property under his favourite tree.  Also buried on the property is the other Bart Cummings / Harry White Melbourne Cup winner, Hyperno, who had also retired on Harry White’s farm.

* Australia adopted the metric system in the early part of the 1970’s

Beldale Ball

Winner of the 1980 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Colin Hayes. Ridden by John Letts.

Beldale Ball was born in Florida, USA in 1976.  His dam was American mare San Cat and he was sired by Nashua who won 22 races from 30 starts and was US Horse of the Year in 1955.  Beldale Ball was initially trained by Mick Jarvis at Newmarket, England and raced once in Europe.  His English owner dreamed of winning a Melbourne Cup so he was sent to the care of Colin Hayes here in Australia to prepare for the big race.

Beldale Ball was a brown stallion owned by the Swettenham Stud Syndicate which was formed in England by Robert Sangster.  At the time of winning, Sangster was married to Melbourne-girl Susan.  Mrs Sangster was the daughter of politician Sir John Rossiter and was formerly married to Andrew Peacock, she is now Lady Renouf and married to New Zealand businessman Sir Frank Renouf. Swettenham Stud still exists with bases in Wiltshire, England and Nagambie, Victoria.

The five-year-old bay stallion won the 120th Melbourne Cup which was also the 50th Anniversary of Phar Lap’s win in 1930.  In fact, Phar Lap was present at Flemington that day and had a lap of honour in his Perspex case to celebrate the anniversary.

Beldale Ball was the first Melbourne Cup winning horse to be flown to Australia from the Northern Hemisphere rather than travel by sea.  His was also one of the most comfortable wins in Melbourne Cup history, taking the lead at the 1800 metre mark and leading the entire way home from there to win by a length and a half.  He took 3 minutes and 19.8 seconds, which while not a record, is up there with some of the fastest times.  He provided the first of Colin Hayes’ Melbourne Cup wins, the other came in 1986 with At Talaq.  

Aside from his Melbourne Cup win, Beldale Ball didn’t have the most successful racing career with only 5 wins, 5 second places and 1 third from 28 starts.   

He was retired in 1981 and returned to the US to stand at stud but with little success.  He was then tried in Switzerland followed by Czechoslovakia where his most notable progeny arrived, particularly Hortensio and Holan.

Just a Dash

Winner of the 1981 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Tommy Smith. Ridden by Peter Cook.

Just a Dash was a Bay gelding born near Canberra on 22 September, 1977.  His dam was the Australian Mare, Native Lass and he was sired by an American Stallion called Whisky Road.  He was bred by Neale Lavis, who as part of the equestrian team, had won a silver medal for Australia at the Rome Olympics in 1960. 

In his lead up to the Melbourne Cup, Just A Dash also won the Adelaide Cup and SAJC St. Leger Stakes.  Throughout his racing career he started in 61 races for a total of 10 wins, 7 second and 8 third places.

Just A Dash won his Melbourne Cup in the classic style.  Warm yourself up while keeping in or near the front pack for the majority of the distance.  Don’t make your move until the final turn, saving all your energy for a big push on the straight over the final 500 metres.  Just a Dash won by two and a quarter-lengths in the time of 3 minutes and 21.2 seconds.     

This was the second Melbourne Cup for his trainer, Tommy Smith.  Over his career, Smith entered a total of 51 horses over 43 years for two wins, two runners up and one third place.  His other winner was Toparoa in 1955.

Just a Dash was ridden by Peter Cook, who would win again in 1984 on Black Knight.  Peter’s father Billy Cook, was also a jockey who rode two horses to Melbourne Cup victory, Skipton in 1941 and Rainbird in 1945.   The Cooks are the only father/son jockey duo to win the Melbourne Cup, so far anyway.

Just a Dash was also the first Melbourne Cup winner for his owner Lloyd Williams, who to date, now has 6 Melbourne Cup trophies in the cabinet.

When his racing career ended, Just a Dash became a police horse but that career didn’t quite work out.  His true retirement was spent on Willow Dene Stud in Dapto near Wollongong, New South Wales where he looked after yearling colts for the next twenty plus years and became a part of the family.

He was put to his final rest at Willow Dene on Friday 2 November, 2012 and was the longest living Melbourne Cup winner at 35 years old.  He was buried standing up and facing the sun and has his own headstone.

Gurner’s Lane

Winner of the 1982 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Geoff Murphy. Ridden by Mick Dittman.

The chestnut Gurner’s Lane was bred at Cambridge Stud on New Zealand’s North Island.  He was foaled by Taiona on 7 October, 1978 and sired by Sir Tristram.  Gurner’s Lane was the first of 3 Melbourne Cup winners sired by Sir Tristram who was six times the leading Sire in Australia.  Empire Rose in 1988 and Brew in 2000 followed.  Sir Tristram is also grand-sire to two other Cup winners; Might & Power (1997) and Jezabeel (1998).

Gurner’s Lanes tale is a fairy-tale story.  In his first year he was lucky to meet a veterinarian “in the business of saving horses”.  Rather than destroy his life as the breeder requested, he instead operated to repair some nerve damage.  Gurner’s Lane suffered back trouble his entire life, possibly caused by an early leg injury when he was just a yearling.

His breeder, Pat Hogan, had also reared Sovereign Red, his full brother born the year before and who was sent to Geoff Murphy to be trained for racing.  Hogan believed him to be too “ugly” for the yearling sales and also offered the young chestnut to Murphy who agreed to take both.

When the horses arrived in Australia, Murphy sent the younger of the two to a vet who operated to cure his wind sucking and also gelded him.  By the time Sovereign Red started to show his potential, his younger brother had been greatly improved and his trainer was able to sell him. 

The buyers were a syndicate of 40 owners from within the Australian Club, on William Street in Melbourne, whose headquarters also adjoined Little Collins Street and Gurner’s Lane.  They had owned another horse, whom they’d named William Street.  It made sense to name their new horse in the same fashion and the young gelding became known as Gurner’s Lane.

Geoff Murphy employed chiropractors to tend to Gurner’s Lane repetitive back problems over the years, they worked wonders to keep the horse on the racetrack.  He placed second in his very first race as a two-year-old but didn’t win until his sixth start in the Two-Year-Olds Handicap at Eagle Farm in Queensland.   As a three-year-old he placed in three of his thirteen starts and won three including the St Leger Stakes at both Randwick and Flemington. 

His stand-out year came as a four-year-old where he won or placed in 7 races from 15 starts.  He won the Newcastle Gold Cup over 2300m in the September.  He also won the Caulfield Cup over 2400m at 20/1 odds and carrying 53.5 kilos.

His Caulfield Cup win saw the handicapper penalise him with an extra 2.5 kilos, he was to start the Melbourne Cup carrying 56 kilos.  He had a slow start out of the gate in last place.  He found a place on the rails and pushed his way further up the pecking order until he was among the first ten horses around the final bend.  As they fanned out across the straight Kingston Town got a good head start and looked to be unbeatable.  His hopes were dashed by Gurner’s Lane who raced up the inside rail and defeated the crowd favourite by half a head.  The race was so close that Tommy Smith thought he’d just won a third Melbourne Cup with Kingston Town and had already started to make his way to the winners circle before the finishing positions were made clear.

Ellis, R. (1982). [Gurner's Lane after 1982 Melbourne Cup Victory] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

Gurner’s Lane became the seventh horse of 11 to win the Cups Double.  By the end of that racing season (1982-1983) and despite a leg injury which hampered his Autumn racing, he had been named the Australian Horse of the Year.  His total race results show 7 wins and 10 placings from 41 starts.

The chestnut gelding never fully recovered from the leg injury and was retired in the Spring of 1984, at age 6, to a farm in Euroa, Victoria.  There he suffered from a twisted bowel, an emergency surgery was unsuccessful and he was euthanised on Wednesday, 6 February 1985.  His remains were cremated and hopefully sit inside the Australian Club on William Street (and Gurner’s Lane) in Melbourne, alongside his Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup trophies.

Kiwi

Winner of the 1983 Melbourne Cup. Trained by E.S. “Snowy” Lupton. Ridden by Jim Cassidy.

Kiwi was a chestnut colt born in Parore, New Zealand on 8 January 1977.  He was bred by Brian Fischer at Balmoral Stud Cambridge out of New Zealand mare Malrayvis and sired by American imported stallion Blarney Kiss.  Blarney Kiss also sired 1987 Melbourne Cup winner, Kensei. 

He was purchased as a yearling at a Waikato sale for the bargain $NZ1,000 by Mr Ewen Sneddon (Snow or Snowy) and Mrs Anne Lupton.  They needed a horse to help round up sheep on their farm in Waverley, near Wanganui in New Zealand.  Mrs Lupton preferred chestnut horses and having owned a Blarney Kiss foal previously, wanted another.  She named him Kiwi as she had always liked Kiwi birds, even though her husband didn’t like the idea of naming a racehorse after a slow bird.

Kiwi showed promise as a racehorse early on and his owner and trainer, Snowy, thought his strength would lie in distance running. 

Now a gelding, Kiwi raced 4 times in his first season, winning one and taking second and third in two others.  From 10 races in his 4-year-old season he gathered 2 more wins, 5 second places and 2 third placings.    In his third, season he won his first 3 races but took only one third place from his next 4.  His next race provided a big win in the Wellington Cup on 22 January 1983, coming from the back to win by a nose.  The following 7 races that year supplied two wins and a third place.  Now well into his 4th season his next stop would be the Melbourne Cup.

Ridden by his regular jockey Jim ‘Pumper’ Cassidy, a fellow New Zealander, Kiwi started in the 1983 Melbourne Cup carrying 52 kilos and at 9-1 odds.  Jim Cassidy was only 20 years old but already had over 400 wins to his name.

Ellis, R. (1983). [Clerk of the Course Leading 1983 Melbourne Cup Winning Horse, Kiwi and Jockey, Jim Cassady into the Mounting Yard] [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

Cassidy and Kiwi spent the majority of the race in last place and were still there when the entire field of 24 horses rounded the final bend onto the straight.  In those final 550 metres and despite being named after a flightless bird, Kiwi literally flew down the straight and won by almost two lengths.  The race callers didn’t even see his approach until the final 100 metres.  Cue calls of “And here comes Kiwi out of the blue!”

 “And flying home is Kiwi, what a run!  One of the biggest performances you can ever see in the Melbourne Cup!  Kiwi has flown home on the outside and won it running away”

“And Kiwi’s flying, might beat them all!  Kiwi has come from last in a phenomenal performance!” 

Kiwi’s run in the Melbourne Cup is still talked about today as one of the greatest last-to-first victories in Melbourne Cup history.  He was the first horse to win the Wellington Cup-Melbourne Cup double; and is still the only one to have done it.  He’s also the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup on their first run in Australia.  The Cinderella story of the horse who rounded up sheep as part of his training schedule.  Proof that with the right horse even the humble, one-horse trainer can win a Melbourne Cup.

Kiwi returned to Melbourne the following year and was all set to have another go but was deemed unfit by the appointed Veterinarian and subsequently scratched from the 1984 Melbourne Cup.  Cue lots of criticism back in New Zealand for bad sportsmanship from the Aussies – adding more fuel to the trans-Tasman rivalry fires.

Kiwi returned in 1985 and finished 5th.  He bettered that result in 1986 when he finished 4th and had he not pulled up lame he might have won his second.  By 1985, Jim Cassidy was riding for other trainers and did not ride Kiwi in his latter two Melbourne Cups.  We’ll never know whether the pair could have won again together.  Less than 8 weeks after the 1986 Melbourne Cup Kiwi participated in the seventh running of the Japan Cup on December 27th 1986, where he finished in fifth place.  He raced once more and then retired with a record showing 60 starts for 13 wins, 8 seconds and 2 thirds. 

Kiwi retired to the Luptons farm and died in his paddock on Thursday 2 February 1995, aged 18.  He was buried on the farm with a simple headstone which reads:  Kiwi, 1983 Melbourne Cup.

Ellis, R. (1983). 1983 Melb. [i.e. Melbourne] Cup Winner - Kiwi [picture] / Rennie Ellis., Rennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria$$QRennie Ellis Collection. Spring Racing Carnival, Victoria. Source: State Library of Victoria.

The Champions of Flemington Racecourse Part 4 – The 1950s and 60s

Adorning a wall of the Betting Ring at Flemington Racecourse are the racing colours of a select few Melbourne Cup winning horses.  With 159 Melbourne Cup races run so far, there are 153 horses that have stopped our two nations on the first Tuesday in November.  The 28 horses featured on the wall here each have unique attributes, their reason for being featured.  On every tour we stop to take a look at them but there is a lot to discuss and not every guest is deeply interested so we usually only cover the basics of the more prominent names on display.

We wanted to delve a bit deeper though, to provide the information for those who are interested in learning more about these horses and what makes them worthy of being remembered in this way.

The order of appearance from left to right also coincides with the chronological order in which each horse won their Melbourne Cup/s.  Our descriptions will follow the same order.

Rising Fast

Winner of the 1954 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Ivan Tucker. Ridden by Jack Purtell as his regular jockey, Bill Williamson, had been injured in their Caulfield Stakes ride a few weeks earlier.

A bay gelding bred by Frank and Bruce Robertson at Platform Lodge Farm at Greytown on New Zealand’s North Island, Rising Fast was born in 1949.  His sire was the British-born Alonso and his dam the New Zealand bred Faster.  He was the first racehorse purchased by an accountant from Whakatane, New Zealand, a Mr Leicester R. Spring.

Rising Fast was initially trained in New Zealand and raced there over the shorter Sprint distances, covering anywhere from 5 to 11 furlongs (1,000-2,200 metres).  His first 23 starts took place in New Zealand for a total of seven wins, five 2nd and one 3rd; he was unplaced in ten.  A controversial suspension in New Zealand saw his owner send him to race in Australia.

Now a 4-year-old, his first appearance in Australia was the 6½ furlong (1300m) Flying Handicap at Queenland’s Doomben race track on 5 June 1954, in which Rising Fast came 2nd.   All of his next four races took place in Queensland at either Doomben or Eagle Farm before coming to Melbourne for the Spring Racing carnival of 1954.

The Spring Grand Slam is the feat of winning the Caulfield Cup, WS Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.  In his lead-up to the Melbourne Cup, Rising Fast won the Caulfield Field Cup on October 16 and the W S Cox Plate on October 23. 

On Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday November 2nd, 1954 Rising Fast made history.  He carried the top weight of 9 stone 5 pounds (59.5kg) owing to his most recent wins.  He started the race as 5-2 favourite in a field of 25 horses (after 4 scratchings).  The track was good and Rising Fast won comfortably by one and quarter lengths in a time of 3 minutes and 23 seconds.  Rising Fast became the first horse to win the Spring Grand Slam in the same year.  He was the fourth horse to win the Cups double (Caulfield and Melbourne Cups).

Over the same Spring racing carnival Rising Fast also achieved victory on October 2 in the Turnbull Stakes; on 13 October in the Caulfield Stakes; on 30 October in the Mackinnon Stakes.   

Rising Fast returned to the Caulfield Cup the following Spring having won only 2 from 12 starts so far in 1955.  Now a 6-year-old, he won his second (back-to-back) Caulfield Cup at 11-2 odds and carrying a record weight of 9 stone 10 pounds (61.5kg).  But a week later, he finished 6th in the W S Cox Plate.

Rising Fast was penalised for his second Caulfield Cup win and was again given the top weight, this time 10 stone (63.5kg) for his second Melbourne Cup – not one of the other 23 horses carried more than 9 stone.  On a wet and heavy track, Rising Fast finished in second place behind fellow New Zealander horse, Toparoa.  In fact, it was an all Kiwi finish with 3 New Zealand horses taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. 

This second placed Melbourne Cup finish was very controversial.  Rising Fast had suffered interference on the straight and he was jostled.  The horse who had caused the interference was able to break free on the straight with a clear run for home.  Rising Fast managed to get himself clear also but not soon enough to allow him time to catch up; the pair crossed the line half a length apart.  Many watching felt that his jockey, Bill Williamson, was within his right to lodge a protest on Toporoa’s jockey, but he was told not to bother.  His owner called it a “typical racing incident” and his trainer declared “he liked to win races on the track, not in the stewards room”.

The race stewards did find fault though and penalised the jockey of Toporoa with a two-month suspension.  This makes us think they probably would have upheld a protest had it been lodged.  If he had won, Rising Fast would be the only horse to have won the Cups Double twice.  But it was not to be.  Rising Fast did win a second Fisher Plate four days later.

Rising Fast entered twelve races over the Autumn and Spring of 1956, winning three: The C F Orr Stakes at Moonee Valley, the Blamey Stakes at Flemington and the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.  He did not enter the Caulfield Cup but finished second in this third run of the W S Cox Plate.  He entered the Melbourne Cup for a third time in 1956 and this time finished fifth.  He raced twice more that November, finishing 4th then 5th and then never raced again.

On Saturday November 24, 1956, Moonee Valley Racing Club held a special farewell, halting races and betting to allow Rising Fast one last gallop down the straight.  Afterward, he was adorned with a wreath of flowers while the band played “The Maori Farewell”, his trainer Fred Hoysted and strapper, Fred’s son Bob shed a tear or two and the crowd cheered their idol.

Rising Fast sailed back home to New Zealand, with a crowd there to greet him as his ship docked.  One lady threw confetti while another two tried to pluck hair from his tail and a crowd of roughly 100 cheered as he was lowered onto the wharf. 

Rising Fast saw out his days on his owner’s farm near The Bay of Plenty in New Zealand.  Nicknamed Joe, he spent the rest of his days giving rides to children and roaming free with the farms ducks, chickens and cats, whose company he’d always preferred to horses and humans.   He died in 1978, aged 29. 

At the completion of his 68 starts career, Rising Fast had won 24, finished second on 17 occasions, third on two occasions and ran unplaced in 25 races.  Clearly a stayer rather than a sprinter, one can’t help but wonder what his record would have been had his connections tried him over longer distances earlier in his career.  Nevertheless, his incredible achievements earned him induction into the Racing Halls of Fame in both Australia and New Zealand.

Hi-Jinx

Winner of the 1960 Centenary Melbourne Cup. Trained by Trevor Knowles. Ridden by Billy Smith.

Hi-Jinx was born in 1955 at Trelawny Stud, near Cambridge in New Zealand.  Her sire was an Irish chestnut who never won a race but successfully serviced many mares in New Zealand, producing 15 Stakes winners in eight years then moving his stud services to Japan and siring 16 foals there.  Hi-Jinx’s mother was a Great Northern Oaks winner, the New Zealand mare Lady’s Bridge.  In addition to Hi-Jinx, Trelawny Stud has links to several other Melbourne Cup winners: Macdougal, Foxami, Hiraji, Galilee and Polo Prince.  Trelawny Stud also produced Tulloch, a crowd-favourite horse who was often compared to Phar Lap and whom Hi-Jinx would famously defeat in the Melbourne Cup.    

To celebrate the Melbourne Cup Centenary, Flemington Racecourse received a major makeover.  The prize pool was almost doubled as it increased by $20,000 from the year before and viewers watched the first direct telecast.  At 50-1 odds, against a field of 31 other horses, Hi-Jinx produced a close Melbourne Cup finish, winning by a mere half neck.  Script-writers couldn’t have written a more perfect finish to the 100th running of the Melbourne Cup as second and third place were close also, separated by only a head; and another all-New Zealand finish.

The Melbourne Cup’s first 100,000-plus crowd were so shocked to see the 3-1 favourite, Tulloch, finish in seventh place, that they sadly forgot to applaud the new champion as she made her way into the Winner’s Circle.  To this day, Hi-Jinx is considered one of the biggest upset winners of the Melbourne Cup and the receiver of its quietest ever reception.

Her jockey for the Melbourne Cup was the Ballarat-born W.A. (Billy) “The Cups Specialist” Smith but she wasn’t his first choice of Melbourne Cup mount.  During his career he rode more than 1700 winners around the World.

Hi-Jinx was undistinguished in New Zealand before her arrival in Australia.  With the exception of her Melbourne Cup win, her career was unremarkable in Australia also.  She ran unplaced in the 1960 Caulfield Cup but did finish 2nd in the Moonee Valley Cup the same year.  For a total of 26 starts, she won 7, placed second in 4 races and ran third on 3 occasions, with 12 races unplaced.

After her retirement from racing she was turned out for breeding, producing only one foal of note, a filly named Centinx.

Unfortunately, not a lot more is known about the bay mare who won the Centennial Melbourne Cup.

Even Stevens

Winner of the 1962 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Archie MacGregor. Ridden by Les Coles.

Even Stevens was a Chestnut stallion from New Zealand.  He was foaled in 1957 by New Zealand mare Amaroo and sired by Fairs Fair from Great Britain.

Even Stevens became the fifth horse to win the Cups Double in 1962.  He also won the Werribee Gold Cup in the same year.    His entire racing career is not well documented with his exact number of starts unrecorded; but he is known to have won at least 8 races including the ARC Queens' Plate, the Avondale Cup (in New Zealand), VATC Moora Welter Handicap at Caulfield (setting a track record time), the CB Fisher Plate and the Hawke's Bay Guineas.  He finished second on two occasions and once in third place. 

He comfortably won his Melbourne Cup by 4 lengths, starting as 3-1 favourite and carrying 8 stone 5 pound which was up 10 pounds from the weight he’d carried in the Caulfield Cup.  He also set new records for bets wagered during the Spring Racing Carnival.

Even Stevens was the first horse to travel from New Zealand to Australia by airplane rather than sail across the Tasman Sea.  His strapper was a 21-year-old lass named Judy Wilkinson, from Kerang in Victoria (who went on to register as a trainer).  On Tuesday, 6 November 1962, Miss Wilkinson became the first female strapper to lead the Melbourne Cup winner into the Winners Circle.  It was also the first year we saw the Fashions on the Field at the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

On 8 January 1963, it was announced that Even Stevens would be leased to The Queen Mother and would travel to Europe to race for her for two years and would then be retired to stud.  Three weeks later, on January 30th 1963, Even Stevens suffered an accident in a training gallop which resulted in a shattered seisamoid bone in one of his front legs.  Instead of setting sail for Europe he was retired to stud early. 

The stallion saw out the remainder of his years at Newstead Stud near Hamilton, New Zealand and was the leading New Zealand-bred Sire in the 1971-72 season.  Derby winner Master John along with Evenstead, El Stavros and On Parr were some of his more notable offspring.

Even Stevens died on Christmas Day, 1975 aged 18.  According to the stud-master at Newstead Stud, Mr Don Machinnon, Even Stevens had died of old age.

Galilee

Winner of the 1966 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Bart Cummings. Ridden by Johnny Miller.

Galilee was bred at Trelawny Stud near Cambridge, New Zealand (see also Hi-Jinx above).  He was foaled in 1963 by the New Zealand mare Galston and Sired by Alcimedes.  Alcimedes was born in Great Britain and imported as a stud to New Zealand, he also sired the 1971 MC winner, Silver Knight.

Far from looking like the perfect horse, Galilee was pigeon-toed and tended to throw his foreleg out to the side as he walked which earned him the nickname ‘Charlie Chaplin’.  This was a trait that meant many trainers overlooked him at the yearling sales, but not Bart Cummings who purchased the well-bred colt for the fair price of 3500 guineas.  Tommy Smith mocked Cummings when the hammer came down, claiming “You bought a cripple!”  When Cummings saw Tommy Smith in the mounting yard after Galilee had won the 1967 Sydney Cup by six lengths, he couldn’t resist the urge to taunt his competitor.  Using his best mockery of Smith’s squeaky voice, he exclaimed “The cripple’s done pretty good Tommy!”.

Galilee raced well in South Australia, winning at least 6 races there before travelling East for the Spring Racing Carnival.  One of his wins in Adelaide was the Birthday Cup at Morphettville in 1966, his fourth straight win in Adelaide, in which he had the honour of being presented in the Winners Circle by The Queen Mother.

In Victoria, Galilee comfortably won the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield, coming from the back of the field with a furlong and a half to go and winning in fast time.  Despite this win, he wasn’t the favourite for the Caulfield Cup, that honour lay with Tobin Bronze.  Prior to his run in the Caulfield Cup, some uneducated reporters mistook Galilees odd gait for lameness.  The rumour spread to the bookmakers who pushed out his odds to 14-1.  As was his normal practice, Galilee spent the better portion of the Caulfield Cup at the rear of the field.  With a furlong and a half (300 metres) to go Tobin Bronze was in the lead and Galilee was tenth. Three quarters of a furlong to go and Tobin Bronze had run out of steam, he finished unplaced in sixth.  Meanwhile, Galilee had stormed down the outside, stretched his legs and won easily by a length and a half. 

The pair battled once more before the Melbourne Cup, this time in the Mackinnon Stakes on Derby Day.  Tobin Bronze was victorious in this race and in third place, Galilee’s jockey Johnny Miller, was reprimanded for not using enough vigour with the gelding.

In the Melbourne Cup a few days later, Galilee faced Tobin Bronze once again as well as his stablemate and winner of the previous Melbourne Cup, Light Fingers.  Galilee started 11-2 favourite, and carried 8 stone 13 pounds.  Once again, Galilee and Miller warmed up at the back of the field but had moved up to seventh place by the final turn with Light Fingers, sitting just behind the leaders.  Once on the straight, the tiny mare picked up her pace and took the lead, pleasing the crowd who now thought she was about to win her second Melbourne Cup.  The roaring crowd wasn’t given long with the lovely notion.  Galilee, gliding as though this were just another training session, flew past his stablemate and won comfortably by two lengths that could’ve been more if he’d been pushed by Miller.  Miller chose instead to throw a cheeky grin at Roy Higgins and Light Fingers as they passed.  They had just produced one of the most comfortable Melbourne Cup wins ever witnessed.

Galilee was now the sixth horse to win the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups Double.  Later that season, the Autumn of 1967, he also won the Sydney Cup, making Galilee the only horse to win all three races in the same racing season.  He won the Sydney Cup by an easy 6 lengths which is still considered one of the best performances by an Australian Racehorse.

Injury forced him into retirement in 1969.  His racing career ended after 36 starts, half of which he won in addition to finishing second on 6 occasions and third on 4; finishing unplaced in 8 races.  Despite being a Gelding, he was retired to his owner’s farm at Beaufields Stud in Gawler, South Australia.  He died in 1989 at age of 26 and was buried at Gawler racetrack where the 1977 Melbourne Cup winner, Gold and Black, is also buried.

Rain Lover

Winner of back-to-back Melbourne Cups in 1968 and 1969. Trained by Mick Robins and ridden by Jim Johnson on both occasions.

Rain Lover was bred by his owner, Clifford A. Reid, in South Australia and was born in 1964.  His Sire was an imported British stallion called Latin Lover and his dam was the Australian mare Rain Spot.  His grand-sire was the unbeaten Ribot from Great Britain. 

Rain Lover was the first horse in more than 100 years to win back-to-back Melbourne Cups, the first to achieve the feat was Archer in 1862.

Rain Lovers 1968 win also equalled Archers record 8-length win.  Rain Lover was near the front the whole way, never dipping further back than 5th.  He started his move forward with three furlongs to go and broke clear on the final bend.  By the final furlong post he was already 6 lengths clear and widening the gap with every stride.  Had he not eased up just before the finish line he probably would have beaten Archers 8-length victory record.  In this race, Rain Lover also set a new race time record of 3 minutes and 19.1 seconds, shaving .4 seconds of the previous record set by Comic Court 19 years earlier.  Total bets placed on this Melbourne Cup averaged $1 per head of population which in 1968 was around 12 million people.

Rain Lover’s second win was harder fought, winning only by a head, finishing two and a half seconds slower than the year earlier.  Many folks feel that had the Favourite, Big Philou, not been scratched* at the 11th hour, Rain Lover might not have won in 1969.  We will never know that for sure, but the pair did meet twice the following March, both races over 12 furlongs.  The first race was the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington on March 14, 1970 – Big Philou defeated Rain Lover by half a head.  Two weeks later on March 28, Rain Lover defeated Big Philou by 3 lengths in the Autumn Stakes at Randwick.  The question forever remains… who would have won over the Melbourne Cup distance of 16 furlongs.    

Rain Lover’s regular jockey was Jim Johnston who had previously won the Melbourne Cup in 1963 on Gatum Gatum.  Johnsons two wins on Rain Lover gave him three Melbourne Cup trophies in total.  Over his career he rode 2158 winners, not just in Australia but in Singapore also.  Johnson was inducted to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in August 2009.    

His trainer, Mick Robins, had been a miner in Mick’s home town of Broken Hill.  After leaving the mines, he moved to South Australia and became a foreman for Adelaide-based trainer Grahame Heagney.  Mick took over the stable of 14 horses when Heagney went to America with the horse Tobin Bronze.  There are many claims that Robins had only been licenced for three months when he won a Melbourne; which is only partially true.  He took out a Victorian licence in August 1968 so that he could bring Rain Lover to the Spring Racing Carnival here, but he had in fact held a licence in other states since 1950.  Experienced or not, he was so excited by his first Melbourne Cup win that he tripped and fell down the stairs in his haste to get from the trainers stand to the winner’s circle.  The boy from Broken Hill has a grandstand there named after him.  These days, Robins is a mentor with Tony Noonan Racing based at Mornington, Victoria.  He celebrated his 90th birthday in July this year. 

In 1969, Rain Lover was named Australian Horse of the Year.  His career spanned 46 races in which he finished in first place 17 times, 10 times in second place, 11 times in third and unplaced in 8 races. 

The Bay stallion was retired to stud in 1970.  He died in 1989 and is believed to be buried at Tarwyn Park in Bylong, New South Wales.

* Bart Cummings’ Big Philou was scratched 39 minutes prior to the start of the 1969 Melbourne Cup due to severe diarrhea.  His sudden illness was found to be caused by a heavy dose of a laxative called Danthron.  The doping scandal was never fully solved, despite the horses owner offering reward money to whoever could shed light.  On his deathbed, a jockey named Les Lewis confessed to doping Big Philou and another horse Tail in the early hours of Melbourne Cup Day 1969.  He also confessed to have been paid $10,000 to commit the offence, but would not admit who had paid him to do it.

The Champions of Flemington Racecourse Part 3 – Early 1900’s

Adorning a wall of the Betting Ring at Flemington Racecourse are the racing colours of a select few Melbourne Cup winning horses.  With 159 Melbourne Cup races run so far, there are 153 horses that have stopped two nations on the first Tuesday in November.  The 28 horses featured on the wall here each have unique attributes, their reason for being featured.  On every tour we stop to take a look at them but there is a lot to discuss and not every guest is deeply interested so we usually only cover the basics of the more prominent names on display.

We wanted to delve a bit deeper though, to provide the information for those who are interested in learning more about these horses and what makes them worthy of being remembered in this way.

The order of appearance from left to right also coincides with the chronological order in which each horse won their Melbourne Cup/s.  Our descriptions will follow the same order. 

Phar Lap

Winner of the 1930 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Harry Telford. Ridden by Jim Pike.

It is hard to imagine that anyone living in Australia or New Zealand has never heard of Phar Lap.  Presuming that to be the case, this is a crash course for our international visitors who aren’t quite so familiar with the name, the horse, the legend… With maybe a few random titbits thrown in to keep the locals interested.

The chestnut Phar Lap was foaled on 4th October 1926, in Timaru on New Zealand’s South Island.  His sire was a stallion imported from Great Britain called Night Raid.  His dam, Entreaty, was born in New Zealand.

Phar Lap never raced in New Zealand, he was purchased (for the bargain price of 160 guineas) by auction at the yearling sales and brought to Australia to race by Sydney based trainer Harry Telford.  The gentleman who’d paid for the horse had done so at the recommendation of the trainer and had never actually seen the colt until his arrival in Sydney.  David Davis, an American businessman, wasn’t impressed with what he did see – a gangly, wart covered colt with a clumsy gait.  Thus, Davis refused to pay for him to be trained and Telford agreed to train the colt for free so long as he received two-thirds of any winnings.  Davis thought so little of the young horse, that he agreed.  Telford saw more in the young horse than just his lineage, but decided to geld him despite the promise of future earnings as a stud.  Telford named him Phar Lap, which literally translates to sky flash in Thai, or lightning; although he did alter the spelling to accommodate his superstitions.

In addition to his racing colours in the Betting Ring, Flemington Racecourse honoured Phar Lap with a statue. Sculpted in 1988 by Peter Corlett who is behind many popular sculptures throughout Melbourne and Australia, including the statue of Bart Cummings from Part 1 of this series..

Phar Laps first races took place in 1929.  He was a slow bloomer though, winning only one race in his first 9, leaving 8 unplaced.  It wasn’t until the Spring when his potential starting to reveal itself, earning him many fans along the way.  He placed second in his tenth race and then won the next 4 races on his way to the 1929 Melbourne Cup.  Phar Lap finished third in the 1929 Melbourne Cup four lengths behind the winner Nightmarch, who was Phar Laps older half-brother, they came from the same sire, Night Raid.

In his next race three months later, on 15 February 1930, Phar Lap again finished third in the St George Stakes at Caulfield.  He raced 17 more times between his first Melbourne Cup and his next, winning 16 and taking one 2nd place.  By the time the Melbourne Cup rolled around, Phar Lap was 8-11 favourite to win it.  Not even an attempt on his life could slow him down!  The morning of Derby Day, he was shot at from the backseat of a passing car.  Thanks to the quick thinking of his strapper, Tommy Woodcock, the shot did not reach its target.  That very afternoon Phar Lap won the Melbourne Stakes.  He spent the next three days of the lead up to the Melbourne Cup in hiding, just in case a second attempt was made.

In a field of 15 horses, after only 2 were scratched, Phar Lap was given a weight of 9 stone 12 pound or 62.6 kilos to carry.  The next nearest handicap was Second Wind who carried 1 stone (6.35kg) less.  Despite the weight penalty, Phar Lap proved the bookmakers right and won the 1930 Melbourne Cup by three lengths and in the time of 3 minutes and 27.75 seconds.  Second Wind finished in second place with Shadow King taking third place ¾ of a length behind him.  Phar Lap became the shortest odds winner in Melbourne Cup history, a record he still holds.

Pratt, C., & Airspy. (1930). Phar Lap [picture]. Source: State Library of Victoria.

Phar Lap became the first horse to have raced and won on each of the four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.  To this day, no other horse has done so.  More staggering, Phar Lap won 8 races (from 8 starts) over a 5-week period.  No other horse has done that either.  He also won the W S Cox Plate in 1930 and again in 1931 but weighted with 10 stone and 10 pounds (68kgs), he finished 8th in the 1931 Melbourne Cup.  If he had won, he would have broken Carbines weight record.   

By this time, Mr Davis had come around to the gangly horse who had raised the hopes of two nations during the Great Depression and wanted to see how the horse would fare in his own home country, USA.  Although now part-owner of Phar Lap, Telford was against the idea and refused to go.  Davis instead took Phar Laps strapper Tommy Woodcock along as his new trainer.

Phar Lap travelled by boat to Tijuana, Mexico and was entered in the Agua Caliente Handicap at the Agua Caliente Racetrack.  The 10-furlong (2000 kilometre) Agua Caliente Handicap was offering the largest prize money ever seen in North American horse racing.  One of Phar Laps regular riders, Billy Elliott, made the journey to ride the gelding for the seventh time, this time on the world stage.  On 20 March, 1932, weighted with 9 stone 3 pounds (58.51kg), Phar Lap and Elliott set a track record while winning the race.  This feat surprised absolutely no one back home in the Antipodes.  Following this first success in North America, Davis transported Phar Lap to California with hopes of entering him in races throughout the nation. 

On 5 April 1932, strapper-now-trainer Tommy Woodcock entered Phar Laps Californian stable to find his charge in severe pain and running a temperature.  A few hours later Phar Lap had bled to death in Woodcocks arms.  An autopsy later revealed signs that he had been poisoned to death.  In 2008, scientists tested hairs from Phar Laps mane and confirmed that he had died from a lethal amount of arsenic.  It was very common in Phar Laps day for horses to be given tonics for their health and performance and many of these tonics contained arsenic to thin the blood.  Rumours and conspiracy theories abound to this very day but unfortunately, we will never know whether his death was an accident or deliberate sabotage. 

At the time of his death, Phar Laps race record stood at 51 Starts for 37 wins, three 2nd places and two 3rd placings with 9 races unplaced.   His winnings made him the Worlds third richest horse at the time.

Phar Lap is one of seven horses to win the WS Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in the same year and one of only three horses to win the Melbourne Cup and follow it up with a Cox Plate the following year.

Following his death, Phar Laps remains were returned to the Southern Hemisphere.  His hide was taxidermised and is one of the most popular exhibits at the Melbourne Museum.  His skeleton can be viewed at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington.  His heart, which was nearly twice as big as most horse hearts, is located at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. 

Phar Lap will forever be remembered in the hearts of all Antipodeans.  Not just for his impressive wins at the Melbourne Cup Carnival or the Agua Caliente Handicap but also for defeating some of Australia and New Zealand’s best horses, sometimes crushing them by 20 lengths while only running at half pace.

Peter Pan

Winner of the 1932 Melbourne Cup ridden by Billy Duncan. Winner of the 1934 Melbourne Cup ridden by Darby Munro. Trained by Frank McGrath Snr on both occasions.

Peter Pan was a stallion who was born at Baroona Stud in Singleton, NSW on 17 October 1929, sired by a British stallion name Pantheon and foaled by the Australian mare Alwina.  He had an uncommon colouring known as flaxen chestnut; meaning the coat is chestnut with the mane and tail lighter in colour.  In Peter Pans case the mane and tail were blond, almost silver, making him visually striking on any racetrack.

Born a few years too late to have raced alongside Phar Lap, the two have nonetheless been compared to one another many times.  Both horses provided welcome distraction from the effects of the Depression.  Both horses endured illness and hardship and still came out on top.  Peter Pans owners were prone to comparing him to Phar Lap.  His trainer Frank McGrath believed that, had they met, Peter Pan would have triumphed.  You can make up your own mind.

Peter Pan raced once as a two-year-old, on 14 May 1932 over 6 furlongs (1200m) at Randwick, finishing twelfth.  His next three races in the Spring were comfortable wins and provided entry to Melbourne’s Spring Racing carnival.  Placing fourth in the Caulfield Cup, Peter Pan finished first in the Melbourne Stakes at Flemington only four days later.  Two weeks later he started as 4-1 favourite in the Melbourne Cup. 

Ridden by Billy Duncan, Peter Pan started the race near the back of the pack.  Early on he clipped the heel of a horse in front of him and fell to his knees.  Uninjured, he got back up and carried on running, chasing down the field and working his way to the front pack.  Duncan found his mount a place on the rails as they rounded the final turn, a horse named Yarramba edged to the outside of a large pack.  With two furlongs to go, both horses managed to break away from the packs surrounding them, Peter Pan on the inner rail and Yarramba on the outside and closing in on the rail.  With half a furlong to go, Yarramba takes the lead but Peter Pan is having none of it and visibly picks up the pace to storm home, beating Yarramba to the finish line by a neck.  Their next nearest competitor, Shadow King, was two lengths behind.  When he entered the Winners Circle, Peter Pan had a visible grass stain on his face from his fall.

Peter Pan missed the entire 1933 spring season, suffering from a viral disease which had carried through the stables in and around Sydney.  Many horses died from the disease but Peter Pan was personally nursed through by his trainer, Frank McGrath.  Peter Pan lost 10 months of racing as a result of his illness, returning in the Autumn of 1934.

Once again, in 1934, Peter Pan won the Melbourne Stakes at Flemington in his lead-up to another Melbourne Cup.  He’d been so impressive in the months leading up that he was given the highest weight and set to carry 9 stone 10 pounds (61.7kg).  His prior illness and the handicap put the bookies off, his starting odds were 14-1.    

In 1934, carrying more weight than last time and on a heavy track, Peter Pan won by 3 lengths.  This would provide the first of 3 Melbourne Cup trophies for jockey Darby Munro.  You can watch Peter Pan win his second Melbourne Cup here.  Incidentally, the equal favourites Nightly and Sir Simper finished second last and last respectively. 

Australia Post has honoured both Peter Pan and one of his jockeys by including them on stamps.

The viral infection caught hold of Peter Pan again in the Autumn of 1935 but this time he never fully recovered.  To honour his many fans, owner and trainer decided he would start in the 1935 Melbourne Cup.  The VRC gave him another weight increase (now 10 stone 6 pounds) but he wasn’t fit enough to carry such a weight and finished in 15th place.  He raced three more times the following Autumn and was unplaced in each.   The decision was made to retire him.  His record stood at 23 wins, six 2nd places, one 3rd place and 9 unplaced from 39 starts.

He was retired to Baroona Stud where he was born, in Singleton, New South Wales.  His owner, Rodney Dangar, wasn’t very adventurous though and only allowed him to service Dangar’s own mares.  Nevertheless, he produced 2 Stakes winners from 14 foals. 

Six years later Peter Pan broke his leg quite badly in a paddock accident.  As a result, he was put to rest on 5 May 1941, aged 12.  He was buried on the farm and his grave is marked with a headstone which reads: “In Memory of Peter Pan.  Foaled at Baroona October 17th 1929.  Died at Baroona May 5th 1941.  Winner of Two Melbourne Cups. 1932 and 1934.  And 21 other races.  A very gallant horse.”

Comic Court

Winner of the 1950 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Jim Cummings and ridden by Pat Glennon.

Comic Court was a Bay Stallion and the great-grandson of the 1910 Melbourne Cup winner, Comedy King.  He was foaled at Beau Neire Stud in Normanville, South Australia in 1945.  His dam was Witty Maid and his sire was Powerscourt.  Both his parents had been owned by Jim Cummings, who had been forced to sell them during World War II when racing was cancelled in Adelaide.  It seems fitting that Jim Cummings became the trainer of their son.

Comic Court’s first attempt at the Melbourne Cup came in 1948.  Ridden by Tom Unkovich, they placed fourth in a field of 30.  His regular jockey was Jack Purtell, who rode Comic Court in the Melbourne Cup a year later, finishing 20th in a field of 31 horses.  But Purtell chose to ride another horse, Alister, whom he’d ridden to success in the Derby and was now 3-1 favourite to win the 1950 Melbourne Cup. 

Jim Cummings instead chose the tall and easy-going jockey Pat Glennon to ride Comic Court, whose gentle hands would cajole a horse rather than antagonize it.  Despite staying out partying the night before until the early hours, Glennon was ready for his second Melbourne Cup ride, his first being in 1943 at the age of 16.  Even with taking his first win at the age of 13, by 1950 and aged 23, Glennon was still considered to be too young and inexperienced to win a Melbourne Cup.  He didn’t care what others thought and he soon proved it.  Following the trainer’s instructions, Glennon listened to Comic Court and let the horse dictate his own terms.  Comic Court wanted to be in the front pack right from the start; he got his way.  Comic Court wanted the lead with half a mile to go and Glennon let him take it.  At the home turn, Comic Court led by a length and a half.  It’s pretty rare for a horse to lead the entire length of the home straight at Flemington and hold on but Comic Court was his own horse.  When those behind expected him to weaken, he pushed himself harder, his jockey hardly having to lift a finger.  They were three lengths in front with a furlong (200m) to go, and despite her best efforts, the mare Chicquita was unable to shorten the distance.  

Pat Glennon had barely a penny to his name when he agreed to ride Comic Court in the Melbourne Cup.  Despite never riding the stallion again, he was also never cashless again and went on to ride winners in some of Europe’s most famous races.

At 25-1 odds, Comic Court won his Melbourne Cup by 3 lengths and carrying the top weight of 9 stone 5 pound (59kgs).  In doing so, he set a new Australian 2-mile record by finishing in a time of 3 minutes and 19.5 seconds which would not be beaten for 18 years.  It was also a track record which wouldn’t be beaten until Rain Lover in 1969.  The mare, Chicquita, finished in second place to the stallion with whom she would later bare a foal.  Three days earlier in the Mackinnon Stakes on Derby Day, Chicquita had also finished second behind Comic Court.  Their filly was named Comicquita, who like her mother before her, would also finish second in the Melbourne Cup, in 1962. 

His strapper, and son of the trainer, had bet five weeks wages on him and needless to say he was elated.  He was later quoted as saying “I thought ‘this is terrific… I’d like to do it myself sometime”.  He did just that.  Twelve times.

Two and a half months later, in his next race, Comic Court returned to Melbourne for the 6-furlong (1200m) William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.  Comic Court came from the back of the pack to charge home on the straight.  Not only did he win, but he set a new time record that would also stand for 18 years.  At his next race two weeks later, Comic Court equalled the track record for the 8-furlong (1600m) CF Orr Stakes, again at Moonee Valley.  Here was another of those rare horses that could turn heads over any distance.  His last race was the 1951 Sydney Cup in which he finished third.  Over a total of 54 starts, Comic Court had 28 wins, 11 seconds, 4 thirds and was unplaced in 11.

He retired to stud in 1951 at Warlaby Stud (which was located at Oaklands Junction, north of Melbourne) where he sired 44 foals.  Aside from Comicquita, his notable progeny includes Asian Court, Doll Prince, Gurney and Harcourt. 

Comic Court lived to ripe old age of 28, he died in 1973 although the exact cause is unknown.

The Notable Exclusions

1910 Winner: Comedy King

In 1910, a British-born, black stallion named Comedy King became the first horse imported from beyond the Antipodes to win a Melbourne Cup.  After his retirement from racing he became a successful stud and sired the 1919 Melbourne Cup winner Artilleryman and 1922 winner King Ingoda.  He was also the Great-grandfather of 1950 winner Comic Court.

Another of his sons, Shadow King, holds the records for the most attempts at a Melbourne Cup.  From 1929 to 1935, he never finished lower than 6th place but he never won it.  His placings were as follows: sixth, third, second, third, second and fourth (he did not enter the race in 1934). 

In case you were wondering which horse is the most successful sire of Melbourne Cup winners?  That would be Positano from Great Britain; he sired Lord Cardigan who won in 1903, Poseidon the 1906 winner, 1908 winner Lord Nolan and Piastre who won in 1912.  

Sears' Studios, photographers. 1906. Poseidon and Jockey picture John Alfred Sears. Source: State Library of Victoria.

Poseidon was the first horse to win what would become known as The Cups Double in 1906.  The Caulfield Cup was first run in 1879, making it 27 years before a horse would win both races.   Since 1906, a total of 11 eleven horses have won the cups double, the last being Ethereal in 2001.  Poseidon was also the first horse to win back to back Caulfield Cups when he won again in 1907.

The Champions of Flemington Racecourse Part 2: The 1800’s

Adorning a wall of the Betting Ring at Flemington Racecourse are the racing colours of a select few Melbourne Cup winning horses.  With 159 Melbourne Cup races run so far, there are 153 horses that have stopped two nations on the first Tuesday in November.  The 28 horses featured on the wall here each have unique attributes, their reason for being featured.  On every tour we stop to take a look at them but there is a lot to discuss and not every guest is deeply interested so we usually only cover the basics of the more prominent names on display.

We wanted to delve a bit deeper though, to provide the information for those who are interested in learning more about these horses and what makes them worthy of being remembered in this way.

The order of appearance from left to right also coincides with the chronological order in which each horse won their Melbourne Cup/s.  Our descriptions will follow the same order.

Archer

Winner of the first and second ever Melbourne Cups in 1861 and 1862. Trained by Etienne De Mestre and ridden by John Cutts on both occasions.

Archer, a bay stallion, was foaled at Exeter Farm in New South Wales in 1856.  His Sire was an imported horse from Great Britain called William Tell and his Dam was Australian mare Maid of the Oaks. 

Archer started his training at Terara, under Etienne de Mestre, in 1860.  He was a tall horse whom the locals nicknamed “The Bull”.  Perhaps they should have called him “Big Dog” as accounts of Archer claim that he galloped with his tongue lolling out of his mouth! 

His first two races in late May 1860 did not earn him any fans but by the Spring season he had improved immensely and he won each of his next 7 starts, all of which took place in New South Wales.  

The inaugural Melbourne Cup offered the largest purse for any race in Australia, at that time, with the prizes being 710 pounds and a handmade watch for first place and 20 pounds for second.  This large prize inspired many entries from interstate including Archer, who travelled more than 500 miles by steamboat and train from Terara (now a suburb of Nowra, NSW) to be a part of the fun. 

That very first run of the 1861 Melbourne Cup race was quite eventful.  In front of a crowd of roughly 4000 spectators, eighteen from a possible twenty horses started the race after Defence and Partisan were both scratched.  Twilight, Dispatch and Medora all fell and the latter two died.  At 5-1 odds, Archer defeated the 3-1 favourite Mormon by six lengths, taking 3 minutes and 52 seconds to run the 2-mile race.  To this day, no horse has come home slower in the Melbourne Cup.

On the 100th Anniversary of the Melbourne Cup, Australia Post released a set of stamps featuring some beloved past winners, Archer being one of them.

Archer returned in 1862 to defend his title and started the race as 2-1 favourite.  This year, first place would earn 810 pounds with 20 pounds again for second place.  After three scratchings; Shadow, Clive and Exeter, twenty horses started in the second Melbourne Cup.  Once again, Archer stormed home in front of Mormon (this time 4-1 odds) and won the Melbourne Cup for a second time, this time by 8 lengths in 3 minutes and 47 seconds.

Archers winning margin in the second Melbourne Cup has never been beaten and was not matched for more than 100 years until Rain Lover won in 1968.  It would also be more than 70 years before another horse would win 2 Melbourne Cups (Peter Pan in 1934) and more than 100 years before a horse would win them back-to-back (Rain Lover in 1969).

De Mestre fully intended to bring Archer back to Melbourne for the 1863 Melbourne Cup but there was a public holiday in Victoria which caused his admission paperwork be delayed and it subsequently arrived past the deadline.  As a result, Archer was denied entry to the race.  This caused quite a stir in the racing community and especially amongst the interstate trainers, all of whom pulled their horses from the race in protest.  Consequently, the 1863 Melbourne Cup saw a field of only 7 horses, the smallest Melbourne Cup field in its long history.

Archer enjoyed a fairly successful racing record of 12 wins and 3 thirds from a total of 17 starts.  He was scratched from his final race and retired to stud shortly thereafter on the same farm where he was born, for the then-high fee of 10 guineas per mare.  It is unproven, but generally believed, that he was buried on the farm when he passed on December 22nd 1972.   

Archer’s trainer Etienne de Mestre would go on to train three more Melbourne Cup winners: Tim Whiffler in 1867, Chester in 1877 and Calamia in 1878.  His record of 5 trainer wins would stand for nearly 100 years, until Bart Cummings matched it in 1975 with Think Big’s second win.

Carbine

Winner of the 1890 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Walter Hickenbotham and ridden by Bob Ramage.

Carbine was a bay stallion sired by Musket and foaled by Mersey, both horses having been imported from Great Britain.  He was bred at Sylvia Park Stud near Auckland in New Zealand and born there on 18 September 1885. 

Carbine first raced as a 2-year-old in New Zealand, winning all of his 5 starts there before moving to Australia mid-way through 1888.  In Australia, he won or placed in all 13 of his races as a 3-year-old, first at Flemington and then at Randwick. 

Initially he was owned and trained by Dan O’Brien.  O’Brien sold him for 3000 guineas to the wealthy Donald Wallace, who in addition to being a Member of the Victorian Parliament, was also an investor and horse-breeder.  Wallace entrusted Carbine’s training to the former jockey and then Melbourne based trainer Walter Hickenbotham, who had already successfully trained one Melbourne Cup winner for him, Mentor in 1888.  For different owners, Hickenbotham also achieved Melbourne Cup success in 1896 with Newhaven and again in 1905 with Blue Spec.  Watch Newhaven win on one of the earliest films of the Melbourne Cup finish.

Nicknamed “Old Jack” he would freeze stock still in a crowd of onlookers so he could enjoy their cheers and applause, refusing to move until the cheering died down.

The thing that always strikes about Carbine is his racing record: 33 wins, 6 second places and 3 third finishes from 43 starts, meaning he was only unplaced once when he finished fourth.  That’s an impressive record on its own but when you look deeper, Carbine’s racing record gets more impressive.  When they’re younger, many horses will win shorter races on their road to staying races like the Melbourne Cup, gradually increasing the distances as they progress through their training.  But it’s very rare to see a horse flit back and forwards between distances throughout their whole career, even rarer still to see them succeeding at it.  As an example, below is Carbine’s racing record as a 5-year-old right up to his retirement.

On four separate occasions, Carbine raced in two races on the same day, winning 7 of the 8.  March 9th 1889, he won the 1600m All Aged Stakes and the 3200m Loch Plate at Flemington.  March 8th 1890, he repeated the wins in the same two races at Flemington.  One month later, 10 April 1890, he won the 1600m All Aged Stakes and 3200m Cumberland Stakes at Randwick.  Finally, two days before his final ever race, Carbine came second in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick but won the Cumberland Stakes the same day, 2 April 1891.

When Carbine won the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, 4 November 1890, he did so against the largest ever field in the Cup’s history; 39 horses started that year.  He also carried the heavy handicap of 10 stone 5 pounds (65.77kg) and holds the record for the heaviest ever load of a horse to win the Melbourne Cup.  Highborn, who placed second by 2 and a half lengths behind Carbine, carried 6st8lb which is roughly 24 kilos lighter.  A record 39 runners and carrying a record weight, Carbine even matched the (then) race record time of 3 minutes and 28.25 seconds which had been set in 1887.  And he did so with a split heel which was held together by a heavy bar shoe.

Carbine Winning Cup 1890 [picture]. (1890). Source: The State Library of Victoria.

This Herculean effort has earned Carbine the right to be remembered at Flemington forevermore.  In addition to his racing colours on display in the Betting Ring, Flemington also established The Carbine Club in 1961, its members bonded by their affections for grace, courage, good sport (not just on turf) and good fellowship. 

Visitors to Flemington will also see his old stall, which on quieter race days is open to the public.  Housed inside you will find a small museum paying tribute to Carbine and his trainer Walter Hickenbotham.  The stall was originally located nearby and was occupied by Carbine while he was under the care of Hickenbotham.  When Hickenbotham’s former Sandown Road stables were dismantled in the 1990’s, Flemington Racecourse had the stall relocated to their site, where Carbine had raced almost half of his races (21 of Carbines 43 races took place at Flemington; 16 at Randwick, 1 at Caulfield, 4 at Canterbury, NZ and 1 in Dunedin, NZ).

Carbine’s former stall which overlooks the lawn’s, the straight and also a statue of one of his many descendants.

In addition to this old stable, Carbine’s memory (and body) has been preserved in other ways.  His skeleton resides here in Melbourne, although it is not currently on display.   The Victorian Racing Club supposedly possess one of his hooves which was made into an inkwell.  And according to their website, Auckland Museum have his mounted head and his tail.  As many times as I’ve admired Carbine’s skeleton when it has been on display, I still much prefer the tradition of burying a beloved horse standing up near to his or her favourite tree.

Carbine’s skeleton, formerly on display at the Australian Racing Museum within the National Sports Museum beneath the MCG.

It is partly these feats which earned him an inaugural place in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame and also the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.  Sadly, the recurring heel problem saw Wallace and Hickenbotham withdraw Carbine from the 1891 Melbourne Cup around the August of that year.  After his retirement from racing in 1891, Carbine spent his days at Lerderberg Stud (also owned by Donald Wallace), near Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, where he stood alongside Wallace’s other Cup Winner, Mentor.  In 1895, Wallace sold Carbine to the Duke of Portland for 13,000 guineas and Carbine was shipped to England to serve the Duke as a stud at Welbeck Abbey. 

Carbine set sail from Station Pier in Port Melbourne on Saturday 13 April, 1895 and it is estimated that 10,000 people gathered to wave him off and maybe have one last pat.  Naysayers will state they can’t all have been there for Carbine; the weather was fine, it was Easter weekend and with very little in the way of entertainment in those days, seeing the ships arrive and depart from Station Pier was a pastime in itself.  They might be right, but the popular 1900s phrase “As big as Carbine” (which was used to reference someone or something particularly popular or famous) must have stemmed from somewhere.

Embarking on the Orizaba. [picture]. (1895). Source: The State Library of Victoria

Despite the 200 guineas service fee (the highest ever service fee at that time), Carbines success as a stud proved itself time and again with his foals first appearing at the Melbourne Cup in the same year that he left Australia (1895).  None of his immediate progeny ever won a Melbourne Cup but he did sire winners of many great Australian races as well as the Epsom Derby and Grand Prix de Paris.  His foals and their foals and their foals and so on, have all been very sought-after and successful based merely on their lineage from Carbine.  One example is Phar Lap, who was purchased sight-unseen, wholly because he descended from Carbine on both sides of his ancestry.  Every dual winner of the Melbourne Cup that followed Carbine, can be traced back to him.  Many of the notable Melbourne Cup winners since Carbine… his blood is in most of them, as the table below will show. 

Of the 128 Melbourne Cup races since Carbine won, 85 (two-thirds) have been won by horses descending from Carbine; including every single Melbourne Cup winner this century.

For a horse who didn’t like rain falling on his ears, Carbine settled in to English life quite well and loved to roll in fresh snow.  For nearly twenty years Carbine spent his days at the stud farm in Nottinghamshire, England until he suffered a stroke and was euthanised on 10 June 1914.  He was almost 29 years old. 

The Notable Exclusion

A 3-year-old mare called Briseis raced on all 4 days of the Melbourne Cup carnival and won 3 of the 4 major Cup Carnival races; VRC Derby on the Saturday, Melbourne Cup on the Tuesday and VRC Oaks on the Thursday.  She also carried the youngest ever jockey to win a Melbourne Cup; Peter St Albans was not quite 13 years old when he rode Briseis to a 2-length Melbourne Cup victory in 1876. 

Over 159 years of the Melbourne Cup, only 23 three-year-old horses have won the Melbourne Cup, the last being Skipton in 1941; meaning all of them won in the first 80 years of the race’s history.  Over those same 159 years, only 10 mares have won the Melbourne Cup… and Briseis was the first of them.

Briseis, the Triple Winner of The Derby, The Melbourne Cup, and The Oaks. [picture]. (1876).

Source: The State Library of Victoria.

The Champions of Flemington Racecourse – Part 1

In the third of our in-depth articles into the sights of our Sports Lovers Tours, we take a look at some of the monuments and tributes dotted around Flemington Racecourse.  As with previous pieces, this article won’t cover all the things we talk about on tour but rather takes a more in-depth look at more specific points of interest.  There is a lot to cover, so this blog will be in several parts.

We’ll start by taking a look at the two-legged legends who have been immortalised by statues at Flemington Racecourse…

Bart Cummings Statue

The Cups King’s statue has been moved since we took this photo and sadly the horse-head bollards did not make the journey with him. Dedicated around 2000, the statue made the move from the Betting Ring to the front of the Grand Stand in 2016 when the old 1920’s Members stand was demolished to accommodate the luxurious new members grandstand which opened in October 2018.

Born in Adelaide on November 14th, 1927 to James Martin Cummings and his wife Annie (nee Whelton).  Bart passed away peacefully in his sleep at his homestead on Princes Farm, Castlereagh in the foothills of the Blue Mountains on August 30th, 2015 aged 87.  It was just two days after the 61st anniversary of his marriage to wife Velmae.   

Nicknamed “The Cups King”, James Bartholomew Cummings trained many horses to success over his 63 years as a licenced trainer.  During his career he gathered a whopping 12 Melbourne Cup trophies with Light Fingers in 1965, Galilee in 1966, Red Handed in 1967, Think Big in 1974 and 1975, Gold and Black in 1977, Hyperno in 1979, Kingston Rule in 1990, Let’s Elope in 1991, Saintly in 1996, Rogan Josh in 1999 and Viewed in 2008.  His next nearest competitors have 5 apiece; Lee Freedman (1989, 1992, 1995, 2004 and 2005) and Etienne De Mestre (1861, 1962, 1867, 1877 and 1878).    I think it’s safe to venture that his record will not be overtaken or even matched.

In total he trained horses to win over 250 Group 1 races which, in addition to the 12 Melbourne Cups, included 7 Caulfield Cups, 4 Golden Slippers, 13 Australian Cups, 5 Cox Plates, 5 VRC Oaks and 9 Newmarket Handicaps.

This is a small sample of the trophies that Bart Cummings earned over his career, 149 of which are on display inside Saintly Place at Flemington Racecourse. Check them out next time you’re at the races or book a Private Tour with us

In 1982, Bart became a member of the Order of Australia.  He was an inaugural inductee into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2001 alongside 3 of his fellow trainers Colin Hayes, James Scobie and Tommy Smith.  In 2004, he became the first trainer to be given a Lifetime Membership to the Victorian Racing Club. 

At the completion of the 1989/1990 season Bart became the first trainer to win the Trainers Premiership in 3 different states (NSW, VIC and SA).  Two days shy of his 64th birthday (1991) Bart was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and elevated to Legend of Australian Sport in 2008.  In addition to his many Trainer of the Year accolades, he saw 9 of his trainees be named Champion Racehorse of the Year:  Dayana, Taj Rossi, Leilani, Lord Dudley, Maybe Mahal, Hyperno, Beau Zam, Let’s Elope and Saintly.

His first taste of Melbourne Cup success was as 23-year-old strapper to Comic Court in 1950, Bart’s father Jim Cummings, was Comic Court’s trainer.  

His first Melbourne Cup entry as a trainer was Asian Court in 1958, 5 years into his training career.  Asian Court finished 12th, three places behind his father’s horse, Auteuil.  In 1959, his horse Trellios came in 5th.  No entries in 1960, he took 6th in 1961 with Sometime.  1962 through 1964 did not see Bart enter a horse into the Melbourne Cup. 

But he burst back with a major statement in 1965 as his horses took out first and second place with Light Fingers half a head in front of Ziema; his third entry, The Dip, finished 18th.  Interestingly, Bart had actually backed Ziema to win it.  Sadly, Bart’s father Jim did not live to see his son win his first Melbourne Cup, passing away earlier that year. 

Bart repeated his feat of first and second place the following year, 1966, when Galilee came in two lengths ahead of Light Fingers.  A year later, 1967, he became the first trainer to win three back-to-back Melbourne Cups with Red Handed.  His other 1967 entries were Fulmen in 9th and Ziema, who this time finished 12th.   

In 1968 he opened stables at Flemington which he later named Saintly Place.  Flemington re-dedicated a general admission area beneath the Hill Stand and named it Saintly Place in honour of both.  They had started the million-dollar, Bart-endorsed renovation prior to his passing in 2015 but it was not unveiled until 5 months after his death.  Bart’s son Anthony and one of his daughters, Anne-Marie, were both present at the unveiling along with his 1999 Melbourne Cup winner, Rogan Josh who attended as part of his ‘retirement’ duties at Living Legends.

One of our favourite horses at Living Legends is the sweet-natured gelding, Rogan Josh

In the 1974, Bart became the first trainer in the entire British Commonwealth to train winners of more than one million dollars in prize money.  More than one-tenth of that prize money came from his 1974 Melbourne Cup efforts, Think Big took the big money ($105kon) by one length and Leilani’s second place earning $27,000.  In 1988, he was again the first trainer to have horses earn more than six million dollars in prize money.

In 1975, with three Bart-trained horses entered, Think Big won it again, this time with Holiday Waggon only ¾ of a length behind and Leica Lover coming in last.  With Think Big’s second win, he matched the Trainer total for number of Melbourne Cup wins (5).

In 1976, Bart took home 2nd place with Black and Gold.  The pair returned a year later and this time took home the major prize.  1977 was Bart’s 6th win, putting him in 1st place for Melbourne Cup wins over Etienne de Mestre from the previous century.  Bart’s two other 1977 entries, Ming Dynasty and Vacuum, finished 8th and 20th respectively. 

1978 saw Bart enter 4 horses into the Melbourne Cup, finishing 10th with Panamint, 11th with Vive Velours, 13th with Belmura Lad and 20th for Stormy Rex.

In 1979, Bart won his 7th Melbourne Cup and his fourth for the decade when Hyperno came home a short ½ head in front of Salamander.  Bart had one other entry in this race, Safe Harbour, who finished last in 21st.

Over the course of the 1980’s, Bart entered a total of 13 horses.  3 horses in 1980, another 3 in 1981 (finishing 6,7,8), 1 in 1982, 2 in 1983, 1 in each race of 1984, 86, 87 and 88.  But the best they could manage would be two Third placings – Mr Jazz in 1983 and Rosedale in 1987.

The 1990’s were a much more successful decade right from the word ‘Go’.  In 1990, Kingston Rule took home the big prize, marking the eighth time Bart would hold the Cup aloft.  In 1991, he took out 1st and 2nd for the fifth and final time, with Let’s Elope and Shiva’s Revenge two and half lengths behind.  1996 and now it is Saintly bringing home the big dollars.  And finally, Rogan Josh came home half a length ahead to round out the decade and century.  The sweet-natured gelding, who had been purchased for a mere $7,500 by his school-teaching owner, gave Bart an 11th touch of the Melbourne Cup and $1.8 million dollars in prize money for his owner.

Our busiest day taking groups to Living Legends is the Wednesday after Melbourne Cup Day. In 2019, two of lucky Tour Hosts were there when Wendy Green showed up to visit Rogan Josh with the trophy. Ever the gracious winner, Wendy posed for many photos during the course of her visit.

In 2008, Viewed won a 12th Melbourne Cup for Bart on the 50th Anniversary of his first Melbourne Cup entry in 1958; with a second horse, Moatize finishing 6th.  Bart’s son, Anthony, entered the gelding Red Lord into the same race, finishing 16th.

The following year, 2009, Viewed came in 7th and Bart’s other entries Allez Wonder and Roman Emperor finished 16th and 21st respectively.  Son Anthony came home in 19th place with Zavite.

In 2010, So You Think gave Bart his final Melbourne Cup placing when he finished third.  In the same race, Precedence came in 8th.  Anthony’s Zavite finished last.

More unplaced entries followed in 2011 (Precedence 11th and Illo 19th).  Precedence finished 9th in 2012 with Sanagas in 18th.  Bart didn’t enter any horses into 2013’s Melbourne Cup but returned for the last time in 2014, this time with grand-son James as co-trainer and again with Precedence who had his best cup finish in 6th place.  Incidentally, Precedence also finished 6th in The Bart Cummings Group 3 2520 metre race just 35 days after Bart passed.  From 2008 to 2015 Precedence had 69 starts for 10 wins and 10 places – it seems that 2 miles was just too much of a stretch for him, his best efforts came when racing 2000-2500 metres.

In total, Bart sent 88 horses into the Melbourne Cup over 45 races for a total of 12 wins and 10 places.  On 5 separate occasions his horses took first and second place in the same race (1965, 1966, 1974, 1975 and 1991).  The 88 entries do not include the 1969 favourite, Big Philou, who was scratched from the 1969 Cup after he was illicitly drugged with a laxative and was too unwell to compete.  Bart had good feeling who was behind the doping, even after a strapper admitted to it on his deathbed, but Bart never publicly announced it and took his belief to the grave.

While Bart Cummings didn’t exactly fall into training racehorses, his hand was partly forced.  While working for his father in the early 1950’s, Barts parents took a six-week holiday to Europe which ended up being longer than 6 months!  There was a time limit for stand-in trainers which was due to expire; if Bart didn’t apply for a licence himself the racing club stewards in South Australia would send Jim’s horses to other trainers.  Cummings Jnr took out a trainers licence and never looked back. 

There is no denying that Bart Cummings had a way with horses, he could see in seconds whether it had promise but he could also tell instantly whether the horse would be stayer, a sprinter or a mid-distance champion.  He saw things in yearlings that other trainers either didn’t see or didn’t rate (examples will follow in later parts).  A lot of his knowledge was learned from his father, but Bart took that information further by incorporating modern technologies and veterinary developments.  Bart had amazing powers of observation, was more patient than most and time and again he could prepare a horse for a big race right to the very hour.  Some of his charges were considered barely better than donkeys by others, but Bart could see past the defects and would manage that horse perfectly to win a specific race.   Success didn’t happen overnight and Bart’s career proves it. In his 13th year as a trainer he won more than double the amount of Group 1 races than he had in the prior 12 years combined.

A man, who at age 16, was diagnosed with asthma; an illness which was triggered by horse hair, grass, hay and other allergens commonly found around stables.  It really is little wonder they called him The Cups King.     

Roy Higgins Statue

Located at the Hill Gate entrance to Flemington Racecourse, the Roy Higgins statue greets thousands of spectators as they arrive by train at Flemington.

Roy Higgins was born on June 5th 1938 in Koondrook, a Victorian town on the Murray River but mostly grew up 90 kilometres away in the New South Wales town of Deniliquin.  He started his official riding career as a 15-year-old apprentice to Jim Watters, in Deniliquin in 1953; the same year that Bart Cummings registered as a trainer.  In truth though, he’d been riding horses since age 5.  His father owned a team of draught horses which he used for contracting jobs around the region.  Young Roy would use a forty-four-gallon drum to boost himself onto the giant horses and would dismount by sliding down the tails!

Dim-witted from dehydration due to a severe effort to drop his weight to the required 8-stone, Roy finished his first race 15 lengths last.  He would struggle with his weight his entire career but he very soon became one of the best, most sought-after riders in the Riverina region.  This was due in parts to his intelligence and understanding of his mounts, his ability to communicate the faults and assets of horses to their trainers and also because he could read a race so well.

Roy eventually moved to Melbourne, on his first appearance at Flemington Racecourse he won two races.  His mounts in those races were Gay Saxon and Triage.  Supposedly, it was this early accomplishment which earned him the nickname “The Professor”.

In 1961, The Professor had his first ride on a Bart Cummings horse, Native Statesman whom he rode in a lead-up race to the Moonee Valley Stakes.  Sadly, his mount got boxed in and together they barely managed to place.  Bart decided he wanted a more experience jockey for the race he been preparing the horse for.   That was his last ride for Bart until the trainer brought Light Fingers to his Flemington stables in 1964.  Together, the trio won the Edward Manifold Stakes, the Wakeful Stakes and the VRC Oaks at Flemington in the Spring of 1964 followed by the AJC Oaks at Randwick in the Autumn of 1965.  In the Spring of 1965, Light Fingers earned her jockey and trainer their first Melbourne Cup each and in doing so set a record for the heaviest load for a mare in the Melbourne Cup (8st4lb or 52.6 kilos).  The following year, Light Fingers and Roy finished second by 2 lengths to Galilee, both horses trained by Bart Cummings.  By all accounts, Light Fingers was probably Roy’s favourite mount, they got along very well, to the point where he loved her and kept two photographs of her in his living room.  “She just wouldn’t give in.  She would give you her heart and soul – that’s why she made jockeys look like champions… Horses like that come along once in a lifetime.”

His love for Light Fingers is written all over his face

In 1967, Roy rode another Bart Cummings trained horse to Melbourne Cup victory, his second (and final) and Bart’s third.  On this occasion the horse was Red Handed, as Light Fingers was retired that year, but Higgins had Red Handed wearing Light Fingers white bridle.  His win on Red Handed is a testament to his skill as a jockey, proof that he could lift a horse at the right moment to win, even if only by a neck.

In addition to Bart Cummings, Roy Higgins rode for many of the most successful trainers of the era including Tommy Smith.  Both men would acknowledge and thank the brilliant jockey for his contributions to their careers and reputations.  By the end of their time together, Cummings was quoted as saying “Roy was the best of my jockeys.  He had perception and that’s just about the best thing a jockey can have.  He could read a race, sense what was going to happen, sense that this or that horse was going to fall back and cause interference.  He was always two lengths ahead of the problem.  All jockeys can ride but very few of them can think”.  High praise indeed.

Higgins won major races in every Australian state, 2300 wins in total with 108 Group 1 winners among them.  Over his career he rode to victory in every major Australian race with the exception of the Stradbroke Handicap.  His long and successful career spanned 30 years, eventually retiring to be “a fat little man” in October 1983 with his last race taking place at Flemington.  He rode many fantastic horses to victory including, but not limited to, Gunsynd, Leilani, Storm Queen and Big Philou (Light Fingers’ brother).

Following his retirement from riding, he took to radio commentary, specifically he would stand in the parade ring and comment on the horses before each race.  His commentaries were so accurate that many punters would wait for his conclusion before placing their bets based on Roy’s estimations… they were rarely disappointed.

His services to horse racing awarded him the Medal of the Order of the British Empire in 1974, induction to Sport Australia Hall of fame in December 1987 and Induction to Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.

A short bout in hospital from diabetes complications, Roy Higgins left our world peacefully on 8th March 2014 at age 75.

In Part 2 and onwards, we’ll take a deeper look at the horses who have the honour of being remembered at Flemington with their racing colours on display.

The Ultimate Act of Sportsmanship

Known as “Sportsmanship” this statue located at Olympic Park on Olympic Boulevard and created by Mitch Mitchell in 2002, captures a moment of pure sportsmanship, where one runner stops to help another who has fallen.

The runners in question are John Landy and the then relatively-unknown Ron Clarke.  The race was held at Olympic Park Melbourne, in front of a 22,000 strong crowd and was the final of the National Championships, a pre-cursor to the Olympic Games to be held later that year.    

John Landy was the second person to achieve to sub-4 minute mile and at the time held the World Record for the fastest mile, at 3 minutes and 58 seconds.  There was a lot of expectation on Landy to set a new world record in this race.  What happened next is best described by the lad depicted here on the ground, Ron Clarke – who at the time of the race was the World Junior Champion.  Below is an excerpt from his autobiography, The Unforgiving Minute, as only he can best describe what happened:

“For two and a half laps the crowd watched enthralled.  Robbie Morgan-Morris went through the first lap in 59 seconds followed closely by myself, Alec Henderson, John Plummer and the favourite [Landy].  At the half-mile Robbie was still there and the time was 2:02:0.  I loped along behind him, anxious to finish at least among the first three runners and improve my best mile time.  Soon after the third lap I took the lead and then on a bend occurred an incident that stunned everybody... Alec came up on the inside of John.  He evidently tried also to wedge his way through between me and the kerb, and in doing so accidentally clipped my heel.  I lost balance and went sprawling on to the track while Alec staggered on to the verge of the arena, recovered and ran on.  John had no other choice but to jump over me, his spikes lacerating my right arm as he did so.  I was in such a daze that I felt no pain.  Within seconds the whole field was jumping over me or running wide.  Then John did a foolish, but typically thoughtful thing - he came back to say he was sorry and see if I was alright.  The mile title, his bid for the world record, even the approaching Olympics... all were forgotten as the champion made his spontaneous gesture to the raw stripling floundering in the cinders.”

More than 60 years later this spontaneous gesture has never been forgotten.  Let’s also not forget, that despite losing 6 or 7 seconds by stopping to help, Landy made up a huge deficit during the final two laps to go on to win that race in the time of 4 minutes and 4 seconds.

Both gentlemen went on to appear at the Olympic Games later that year.  Melbourne boy, Ron Clarke then only 19, was chosen to light the Olympic Flame during the opening ceremony but did not compete. 

Also born and bred in Melbourne, John Landy did compete at his local Olympic Games.  Sadly, he sustained an injury during promotions in the USA so was not running at 100 per cent at the 1956 Games in Melbourne but still took home the Bronze medal in the 1500 metre (or 1 mile) race. 

What became of the two of them? 

Ron Clarke, the son and brother of two Essendon Football Club players, eventually moved to Queensland’s Gold Coast in 1995.  A trained Accountant, he went on to become Mayor of the Gold Coast in 2004, retiring from the position 2012.  He passed away from kidney failure in 2015 and is survived by his wife and two sons after losing his daughter to breast cancer in 2009.  His influence helped to establish a second Queensland based AFL team, the Gold Coast Suns.  During his athletic career, spanning more than a decade and various distances between 1 to 6 miles, Ron Clarke won 12 Australian Championships and 12 Victorian Championships.  He brought home a Bronze medal in the 10,000 metre at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and 4 Silver medals from 3 Commonwealth Games (Perth 1962, Kingston 1966 and Edinburgh 1970).  A 44-day tour of Europe in 1965 saw him compete 18 times and break 12 World Records including the first man to run 3 miles (4,828 metres) in under 13 minutes (12.52.4) and was the first to run 10,000 metres (6.214 miles) in less than 28 minutes (27.39.4).   

John Landy studied Agricultural Science at University.  Following his retirement from athletics, he wrote two natural history books (Close to Nature, 1984 and A Coastal Diary, 1993).  He served for eight years on the Victorian Land Conservation Council (1971-1978).  In January 2001 Landy was sworn in as Governor of Victoria, a successful post he held for more than 5 years, retiring in 2006.  During the final months of his Governorship Landy was also the final baton runner at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, presenting the baton to her majesty The Queen at the Opening Ceremony which was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.  Landy, now aged 90, resides in the former gold mining Victorian town of Castlemaine with his wife Lynne.  He has a son and a daughter, both of whom live overseas with their families.

Melbourne's Tributes to the 1956 Olympic Games

We’ve been missing our tours at Melbourne Sports Tours so we’re making a series of blog posts for you and taking the opportunity to talk about some of the things that there’s rarely time to cover whilst on tour.

For our first article, we headed to Melbourne’s Sports Precinct.  Most folks know the area for team sports and entertainment and with so much going on in this area there is always lots to talk about here.  Which probably explains why there’s never enough time to cover everything as thoroughly as we’d like!

Given that it occurred before many of us were born, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that our favourite stadium also hosted an Olympic Games, way back in 1956.  The XVI Olympiad, also known as The Friendly Games.

There are numerous tributes and monuments acknowledging the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games which are dotted around Melbourne’s Sports Precinct.   Some you may already know; some you might have forgotten and maybe one or two will come as a surprise. 

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Given that the majority of events took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, it is little surprise that there are many tributes around the stadium.  First up, and probably the most obvious, is The Olympic Stand of the MCG.

The current Olympic Stand was built in the early 2000’s to accommodate the Commonwealth Games.  It replaced the Northern Stand that was built in 1955 for the Olympic Games and which was later renamed the Olympic Stand.  Inside the Olympic Stand, you will also find the Olympic Room which is a multi-purpose room.  During the footy season, the home club will use it for their Presidents Dinner but year-round, on non-match days, the room and adjoining spaces can be hired for meetings, conferences and such-like.

Located between Gates 2 and 3 of the Olympic Stand is a plaque, carved in granite, it lists all the Gold Medallists from the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

There are numerous other tributes to the Melbourne Olympic Games inside the stadium but we’ll have to wait until their tours resume to have a better look at those!

Betty Cuthbert Statue

Betty Cuthbert was just 18 years old when she competed in her first Olympic Games, on home soil here in Melbourne.  She was born in 1938 in Merrylands in Sydney’s West and died in Mandurah, Western Australia in 2017 aged 79.  Betty Cuthbert won 3 gold medals here in Melbourne, in the 100 metres, 200 metres and also the 100-metre relay and was the first Australian of either gender to win 3 gold medals at a single Olympics.  It is little wonder she was known as “The Golden Girl. 

Injury prevented her from attending the 1960 Olympics in Rome but she returned in 1964 for the Tokyo Olympics to win a 4th Gold Medal at the first Olympic 400 metre Women’s event.  In addition to this statue, there is also a lounge inside the Olympic Stand which is named in her honour.

Shirley Strickland Statue

Shirley Strickland, also known by her married name Shirley de la Hunty, holds the Australian record for most Olympic medals for running sports, with a total of 7 medals across 3 Games.  3 of those medals were Gold, for 80m Hurdles in Helsinki and in Melbourne and also the 100m relay alongside Betty Cuthbert also in Melbourne.  She was part of the Silver winning Australian 100m relay team at the 1948 London Games.  Her 3 bronze medals came in the 100m run and 80m hurdle in London 1948 and the 100m race in Helsinki 1952.

In actual fact, her medal tally should be 8.  Shirley is on the record as finishing fourth in the 200 metres final at the 1948 London games.  But a photo of the race finish, discovered in 1975 and which was not consulted at the time, proves without-doubt that Shirley did in fact finish in front of the American Audrey Patterson and thus should have taken home the bronze.

English Oak Trees

There is a line of English Oak trees alongside Brunton Avenue between the William Barak Bridge and the footbridge to Rod Laver Arena.  They were gifted to the city of Melbourne by British industrialists.  The trees were brought to Melbourne and planted by the British Olympic team in 1956 to commemorate the Olympic Games.  How many of us drive past these trees regularly and never realised what they were?

Olympic Precinct Plaque

On the concourse separating Melbourne Arena from the National Tennis Centre and just south of the footbridge leading to Gate 7 of the MCG you will find a bronze plaque which outlines a 3D map of the Sports Precinct as it appeared in 1956.  It was laid in 2006 to celebrate 50 years since the Melbourne Olympic Games.  On the plaque you will see Olympic Park Pool, Olympic Park, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the old velodrome and hockey fields plus the transport car park. 

Olympic Boulevard

The section of Swan Street from Punt Road west to the Yarra River was renamed in 2006 in tribute of the Melbourne Olympic Games.  Interestingly, the bridge was not renamed and retains its original (but not that original) name of Swan Street Bridge.

On the south side of Olympic Boulevard is Olympic Park, Gosch’s Paddock and AAMI Park.  The north side is taken up by Melbourne Park, site of the Australian Open but popular year-round as a sports and entertainment precinct.  Both parks are collectively managed by the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust.

Olympic Park and Olympic Park Pool

Olympic Park is so named because this was used by the Olympic track and field athletes for training. 

It adjoins a building many Melburnians refer to as the old Glasshouse.  Before it was known as The Glasshouse it was named Olympic Park Pool.  The building housed an Olympic sized swimming pool and also a diving pool.  Melbourne hosted fully enclosed pool events for the first time at an Olympics Games.  The pool was filled in and covered in parquetry flooring in the 1980’s and for a brief time the building served as a concert hall while Rod Laver Arena was being built.

Both sites are now occupied by Australian Rules Football team, the Collingwood Magpies. These days the site is known collectively as The Holden Centre but unofficially as the Magpies Nest.

I'll meet you under the clocks - Flinders St Station

Flinders St Station - one of the most iconic landmarks in Melbourne.  It’s featured constantly on postcards and is probably the most photographed building in the city, but how much do you really know about this site?  Show Me Melbourne takes a look at its history and features.

Flinders Street Station has been the main metropolitan train station for Melbourne for well over 150 years. There has been a station here since 1854 when a single line was installed to what is now Port Melbourne which makes it Australia’s oldest train station.  From 1865 to 1892 it was also the site of Melbourne’s first fish market – probably not the greatest entry to the city!  By the late 1920s Flinders St was the busiest train station in the entire world serving almost 300,000 passengers a day!

The current French Renaissance style building was completed in 1910.  It was the result of a design competition.  The winning designers were two railway workers James Fawcett and H.P.C. Ashworth.  There were a range of spaces that could be let for shops and offices, from the basement and ranging up a further four floors.  Most of the top floor was reserved for the Victorian Railways Institute which over the years has included a lecture theatre which was later converted into a grand ballroom, a library, crèche with a roof-top open air playground, a billiard room, a private gym with a boxing ring and even a roof-top running track which I believe is still there.  The ballroom was a popular place for dances in the 50s and 60s but unfortunately closed in the mid-1980s and fell into disrepair.  The only chance you have to see it these days is during Open House Melbourne in July each year.  But only if you’re one of the 20 or so people lucky enough to win a ticket!  The room has undergone a structural refurbishment in the past few years, but as far as I’m aware there are still no concrete plans to reopen it.  If you want to get an idea of the interior, check out Vance Joy’s 2014 film clip of My Kind of Man.

One of the most famous features of the station is the clocks out front showing the next train scheduled for each line.  Undoubtedly the most popular meeting place in the city, “I’ll meet you under the clocks” is a saying that has been used by generations of Melbournians.  The clocks actually predate the current station building by around 50 years having been used at the previous station.  These days they’re automatic, but originally they were manually adjusted.  At one point it was someone’s job to change them around 900 times in an 8 hour shift using a long pole.  I’ve done the maths for you and that’s 112 times an hour or almost twice a minute. 
When it was proposed that they be replaced by digital clocks there was such a public uproar that they were reinstated within 24 hours.

There’s always something new to learn about Flinders St, and something I only learned yesterday is that in the late 1980s when the station was being refurbished the builders incorporated heating under the stone steps so that people sitting there wouldn’t get cold!  I have clear memories of my grandmother telling me about the same era that if I sat on cold concrete I’d get piles, so maybe the chief engineer had been told the same thing!  Or maybe he was just a nice guy.

If you’re in Melbourne and visiting Flinders St Station, allow a little time to have a look at one of the original shops – City Hatters.  Before the current station was built this was the station masters office, but since 1910 it’s been a hat shop.  They’ve served generations of Melbournians from swaggies to aristocracy.  It’s changed hands a couple of times, but the current owners have had it since 1927.  Definitely a Melbourne institution.

If you’re looking for a guided tour of Melbourne, including Flinders St Station, have a look at our tours on offer or email us at info@showmemelbourne.com.au and let us design a private tour just for you.