Turf Monthly December 2020

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TURF

December 2020

THIS MONTH

GRAND FLANEUR - the best ever?

TWILIGHT PAYMENT - MELBOURNE CUP 2020 GRAND FLANEUR -and his surprising legacy ANOTHER GREAT RACE IN HISTORY

Editor’s Letter

The Melbourne Spring has just finished, and we have seen an unusual one with COVID disrupting the crowds to the lowest level in history. TV figures will show that the world still watched the Cup which remains the greatest racing highlight in Australia if not the world. The real question though is what we can learn from the Spring? The answer to that I believe can be shown just by looking at the fields of the major races. The Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup fields were dominated by Northern Hemisphere horses.

It was in 2008 that the legendary Bart Cummings trained his twelfth Melbourne Cup winner when Viewed got a narrow photo from the imported Bauer. Bart Cummings was often quoted as saying that horses needed at least 10km of racing in their legs before tackling the Cup. In 2020, only Miami Bound with 10,063 had covered that distance in races since August. Persan had arguably covered more distance in races, but he had been in work since April. His races had been spaced and he went into the Cup not having started since 3 October. How we choose to assess this is up to us. We could conclude that training methods have changed and that trainers like Bart Cummings are from a different time. We could also presuppose that we have a changing breed of horse. A recent published report indicated that the thoroughbred is now more heavily inbred than at any time in our history, and it is possible that we are breeding a horse that is less capable of coping with constant racing.

Another equally valid conclusion might just be that Australia is no longer capable of breeding a good stayer. I would find that hard to believe considering we have seen horses like Dundeel, So You Think and Tavistock at stud here in recent years, all of which should be more than capable of producing outstanding middle distance horses at least. Maybe breeders though just aren’t interested or maybe trainers don’t know what to do with them when they do.

The amazing thing is that straight after we look at the stayers in the Cup, it is about time to move our focus to the other extreme with the pending Magic Millions sale and carnival about to kick off come the New Year. We can confidently predict that we won’t be seeing many of those yearlings going on to run in a Melbourne Cup. A final word of thanks again to some of the wonderful people who help make Turf Monthly happen.

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CONTENTS 4

4

18

TWILIGHT PAYMENT

8 GRAND FLANEUR - THE BEST EVER

14 THE JOCKEY

18 THE FAMILY

8

24

24 THE LEGACY

48 SIR ADRIAN KNOX

50 14

GREAT RACES

48

50

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TWILIGHT PAYMENT MELBOURNE CUP WINNER 2020

Racing Photos TM

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he Melbourne Cup has been run and won again. The Irish visitor Twilight Payment is the first winner to have led all of the way since Might And Power in 1997. Part owned by Lloyd Williams, it was the seventh time that he has shared in the ownership of a Cup winner which is a truly amazing result.

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t was Twilight Payment’s eight win from his thirtieth start and his second in Australia having run in last year’s Cup. He was born in 2013, a son of Teofilo out of the Irish mare, Dream On Buddy by Oasis Dream. Twilight Payment had his first start in a race at Navan racetrack in Ireland. The 3yo finished fourth of eight in a 3yo maiden on 15 May 2016 beaten 2.5 lengths over 13 furlongs (2600m). He was trained by Jim Bolger and ridden by Kevin Manning who years before had combined with his sire Teofilo. Two weeks later he ran second, beaten a neck when dropping back to 10f (2000m) at the same track. He went to Ascot three weeks later to be placed in the Listed Queen's Vase over 2 miles. Another four weeks later he earned his first win in a maiden over 12f (2400m). He ended his 3yo season with a win in the Listed Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh for his second win from six starts. As a 4yo, Twilight Payment had another six starts with his only unplaced run being six of 10 in the G1 Irish St. Leger behind Order Of St George. In his next season, the 5yo gelding was again only unplaced once, this time from seven starts. He ran fourth, again in the G1 Irish St. Leger, behind Flag Of Honour. He was to win the Listed Her Majesty's Plate at Down Royal in Ireland over 14f (2800m). Twilight Payment then had four runs as a 6yo winning the Listed Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown, and the G2 Curragh Cup before being sold and changing stables to Joseph O’Brien. He was sent to Australia for a tilt at the 2019 Melbourne Cup where he ran 11th, beaten less than 4 lengths behind Vow And Declare.

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e had his first start as a 7yo, in Northern Hemisphere time, in the Longines Turf Handicap over 15f (3000m) at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Twilight Payment finished a well beaten seventh in a field that included Prince Of Arran, Cross Counter and True Self who we have all seen in Australia. Back in the UK, Twilight Payment had four more starts this year before his Melbourne Cup win. This included wins in the G3 Vintage Crop Stakes, and the G2 Curragh Cup which both also featured another Lloyd Williams’ horse in Master Of Reality. Twilight Payment rounded off his Melbourne Cup preparation with a third in the G1 Irish St Leger.

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he sire of Twilight Payment, Teofilo was trained in Ireland by Jim Bolger and owned during his racing career by Jackie Bolger. He was crowned Champion 2yo in 2006 in an unbeaten career that saw him have only five starts in total, with all of these at that age. Teofilo first start resulted in a win by only a neck over the Aidan O'Brien trained Red Rock Canyon in a maiden race at the Curragh. Two weeks later he won the G3 Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown which was followed by a narrow win the G2 Futurity. At his next start he won the G1 Irish National Stakes beating another of Aidan O'Brien's 2yo’s Holy Roman Emperor. Teofilo then went to England to win the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in what was to be his final race.

Detroit winning the Arc

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Carnegie

He was a son of the champion stallion, Galileo out of a Danehill mare called Speirbhean and went on to become a top stallion siring stakes winners like Cross Counter who won the 2018 Melbourne Cup, Exultant a three time G1 winner in Hong Kong, and Irish St Leger winner, Voleuse De Coeurs who came to Australia to run in the 2013 Melbourne Cup where he finished 10th. He stayed in Australia for three more starts running unplaced in the Australian Cup, BMW and Sydney Cup. Teofilo shuttled to Australia from 2009 to 2018 and locally produced 10 stakes winners with his best being Happy Clapper (Doncaster, Epsom and Canterbury Stakes), Humidor (VRC Makbye Diva and Australian Cup, Memsie Stakes), Kermadec (Doncaster and George Main), Palentino (VRC Makbye Diva and Australian Guineas), and Sonntag (Qld Derby). Kermadec quite appropriately is the sire of the promising filly Montefilia who ran third in the VRC Oaks after winning the ATC Spring Champion Stakes.

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wilight Payments is the first of four runners to date from his dam, Dream On Buddy and surprisingly her only winner. She is by Oasis Dream, a son of Green Desert and he won three G1 races but none past 6f (1200m). His wins were in the Middle Park Stakes, July Cup and Nunthorpe Stakes. He has sired over 20 stakes winners worldwide over a range of distances, although mainly the shorter trips. His only G1 winner in Australia is Opinion who won the Metropolitan and Paramatta Cup.

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he female family of Twilight Payment is one of the best in the Stud Book. We need only to go back to his fourth dam to find a mare called Detroit by Riverman who won the 1980 Arc de Triomphe. Her son, Carnegie by Sadler’s Wells was to win five stakes races including the 1994 Arc de Triomphe and the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud. Carnegie was a quality stallion and another who shuttled to Australia where he produced gallopers like Amalfi, Carnegie Express, Perlin, Tuesday Joy and Vision And Power.

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etroit was a half-sister to Durtal by Lyphard who won the GB Fred Darling Stakes and Cheveley Park Stakes. Another half-sister by Val De Loir called Valderna was to come to New Zealand and then later Australia where she produced two stakes winners in Baryshnikov by Kenmare who won the VRC Australian Guineas, Sandown Guineas and JJ Liston Stakes and Zabeel by Sir Tristram. With the success of Zabeel at stud we often forget just how good a racehorse he was. He won five stakes races in the Australian Guineas, Alister Clark, Moonee Valley Stakes, Craiglee Stakes and the VRC The Debonair. However, it was as a stallion that he left an indelible mark especially on the Melbourne Cup. He sired 162 stakes winners including champions like Octagonal. His influence on the Cup though was remarkable, siring Efficient, Jezabeel and of course Might And Power to win the race.

Perhaps it is not a surprise that Twilight Payment has a frontrunning style. We should remember also that Zabeel’s champion son Octagonal is the grand sire of Pierro who is the sire of one the only Australian bred horses in this year’s Cup in Persan.

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wilight Payment not only was a worthy winner of the Cup, but his pedigree is one that has a real connection to the race.

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PEDIGREE NOTES: Twilight Payment has quite a deal of inbreeding which is a little unusual in a staying type at 12.5%. We see initially an all-male duplication of Danzig through his sons Danehill and Green Desert. No doubt this is significant when we consider that there is a total of five lines of Northern Dancer in the first six generations. Interestingly all of these are through sons. Because Danehill is in the pedigree it also highlights the five lines of Natalma that we see corresponding to this, with another being pushed back into the seventh generation. Significantly we see that the Northern Dancer sire line is represented by Sadler’s Wells, a grandson of the mare, Special. Through the female line of Twilight Payment, we also see the presence of Nureyev, a three-quarter brother to Sadler’s Wells and a son of Northern Dancer and Special. The other duplication we see is that of Hail To Reason who appears in the pedigree of Sadler’s Wells and also through the sire line of My Renee, the dam of Twilight Payment.

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here has only ever been one undefeated winner of the Melbourne Cup. His name was Grand Flaneur and he won the 1880 edition of the race. It has been a long time since then, but no other horse has come close to matching that record of Grand Flaneur. Many of the day said that he was our greatest racehorse ever, and even though time has dimmed his importance, you would have to be brave or foolhardy to dismiss this claim. Who was Grand Flaneur and what made him so unique?

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rand Flaneur was a bay colt foaled in 1877. He was by Yattendon out of the St Albans’ mare, First Lady. The mare was mated seven times in succession with Yattendon, and Grand Flaneur was the third of those. Most notable at the time is that her fourth dam was Banter, the dam of Touchstone by Camel who was a champion in the UK winning two Ascot Gold Cups, two Doncaster Cups and the St Leger. He was a top stallion who had a lasting impact on the breed with his direct sire line responsible for stallions like Musket, Carbine, Bay Ronald, Bayardo and a host of other outstanding horses. Another stallion from this sire line was Windbag who produced Chatham also from the same female family as Grand Flaneur with First Lady as his fifth dam. This family is the Lowe number 14 family.

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RACING CAREER

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is first start came on New Year’s Day, 1880 in the Normanby Stakes when ridden by Billy Yeomans for his trainer, Tom Brown. He was trained on the private grounds of Grand Flaneur’s owner and breeder, the Hon. W. A. Long at Chipping Norton. These grounds were later to become the Warwick Farm Racecourse. Reports suggest that Grand Flaneur was not an overly attractive colt. He was said to have a very honest looking head, a light neck, and very deep chest.

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t was the second major 2yo race of the season and included the Maribyrnong Plate winner, Palmyra by Maribyrnong out of The Fawn who started the even money favourite. Grand Flaneur was sent out at the generous odds of 7/1 and won by a half-length to Trevallyn by Gemma Di Vergy out of Young Emily. The colt was sore after the race and returned to Sydney for a lengthy spell.

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rand Flaneur was not a robust colt, his trainer having an anxious time with him when preparing for his three-year-old engagements. He was entered for the Hawkesbury Guineas but was scratched from that race although doubts exist as to whether soundness was the sole reason. The stable had another horse Geraldine, by Yattendon from Atholine, that they thought could win, and jockey Tom Hales got the filly home with a comfortable two lengths to spare.

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he colt’s first race in the Spring was the AJC Derby where he started at 2/1 on again beating Trevallyn. This was the first time he had been ridden by famed jockey Tommy Hales who partnered Grand Flaneur for the rest of his career. A field of seven faced the starter, and when Sapphire and Grand Flaneur joined Trevallyn, a spirited finish ended in Grand Flaneur winning by half a length from Trevallyn, with Sapphire a neck away third. The colt followed up with a win in the Mares’ Produce over 10 furlongs beating Creswick also a son of Yattendon out of the imported Q.E.D. After his Derby success, the 7 to 4 on asked by the bookmakers appeared a fair price, as Creswick, by Yattendon, was viewed as the most serious opponent in the six-horse field. As expected, Grand Flaneur won easily from Creswick, with Zulu a moderate third.

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rown packed up and shipped his team to Melbourne where Grand Flaneur’s first test was in the Victorian Derby. He met a more fancied colt in Progress by Angler out of Coquette for the first time in the Derby. Progress had won a race at Geelong in the Winter and was trained by Bill Branch. Eleven runners turned out for the Derby and Progress started favourite at 11/8, while 6/4 was offered against Grand Flaneur who won comfortably by a length from Progress, while a dozen lengths further back came the outsider Mulatto.

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rogress was again heavily supported in the Melbourne Cup a few days later given the weight advantage he now held over the Sydney colt. Grand Flaneur started at 4/1 while Progress was favourite at 3/1. The other two in the market at 7/1 were Lord Burghley and the NZ horse, Mata. Mata was to win the VRC Handicap on the last day of the Flemington meeting, but was disqualified for his alleged non-trying in the Melbourne Cup.

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he 1880 Cup had a huge crowd with a large international flavour. In October, Melbourne had a public holiday to celebrate the opening of the now heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building. The opening marked the beginning of a world trade fair that lasted for seven months and drew people from across the globe, many of whom attended the unique cultural festival that is the Melbourne Cup.

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rand Flaneur was penalised one stone (6.5kg) for the cup after his Derby win and yet still only carried 6 stone 10 (42.5kgs). Despite the pull in weight, Grand Flaneur proved himself a much better colt than Progress. Lord Burghley led into the straight with Progress in second, and Grand Flaneur sitting three-wide. At the furlong, Hales gave Grand Flaneur a kick and he put the race beyond doubt in a few strides. He won by a length with a half-head between second and third. Owner Mr WA Long was a heavy bettor and had wagered on his colt to win the Derby-Cup double to the tune of 20,000 pounds.

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he Saturday after the Cup Grand Flaneur again beat Progress over 10 furlongs in the Victorian Mares’ Produce. Grand Flaneur had a let up until New Year’s Day 1881 when he faced off against a field of only 5 in the Champion Stakes over the marathon distance of 48 furlongs. Back at WFA conditions, he carried the equivalent of 48kgs, again beating the hapless Progress into second. The third horse, Sweetmeat who had run second in the Melbourne Cup the year before, was 25 lengths behind the two 3yo’s.

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rand Flaneur did not start again until 26 February in the Victorian St Leger and he scared off all but one competitor, and of course it was Progress who was to finish second to Grand Flaneur for the fifth consecutive time. The Sydney colt started at 3 /1 on and returned an easy winner by a length and a half.

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f any doubt the ability of Progress, the unlucky colt was still to win nine stakes races in his career. They included a win in the AJC St Leger by 20 lengths and the AJC Plate in a reported “common canter.” His other wins included a Sydney Cup, the South Australian St Leger, a Geelong Cup, the VRC Royal Park Stakes which was the forerunner to the Turnbull Stakes, and the VRC Canterbury Plate which became the Queen Elizabeth.

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he champion’s last start was to come on 5 March 1881, this time over the 2 miles of the Town Plate. He had little more than an exhibition gallop in a field of three that surprisingly did not include Progress. This time Grand Flaneur beat Sweetmeat, another son of Yattendon who we mentioned had run third in the Champion Stakes. He was a well credentialled Sydney horse who won the Epsom, Craven Plate, Autumn Stakes and Randwick Stakes as well as his Melbourne Cup second. Sweetmeat was to run third to Zulu in the following Melbourne Cup. He was little match for the champion on the day though with Grand Flaneur winning comfortably in what was tragically his final start. Grand Flaneur was taken back to Sydney for their carnival but broke down hopelessly in the near foreleg. He was purchased by Mr. Andrew Town, of Hobartville Stud, for 5000 guineas.

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rand Flaneur proved a highly successful stallion and died on 17 April 1900 at the age of 17.

THE OWNER W A LONG

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rand Flaneur was owned by the Honourable WA Long who was at times a controversial figure. The standing of Grand Flaneur in the eyes of the public had been diminished by the antics of Long. A few days before the Town Plate, Grand Flaneur was scheduled to start in the Australian Cup. He had won the St Leger easily and was a short-priced favourite in a race that would have been a formality including a field featuring. Long withdrew Grand Flaneur shortly before the race having wagered heavily on the second favourite Firstwater at inflated odds who eventually won easily. It created a near riot when the public found out.

Many thought that fate intervened with Grand Flaneur’s subsequent injury as a cosmic payback for his owner’s behaviour.

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t was reported as the worst demonstration on a racetrack when the horses returned to the paddock. When some sailors called down from the hill, “Send him up aloft and we'll hang him,” Long is reported to have turned to his trainer, Tom Brown, and said, “That's hot, Tom.” The demonstration extended into the stands. The affair created a great sensation, and Mr Long posted the following letter to the leading newspapers:

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s the public seemed dissatisfied on Thursday and Saturday last at the scratching of Grand Flaneur from the Australian Cup, I desire to make as public as possible that the horses running in my name are either the property of Mr. J. R. Smith and myself, or the solo property of one of us. That they run only for our sole pleasure and benefit; that I have the sole management of their racing, and will scratch them for any engagement at my own convenience, within the provision of the rules and regulations of the V.R.C. and A.J.C. or similar rules of any club under which they may be raced, or the special conditions of, any particular race for which they may be entered. I desire to caution the public against backing my horses until they appear on the racecourse.”

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ong’s letter did not alleviate the tension and the demonstration was framed by the newspapers as a genuine protest from the public against wealthy racing men treating them unkindly. The Victorian public had said, according to the papers of the day,

ou have come amongst as, won our money, and we have not begrudged the victories of so great a colt as you are fortunate enough to possess; but you profess to be a gentleman, and we expect you to race like a gentleman. In backing Firstwater and keeping your own horse in until the eleventh hour you have committed an act which we will not readily forget. It is all very well for you and other racing men to ignore us, and tell us you can do what you like with your own; but it is to us, the Victorian public, you are indebted for the £8,000 in stakes and £20,000 in bets you have won on Grand Flaneur. Were it not for our patronage the Victoria Racing Club would not be able to exist, and were it not for the money we invested in backing other horses for the Melbourne Cup, you would not have been able to get on at the odds you did. Therefore, we are entitled to some consideration from you, more especially as you are a wealthy man and can afford to despise the tricks adopted by needy men. This was the sum and substance of those yells and shouts that proceeded from the hill when Mr. Long made his appearance in the weighing enclosure.”

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r Long was one of the best-known sportsmen in the Commonwealth and died in the Lewisham Private Hospital, Sydney, on 30 November 1915 after an extended illness.

He was educated in England and served briefly on the Bar before returning to Australia. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly for Central Cumberland and was for a time Colonial Treasurer in one of Sir John Robertson's Ministries. Mr Long raced in England as well as Australia and owned many good horses apart from Grand Flaneur including Hopscotch, Petrea, Crossfire, Abner, Dainty, Consequence, My Lord, Patroness, and Parthian. After the death of Andrew Town, the Hobartville stud came into the possession of Long and George Hill. Mr Long was a long-time member of the AJC Committee and was Chairman for a time.

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THE JOCKEY TOM HALES

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ommy Hales who was to become one of the first jockeys to be inducted to the Hall Of Fame was to use a 3 pound saddle on Grand Flaneur in the Cup and had carried some 28 pounds of lead to make up the additional weight in the Derby a few days before. Hales was reported in a Melbourne newspaper as saying that he considered Grand Flaneur the ideal racehorse who “would go as far as you wished and stay as long as you wanted him.”

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ales was born in Portland, in the western district of Victoria in 1S47, but went to South Australia as a boy, living in Penola. His family tried to have him learn as a blacksmith, but after an unsuccessful stint he tried his hand at saddlery. Hales wanted to be a jockey, and in defiance of his family’s wishes, he pursued his dream riding his first winner, Euclid in a match race. Hales lived for a time at Mr. Edward Stockdale's station, where Adam Lindsay Gordon was breaking in horses. Upon taking a large team of horses to Adelaide for the carnival, the young Hales decided to stay and try his luck. He broke in the popular local horse Smuggler and rode him in his first metropolitan win. Hales rode on both the flat and over the hurdles in South Australia earning a growing reputation. In 1872 Hale went to Melbourne to ride Benvolio in the Maribyrnong Plate for SA sportsman, TJ Ryan. That horse was later to win the AJC Derby in 1873. Hales linked up with the Melbourne stable of W. Winch, of Pytchley Lodge. Hales was later to ride for Mr Long and another of Australia’s biggest owners in Mr James White. No authentic record was kept of Hales' winning mounts in South Australia, but from a booklet prepared by Mr. J. Henry, giving his career, it appears that from 1872, when Hales first rode in Melbourne to 1894, when he had his last race start, he had 1678 mounts, winning 496 races, being placed second on 332 occasions, and third 195 times. The total value of stakes won being £168,340. During the V.R.C. Autumn meeting of 1888, Hales won 11 races out of 14 mounts, which is probably a record that will never be beaten.

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om Hales was the most popular jockey of his day and his fame far exceeded that of any other jockey before him. In a time when jockeys were allowed to bet, Hales had an unblemished reputation both on and off the track. The industry had the utmost faith in Hales, who was never once charged by stewards for impropriety, and it was not hinted throughout his long career that he had not tried to win a race. Hales always was scrupulously fair towards other riders, and

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this resulted in those of his time rating him superior to his great English contemporary, Fred Archer. One that may dispute that was fellow rider, Ted Gorry who many years later recounted a story of Hales riding Trident. He said “Hales started to shove my mount out. I lay in close to Trident, but I wouldn't give ground. Hales belaboured me with the whip, but in the excitement, I felt no hurt. I thought that while paying attention to me he would neglect his mount, and so I took what was coming. I knew Trident was a beaten horse before straightening up for the Judge.�

Hales refused to talk to Gorry upon returning but was approached by owner Mr Long who told him that Hales was going to lodge an objection. It was then that Long noticed the bruises and bleeding on Gorry’s shoulders and arms. Gorry said that Hales had hit him mistakenly instead of Trident, but no protest was ever lodged.

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ales was reported to have had a graceful seat in the saddle in a time of the straight-back rider. He seldom used a whip and had perfect hands and was one of the finest judges of pace in a race.

e must remember that this was a very different time from now, and this is highlighted by the testimony of a bookie in Barney Allen, known as the King Of The Ring in Melbourne, who had a long friendship with the jockey. Allen said in a later newspaper interview published in the Sunday Mail of 23 January 1938,

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made a fortune through backing the mounts of that great rider, Tom Hales, who stood out among the jockeys of fifty years ago and over. I was introduced to Hales when he came to Melbourne in 1880 to ride Grand Flaneur in the Victoria Derby and Melbourne Cup. Telling Hales that I would be fielding at Flemington over the Cup carnival, he told me that he knew how I could make a lot of money. I did not waste a moment in asking him how. 'Don't stand Grand Flaneur for a penny in either race,' said Hales, and I took his advice. The 1880 Melbourne Cup meeting marked my first appearance as a bookmaker at Flemington. I was doing business on the Flat and felt very shrewd when Grand Flaneur won the Derby and Melbourne Cup to give me 'skinners' for those races, while other bookmakers lost heavily. Hales told me Grand Flaneur was a smasher, and the horse proved it by winning all races he started in. Thereafter I seldom had any of Hales' mounts bad in my book for important events. Many ups and downs came my way after Grand Flaneur's year, but I never lost touch with Tom Hales.

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t was after Grace Darling's Caulfield Cup that I put a proposition to Tom Hales. He talked it over with the Hon. J. White, for whom he rode, before agreeing to do business with me. He never regretted it. Telling Hales that his information was valuable to me, and that I was prepared to put considerable amount on anything he fancied, he said he would not entertain it unless his employer was in accord. I went to the Hon. J. White and told him that I was an admirer of Hales, and that I would like to make him cash presents out of some of the good wins I had on his horses. 'Allen, I am not a big bettor, nor is Hales, and if you ever care to give a present to Hales for winning, do so,' said Mr. White. He told friends that the only thing that would annoy him would be to find someone giving his jockey a present for losing a race; there was little left on that score with a man like Tom Hales. Mr. White felt that an artist with flawless ability should get everything possible for his efforts, and he save him liberal presents out of

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the stakes he collected. Hales was a very steady fellow, who could get off a horse after a gallop and tell to a fraction of a second what time he ran. Many good riders have come and gone since the days of Hales, but none were better judges of pace than he. Without being overconfident, he could weigh up the possibilities of a race, and he was never far out in his reckoning. If he declared a horse a good thing, he generally won with his head on his chest. He was the first man I heard say that the more you put on the more you would win, and when I got that tip from Hales my bookmaker pals usually finished up saying, 'No offer.' I never kept an account of the money I gave to Hales out of the wins I had on his information, but I clearly recall meeting him with friends in a Sydney hotel when Hales said: 'Boys, Barney Allen has given me over £20,000 for doing what every owner required me to do — just riding to win.' On one occasion, when I was handing over a cheque to Hales, he said. 'Barney, you are giving this money away, as you could be backing my mounts and getting a go, for I never pull horses.' He often said he would sooner get a pound honestly than £1000 dishonestly.”

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fter the death of Mr. James White, Hales became one of a syndicate that purchased many of White’s horses although they had little success and the partnership was dissolved. In his own colours of brown with blue sleeves and cap, Hales ran a few horses with a fair amount of success. He won the Newmarket Handicap in 1897 with Carlton and also raced All Gold, Hogmanay, Beeswing and Morok among others. Hales later joined up with Billy Yeomans, the only other jockey to have ridden Grand Flaneur in a small sheep station on the Lachlan River, near Condobolin. He later started a breeding establishment near Tallangatta, in Victoria with limited success. He purchased the stallion Lochiel for stud duties and he was to go on to be a successful stallion. Unfortunately for Hales, he had sold the stallion not long after buying him, and with him likely went Hales’ chances to make his name as a breeder.

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n Melbourne, Hales won the Victoria Derby seven times, St Leger ten times, and the Oaks five times. He also won eight Australian Cups, seven Champion races, two Newmarket Handicaps, a Melbourne Cup, and a Maribyrnong Plate.

Hales won the Caulfield Guineas three times but strangely the Caulfield Cup eluded him. Tom Hales also rode the winners of six Geelong Cups, two Adelaide Cups, and the Hobart and Launceston Cups.

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t Randwick, he was successful in the A.J.C. Derby six times, St Leger seven times, Oaks four times, and Champagne Stakes five times. He also won three Sydney Cups in succession and the Metropolitan once.

ales suffered from asthma for many years and was not in great health. He passed away at his home ‘Acmeville’ at Moonee Ponds and was buried in the Kew Cemetery in October 1901.

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THE FAMILY OF GRAND FLANEUR

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s we mentioned, the dam of Grand Flaneur, First Lady was mated seven times in succession with Yattendon with Grand Flaneur the third of those. The first foal of First Lady was First Lord. He was a moderate racehorse running unplaced at two but winning the Free Handicap at the Sydney Tattersall’s Midwinter Meeting over 1200m. He raced in some of the better races as a 3yo including the Mares’ Produce but could not run a place. First Lord was entered for the Melbourne Cup but never made the trip south. He was sold to William Busby for 300 guineas and ended at stud where he produced the 1893 Queensland Cup winner, Avenue.

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hatham traces back to Grand Flaneur’s sister Pareseusse who was the only full sibling of Grand Flaneur to make her mark on breeding. One daughter Trilby by the Irish

Chatham

stallion, Marvellous was to eventually produce a line that had one stakes winner in Davoust, a gelding, who won the Debutante Stakes in Tasmania in 1929. Pareseusse had another daughter called Gaillardia by Trenton who produced the VATC Debutante Stakes winner, Celosia and the SAJC Goodwood winner, Widgiewa. It was the line of Gaillardia that that produced the champion son of Windbag in Chatham, and more recently Star Watch by Bletchingly who won the 1988 Golden Slipper and sired group 1 winners like Futurity winner, Star Dancer and Blue Diamond winner, Hurricane Sky. The most recent stakes winner from this line is Holyfield by I Am Invincible out of Hurtle Myrtle who won the Ming Dynasty and The Schweppervescence earlier this year.

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nother daughter of First Lady called My Lady was by the imported Vespasian. She produced three stakes winners in Queensland in Archie’s Daughter (Royal Stakes), Booval (Hopeful Stakes and Exhibition Handicap) and Royal Blue (Exhibition Handicap). erhaps the most important daughter of First Lady was Grand Lady by Grandmaster. She was sent to the USA where she managed to win a race and was placed multiple times.

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Double Jay

Grand Lady had a daughter called Centre Shot by Sain who in turn produced Broomshot

by Whisk Broom II. Broomshot was to produce a son by Balladier called Double Jay who won 17 races and, on 4 July 1949, set a track record at Santa Anita Park over 9 furlongs.

He was crowned the Champion 2yo of his season and was a prolific stallion although his true impact came through his daughters. He was leading broodmare sire in the US in 1971, 1975, 1977, and 1981 and was never out of the top 5 in this classification from 1969 to 1981.

Perhaps we now know him best as the damsire of Nodouble by Noholme the full brother to Todman who was sent to the US. Nodouble won almost a million dollars in prizemoney and was champion older horse in the US in both 1969 and 1970. Nodouble is the sire of Semipalatinsk who was a stalwart of Queensland breeding for much of the late 20th century and can be found in the pedigrees of horses like Savabeel, Real Saga and Private Steer.

Nodouble is an important influence internationally appearing in stallions like End Sweep and the Canadian Smart Strike who produced the champion galloper, Curlin. Interestingly a son of Curlin in Vino Rosso is standing his first season at Spendthrift Farm in Victoria this season so we may have a new avenue of accessing the wonderful bloodlines of Grand Flaneur.

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GRAND FLANEUR AT STUD

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he champion racehorse added the Australian Champion Sires Title to his resume in 1894/95 and sired 23 stakes winners in total. He produced two Melbourne Cup winners in Bravo in 1889 and Patron in 1894. The Cup was Bravo’s only stakes win although he had performed well including twice running third in 1888 and 1889 Caulfield Cups while starting favourite both years. His win was also the first time that a Melbourne Cup winner had sired a Melbourne Cup winner. Bravo won seven of 12 races as a 2yo.

He won the Members’ Handicap at Randwick and was taken to Melbourne for the Cup in 1886 won by Arsenal where he finished 11th. He was then sold to Mr WT Jones of Ballarat for 1000 guineas. He was out of the Maribyrnong mare, The Orphan and owned by William Jones who was in Paris at the time the Cup was run. In fact, he was with his wife in a Music Hall and the first character to appear on stage wore black and gold, Jones’ racing colours. A telegram arrived before the show concluded telling them of Bravo’s success. The stallion had also run in the 1888 Cup finishing sixth behind Mentor. Bravo was sold to India but died at a young age.

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atron was certainly among the best performed of Grand Flaneur’s progeny. He was out a Piscator mare, Olga who also produced four other stakes winner, three of which were full siblings to Patron in Ruenalf (1894 Melbourne Stakes), Patroness (1895 Sydney Cup) and Patronage (1903 AJC Autumn Stakes). Patron had been bred at Hobartville

by Messrs Long and Hill and was sold to Mr FW Purches

for 150 guineas. He raced 15 times as a 2yo, winning four races at that age including the VRC Sires’ Produce. At three, Patron won the Caulfield Guineas, VRC Canterbury Plate and St Leger while the following season he won the Craven Plate. He won the Melbourne Cup as a 5yo in 1894 at 33/1.

He had finished among the tailenders the year before, and surprisingly Ruenalf started the 3/1 favourite for Patron’s Cup but finished 10th after failing to run out the distance strongly.

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atron was sent to the UK to finish his racing career but was a failure on the track. He had limited success at stud but did produce one son who returned to Australia in Patronus who won the Moonee Valley Cup and VRC Bagot Handicap. Another son of Grand Flaneur in Kirkwood was also to go to stud in the UK without siring anything of note.

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uenalf was also to go to stud where he was perhaps his sire’s most successful son in Australia producing 12 stakes winners. These included the Brisbane Cup winner, Rue Victoria and the VRC Oaks winner, Yabba Gabba. A daughter of Ruenalf called Miss Phillina was mated with the US bred October to produce the 1923 Melbourne Cup winner, Bitalli.

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ome of the other outstanding progeny of Grand Flaneur were Parthian and Hopscotch. Parthian was out of the Trenton mare, Archeress, and won seven stakes races including the AJC and VRC St Legers and the VRC Spring and Champion Stakes’. Hopscotch won nine stakes races includ-

Valicare

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Valicare in the Rawson Stakes

Valicare returning to scale in the All Aged Stakes

ing the Epsom, All-Aged Stakes, and the Autumn Stakes in Sydney, and the Caulfield Stakes and Toorak Handicap in Melbourne. He was to start favourite in two Caulfield Cups in 1895 and 1896 and was unplaced in the Melbourne Cups of those years. He also raced in the colours of Mr Long.

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nother son of Grand Flaneur to go to stud was Patrol who was also to stand at Hobartville Stud. While he had limited success, a daughter of his, Firecross was to become an important broodmare. She went to NZ where she produced the Great Easter Handicap winner, Cross Battery who in turn produced the remarkable son of Comedy King in the ill-fated Artilleryman. Another daughter of Firecross was Cross Step who was the grand dam of Valicare by Valais who was rated as the best filly since Wakeful. She won sev-

Valicare winning the All Aged

en stakes races including the AJC Adrian Knox, All-Aged Stakes and Doncaster Handicap. Valicare beat such great racehorses as Windbag, Manfred, Limerick Valiard, Pantheon and Amounis. The mare was to produce two stakes winners in Care Free who was successful in the VRC Cantala Stakes and AJC June Stakes and Siren who won the VRC Edward Manifold, Wakeful Stakes and VRC Oaks.

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espite these successes, it was the son of a mare called Seaweed that left an indelible mark. Bred at the Hobartville Stud, the stallion named Merman had won the Williamstown Cup in 1896 and had run fourth in the Caulfield Cup. This attracted the attention of Lady de Bathe, better known as the former English actress, Lily Langtry who had been visiting Australia. Ms Langtry had earlier pur-

Turf monthly 21

chased the 1896 Newmarket winner Maluma who failed in England having become ill on the voyage. Her agent, Mr Allison of Cobham Stud in the UK reportedly paid between 1500 and 2000 guineas for the horse. Merman was an immediate success in England, winning three races in the 1897 season including the Cesarewitch Stakes at Newmarket. In 1899 he won the Goodwood Cup and the Goodwood Plate, and ran second in the Grand Prix de Deauville under 66 kg.

Merman was then set for the 1900 Ascot Gold Cup, which he won at the handsome odds of 25/1. Lily Langtry and her racing partner, the former leviathan bookmaker of Australia, Joe Thompson, reputedly won more than ÂŁ100,000 on Merman during his three years racing in England. Sadly, Merman is little remembered in Australia and in fact, as we will find at another time, Ms Langtree had further impact on Australian racing.

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erman was to become a good sire and was later to stand in Germany. His ancestors have made an impact in most racing jurisdictions in the world, although few have made it back to Australia. We do have a descendant, Piperhill, a stallion who stood in New Zealand in the 1980’s who traces to a daughter of Merman. Another stallion and successful racehorse in Porto Bello also traces to the same Merman daughter, Duma and he can be found in the pedigree of Kibbutz who won the 2007 Victorian Derby. We also saw the globetrotting Cape Of Good Hope by Inchinor spend time in Australia on his journey to win the 2005 Global Sprint Challenge which included winning the Australian Stakes after running third in the Lightning. Porto Bello also appears in the female line of that sprinter.

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Grand Flaneur continues to appear in the pedigrees of modern Australian horses although naturally his influence extends back quite a way. We look at a few of the wonderful horses that in part owe their ability to the unbeaten champion.

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hile numerous lines exist tracing back to daughters of Grand Flaneur, we are going to highlight some ancestors from three of these mares.

atrona was a full sister to Patron and Ruenalf, two of Grand Flaneur’s stakes winners. She was mated with Maltster, an Australian Champion stallion who had won seven stakes races including the AJC/VRC Derby double. Their union produced one of the times’ greatest milers in Malt King who was to go on to have a lasting impact on the breed.

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uberose was a daughter of Grand Flaneur out of the imported Rosedale by Tynedale. She produced two stakes winners in Iolanthe who won the Maribyrnong Plate and Kingsdale who won the VRC Flying Stakes. They were from the Bruce Lowe #10 family and the mare was related to the three time Champion Stakes winning British star, Tristan who was a quality stallion. Tristan was to sire Canterbury Pilgrim who produced Chaucer and Swynford, both champions in their own right. New Zealand though has been significantly impacted by this line and we go to a mare called Froth who was born in 1954. She was by the imported Faux Tirage out of Home Brew. Froth won the NZ Oaks, Great Northern Oaks, Queen Elizabeth and Auckland Cup among her six local stakes wins. At stud she produced a son called Swift General by Agricola who came to Australia and won the South Australia St Leger and the VRC Duke of Norfolk Stakes. She also produced the filly Laellia by Oncidium who also raced in South Australia winning the Adelaide Cup and the Labour Day Cup in the early 1970’s. Froth was a prolific producer with 10 named foals and her daughter, Frill, a full-sister to Swift General produced a son called Interstellar by Star Way who won the SA Sires’ Produce, the Geelong Derby Trial and the Group 1 Canterbury Guineas. At stud he produced the popular Yippyio who we will discuss a little more later.

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t was a daughter of Frill by Moss Trooper who produced Horlicks by Three Legs who was to go on to become one of NZ’s most beloved mares. Australians probably underestimate the mare as she won only one Group race in Australian in the 1989 Mackinnon Stakes

nother daughter of Frill was Reticella by In The Purple. She was to produce Military Belle

by Without Fear who in turn was mated with Nediym to produce a Queensland favourite in General Nediym.

f that was not enough influence for one mare, we see that Frill is also responsible for other lines that have given us Nicconi, winner of the Galaxy in Sydney and the Lightning in Melbourne, and sire of Nature Strip. Another produced Military Plume by Sir Tristram who won seven stakes races including the WATC Rothwells now the Kingston Town Classic, and the Australian Guineas. At stud he produced 24 stakes winners including the multiple G1 winning filly, Northwood Plume.

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uberose has continuing success in many other lines. One important one was a daughter called Caroline by Carlyon. It was this line that produced a filly in 1955 by Rego that was named Wiggle. Her record in Australian was remarkable, and she was sent to race in the US after her 3yo season. In 1967, another line of Caroline was to produce a colt by Sobig that was called Sobar who was to be a star of the Spring in 1972 and another descendant we will look at more closely.

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ther stakes winners trailing to Tuberose include La Neige, Silver Sharpe, Danni Martine, Shags, You Remember, De Gaulle Lane, Rampant Lion, Goleen, Judyann, Peterman, Courier Bay and Western Chorus.

ne other daughter of Grand Flaneur that needs mentioning is Equation who was out of the imported Fair Duchess by Blair Athol. Fair Duchess was a full sister to Craig Millar who won the GB St Leger and Doncaster Cup. This line has given us horses like Vows, Turridu, Our Cavalier, Braw Laddi, Arkady and Paris Petard. But there are three main descendants that are certainly worth further investigation. Dalrello, the great Queensland Champion of the 1970’s traces to this mare. Rather oddly, the others both have siblings who have also won stakes races. We see Time And Tide and Fine And Dandy as well as Iglesia, Tyrolean and Yippyio.

We have already mentioned that Yippyio was by Interstellar who hails to a daughter of Grand Flaneur, but now we see that his female line also traces to another daughter of our champion.

It is time to have a look at some of these a little more closely.

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MALT KING M

alt King traces to Grand Flaneur through his dam, Patrona, a daughter of our Champion.

He was among the greatest milers of his time winning six of his 12 stakes races over that journey. Malt King was a son of Malster, a winner of six stakes races including the AJC and VRC Derbies.

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he colt started his 2yo career with a third in a Nursery Stakes at Rosehill in November 1908. A spell saw him return to run second at Warwick Farm before he stepped out in the AJC Sires Produce. He was to run second in a field of 10 behind the wonderful galloper, Prince Foote with whom he was to have a good rivalry. At his final 2yo start two days later, Malt King turned the tables on Prince Foot beating that colt, who was the odds-on favourite by 4 lengths in the Champagne Stakes.

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Malt King winning the Metropolitan

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e came back as a 3yo in September to run third to Prince Foote over the 9 furlongs of the Chelmsford Stakes and a week later was to beat a filly called Lady Ruenalf in the Rosehill Spring Stakes over a mile. A fourth in the AJC Derby again behind Prince Foote followed and the colt went to Melbourne to win the Caulfield Guineas, this time beating the odds-on Prince Foote. Malt King ran in the Caulfield Cup but ended with the tailenders suggesting that he did not stay the mile and a half. Another spell saw him return to the races for the Futurity over 7 furlongs where he was unplaced behind Comedy King. He then ran second to Mala, another son of Malster, in the Futurity before winning the VRC All-Aged Stakes, again beating Prince Foote, when back to the mile. Malt King returned to Sydney to run third in the AJC All-Aged Stakes but then ran seventh in the Rous Handicap over 11 furlongs (2200m).

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he Spring of his 4yo season saw Malt King return to win the Tramway at Randwick before running second in the Rosehill Spring Stakes. He then ran fourth in the Epsom, Craven Plate and Grandstand Stakes all at Randwick before going for another break. The Autumn saw the stallion return for only two start for wins in the Rawson Stakes and AJC All Aged Stakes.

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eturning for his 5yo season, Malt King again kicked off in the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick, this time running fourth in a field of 21. He then ran second in the Rosehill Spring Stakes over a mile before stepping up to the mile and a half of the AJC Spring Stakes at Randwick. Malt King ran second to Aurofodina. He underlined his ability to run the distance a few days later when he had one of his best victories in the Metropolitan beating the favourite Lady Medallist in something of an upset. That mare got revenge two days later when she beat him into second in the Craven Plate. Malt King went to Melbourne to win the Caulfield Stakes over 9 furlongs, again beating Comedy King and then finishing off his Spring with a third behind another champion in Trafalgar over the 12 furlongs of the CB Fisher Plate at Flemington. The Autumn in Sydney saw him win the Rawson Stakes beating Lady Medallist before running a close second to Trafalgar in the Autumn Stakes back over the 12 furlongs. He then was unplaced when carrying 60kg in the two-mile Sydney Cup but bounced back two days later to win the All-Aged Stakes over a mile again beating the unlucky Lady Medallist.

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alt King had only three starts as a 6yo. He again started in the Chelmsford at Randwick over 9 furlongs, this time running third to another son of Sir Foote in Duke Foote under the impost of 62kg.

n total, Malt King started 35 times for twelve wins, eight seconds, and six thirds. His total prizemoney of £12,663 made him the eighth highest stakes winner in Australian racing at the end of his racing career. He had been purchased for 310 guineas by Mr JE O’Brien, and Malt King retired to Kingsfield Stud situated at Aberdeen, on the Upper Hunter River in NSW.

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Maltgilla

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t stud Malt King sired many good horses, but few of any real quality. His only stakes winners were Royal Thought who won the Oakleigh Plate and Maltgilla out of the Machine Gun mare, Noogilla, who won the AJC Challenge Stakes over 5 furlongs (1000m). The NZ-bred Machine Gun was noted as one of the fastest horses in Australian over short trips winning five stakes races in his native country before coming to Australia to win the Shorts and Tramway Stakes in Sydney. Maltgilla was bred by Mr JE Brien from North Queensland. She was sold for 310 guineas to Mr John Lobston of Cloncurry and had her early starts in Townsville winning a Maiden and the Ladies’ Bracelet over 9 furlongs. The mare incidentally traced to Georgina Frederica who was imported to Australia by Mr Andrew Town of Hobartville Stud.

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altgilla was to prove an outstanding broodmare, producing three stakes winner in Tregilla (AJC Derby), Burwood (AJC Champagne Stakes, AJC Easter Stakes) and Leila Vale (AJC Gimcrack Stakes, Rosehill Railway Handicap and AJC Adrian Knox Stakes). Her descendants have been prolific breeders and have produced quality horses like Scarvila, the Darwin Cup and Dalgety winner, and Manikato Stakes winner Piavonic and her son, Von Costa De Hero, the 2008 VRC Sires’ Produce winner.

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t was another son of Maltgilla that continues the greatest influence of Malt King. Malt Denis was a black colt by Denis Boy who was an Irish-bred winner of the Caulfield Cup, Metropolitan and Cantala Stakes in Melbourne. Malt Denis was a good Brisbane galloper and

Turf monthly 28

Maltdenis winning the Albion 600

was trained by Con Doyle. Doyle had bought the colt for owners, the Carrigan brothers in NSW and leased him back to race. He won ten races in Queensland including the Albion 600 which was a feature on the old sand track at Albion Park and originally stood at Doyle’s Torrington Stud at Toowoomba. He was later sent to the family stud of the Carrigan’s in NSW. At stud, Malt Denis produced the filly Flying Shower who kicked off her career by winning the McDougall Stakes as the stallion’s first racetrack runner. His only other stakes winner was the important mare, Maltmaid out of the Corban mare, Anniversary. Maltmaid won the BATC Doomben Stakes twice and the Queensland Oaks and Brisbane Handicap. She was bred by QTC committee member, Mr JF Meynink and was leased to his wife to race.

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t stud, Maltmaid produced the stakes winning Tandawanna by Dalray who won the DJ O’Mara Stakes at Doomben.

Maltmaid

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WIGGLE

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n 14 June 1958, a 2yo filly named Wiggle entered the record books by becoming the first and only 2yo to win the major Brisbane sprint, the Stradbroke. She carried 7 stone 5 lbs (46.5kg) in the field of 18 beating the well fancied imported runner Yahabeebee. iggle started her career on 4 January that year running fourth at Canterbury. She won her next five starts including the Champagne Stakes in Sydney beating Mighty Kingdom and the TM Ahern in Brisbane. Wiggle was then unplaced in the Lightning in a field of 22 over the 1000m trip before her Stradbroke victory.

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he returned in the Spring to win the Hobartville before running third to Grey Ghost in the Chelmsford behind Prince Darius a week later. She went to Melbourne where she ran fourth in the Invitation Stakes before winning the Edward Manifold and Caulfield Guineas. Wiggle was then beaten at 5/2 on in the Thousand Guineas but won the Linlithgow Stakes at her next start. A final defeat again at odds-on in the Sandown Guineas rounded out her Spring.

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he kicked off her next campaign running second in the CF Orr behind Melbourne Champion Lord in January 1959 and was then unplaced at her next two starts in the William Reid and St George Stakes. Wiggle then won four races straight in the Queen's Plate, CM Lloyd Stakes, AV Kewney Stakes and Alister Clark before returning to Sydney

Turf monthly 30

where she was placed in the Princess Handicap and Adrian Knox before being sold to the US. Wiggle had raced 26 times in Australia for 14 wins.

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iggle’s career in the US was a disappointment compared to her Australian success. She first raced there on 29 July 1959 and ran 5th on the turf at Arlington Park. Wiggle was to win her next two races on the dirt, first in an Allowance race, and then in the Arlington Matron over 9 furlongs winning US$34,050 which was more than she had earned in her entire 3yo season in Australia. It was to be her only major success in the US and her next start was a poor 9th in the Arlington Handicap on turf which was won

by Round Table. Wiggle did set two track records in the US, at Arlington Park over 7f in 1:21:4 and Del Mar over 6f. She competed for another two years and won four more minor races before retiring to stud.

In all, she raced for three seasons in the US and won 6 of her 29 starts.

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iggle was by Rego from Sweet Nymph, by Beau Port. She traces back to Tuberose who is her seventh dam.

At stud in the US she produced her only stakes winner in Nice Balance by High Echelon who went to the UK to win the Seaton Delaval Stakes over 6f. Nice Balance was to stand at stud in Australia during the 1980’s and 90’s and produced Commercial Balance who won the STC Christmas Cup and Canterbury Cup. Another son in Ambulation by Vaguely Noble was also to return to stud in Australia with limited success. Sir Wiggle, another son by Sadair, was at stud in the US and produced Diagramatic to win the French Prix Jean de Chaudenay and Grand Prix de Vichy. Diagramatic was to stand at stud in NZ where his best was Tidal Light who won six stakes races including the NZ Derby and STC Canterbury Guineas.

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SHADING

he unusual story of the two full brothers, Time And Tide and Fine And Dandy starts with a filly born in 1944 by the imported Italian horse, Brueghel out of a Claro mare, Gold Tinge. The filly was named Shading and she had her first start on 21 December 1946 in the December Nursery Handicap at Randwick. Facing her that day was another filly called Profound and the two were involved in a close finish along with a third filly called Nizam’s Ring. Shading got the photo from Nizam’s Ring by a half head with Profound a further half head away third. Sixteen years later their two sons, Fine And Dandy and Our Cobber fought out the finish of the Doncaster.

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hading was bred by the Thompsons at Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley.

She was by Brueghel out of Gold Tinge who was a wonderful broodmare producing Wattle who won 12 races including the Champagne Stakes, Flight Stakes and rather unusually, the Armidale Cup. Aureus (Flemington, Rawdon and AJC Royal Stakes), Gilt Veil (AJC Widden Stakes) and Haut Coeur who won eight races. Shading was sold to Ted Hush as agent for Messrs WF and FH Moses who retained all bar one of Shading’s progeny. The filly was put into work early, but a bout of shin soreness saw her not race until December of her 2yo season when she won at the juicy odds of 33/1. She started favourite for her second race in the AJC Nursery and won by three quarters of a length from Shine ridden by George Moore. She finished ninth behind Lady Ajax two weeks later and her jockey, the unfashionable George Pownall was replaced by Ted Fordyce. The Ted Hush trained filly won her next start

Turf monthly 32

by three lengths and then went to Melbourne for the VRC Sires’ Produce where she failed to beat a runner home. Shading returned to Sydney to run a close second to The Groom in the Fairfield Stakes having led until the last few strides. A week later she won the Randwick Easter Stakes beating Nizam’s Ring to close out her 2yo season.

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s a 3yo, Shading won only one of her 17 starts, with her only victory coming in the Valicare Handicap. The filly though was placed on eight occasions that season, often behind Nizam’s Ring who became the standout 3yo filly of her year. Shading was placed behind Nizam’s Ring in the One Thousand Guineas at Caulfield, the Wakeful at Flemington, the Mersey Stakes at Randwick and the Flight Stakes at the same track. She was also beaten a head by Except in the New Year’s Gift and ran third to Jaina in the Adrian Knox. It was intended to retire the filly after her 3yo season, but the preferred stallion was not available. Ted Hush convinced the owners to give her another season and as a 4yo, Shading won the Vaucluse Handicap on the first day of the AJC Spring Carnival. Two days later she won again, and her next start saw her finish a close third in the Chester Handicap. Shading was to have three more unplaced runs before this time retiring to stud. In total she had 38 races for seven wins and 12 placings.

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t stud Shading was to have nine named foals. While Time And Tide and Fine And Dandy were the standouts, she also produced three other stakes winners in a remarkable career. They were Reign (STC Civic Handicap and AJC The Shorts), Shaded (QTC Moreton Handicap and Slippery (AJC Canonbury Stakes). We can still see plenty of descendants of the mare though few have reached great heights. One of the last stakes winners from the line was Between Ourselves who won the 1986 Doomben 10,000, coincidentally one of the big Winter carnival races that was to elude her two champion sons. Equation, the remarkable daughter of Grand Flaneur, was her fifth dam.

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he champion was gelded before he raced as his owners thought that the progeny of Shaded had a tendency to become top heavy if they were left entire. How this decision altered the course of Australian breeding history we will never know, but the two brothers who were by the remarkable stallion Star Kingdom would certainly have been very popular stud prospects if not gelded. Of course, other sons of Shading were left intact and were not to meet with great success.

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ine And Dandy commenced his racing career on 4 October 1958 when ridden by Mel Schumacher in the AJC Breeder’s Plate. It was to be his only defeat as a 2yo, running second to Front Cover who was a subsequent record holder at Randwick over 6 furlongs. A week later Fine And Dandy won the Canonbury by eight lengths in a performance that stamped him as a star. Trainer Harry Plant took him to Melbourne where he won the Maribyrnong Plate beating Royal Artist again by eight lengths. After a spell, Turf monthly 33

the colt returned in an Open event against the older horses in January to score a thrilling first up victory by a narrow margin. He then again beat the older horses in a Flying Handicap at Rosehill on a rain affected track which had him at his peak for the Golden Slipper which was rapidly gaining in importance as a race. He started at 11/8 on and was untroubled beating Akimbo and Morning Star. At his next start, Fine And Dandy beat Travel Boy narrowly in the Sires’ Produce on another wet track.

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lant then took Fine And Dany to Brisbane knowing that he was close to Tulloch’s 2yo stakes record. The result was not in doubt as the 7/2 on favourite beat Intrigued by a half-length. Sadly the colt went amiss and had to sit out most of his 3yo season, not returning to the races until 14 May 1960.

He won first up in a Flying at Randwick and then went north for the big sprints in Brisbane. He finished second to Wallgar in the Lightning Stakes at Doomben, and a fortnight later second again to that horse in the Stradbroke when conceding 18lbs to the winner. At his next start he was a close third in the WJ Healy at Eagle Farm behind Hianthus. He struggled in the Doomben Ten Thousand to have his first unplaced run of this career, battling to a distant ninth after having missed the start.

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fter another spell, Fine And Dandy scored a first up win in the Chester Handicap at Randwick in October. He went to Melbourne but failed badly in his two runs there. Again, he went to the paddock, returning in

Turf monthly 34

February to run third behind Achnacary and Wenona Girl in a Rosehill Flying before being narrowly beaten a short head by Grecian Vale in the Railway Quality when giving the winner 21lb in a race that was run in record time.

Despite this, Fine And Dandy was relatively unwanted in the betting for the Doncaster at his next start but he surprised most by blitzing the field by 4 lengths in a new Australian record for the mile in 1.34.2. Fine And Dandy won his next two starts in Sydney before again heading to Queensland for another tilt at the Stradbroke. This time he failed badly behind Persian Lyric.

He was not to win another race until almost a year later when he won a Flying Handicap at Randwick on 10 May 1962. Another trip to Brisbane beckoned, and this time the gelding put in a good performance to run third in the Stradbroke behind Kilshery and Samson. His form again tapered off, and it was not until the following Autumn that he started to show a glimpse of his old self. He finished third in the Wilson Handicap over 6f at Warwick Farm before coming from behind to win the Liverpool Handicap on a heavy track at Randwick. That brings us full circle to the start of the story, the Doncaster of 1963 when he carried 8.12 to wear down the speedy Newmarket winner Our Cobber, the son of Profound who had battled with his dam Shading all those years before. For the record, Fine And Dandy’s second Doncaster win was the second fastest ever recorded in the race, 0.6 seconds slower than his first win.

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TIME AND TIDE

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ime And Tide was also gelded before his first start, and the slightly parrot mouthed gelding won at his first racetrack appearance in the Canonbury Stakes, a race also won by his older brother. He had his second start in the Debutante Stakes at Caulfield winning by a half-length from Arbitrator. Next up Time And Tide was beaten by champion filly, Heirloom in a head to head battle in the Maribyrnong Plate. Jockey George Moore dropped his whip inside the last furlong and many claim this made the difference in the end. He was beaten only a half-head in race record time.

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ime And Tide was sent for a spell and came out on 16 February to comfortably win a 2yo Handicap at Rosehill starting a 9/2 on. Harry Plant then put him against the older horses at Randwick beating Prince Regoli by a short neck. He then had his sixth appearance in the Golden Slipper, exactly the same as Fine And Dandy. Unfortunately, he injured himself before the race and it looked like he was not going to be able to run. In fact, the weather might have been an important factor in him even making the race as it had rained so heavily in the lead up that the race had to be postponed to the following Wednesday. It was run on a desperately heavy track that was only just ruled safe for racing. Harry Plant patched up Time And Tide in time, but after leading into the straight, he weakened badly to finish 4th to Pago Pago. The two were never to meet again with Pago Pago going for a spell and then being sold to America.

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ime And Tide returned to his best to easily win the Sires’ Produce at his next start beating Sunset Hue, who was later to sire champion Gunsynd, and Heirloom. He then finished off his 2yo season by making light of his penalty to comfortably win the Champagne Stakes again at odds on beating Ripa and Rosa Sun who had finished ahead of him in the Golden Slipper.

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he gelding returned as a 3yo with a strong win in a Flying at Warwick Farm before finishing third behind Young Brolga in another Flying again as an odds-on favourite.

Time And Tide bounced back to beat Bogan Road in the Theo Marks before running a fighting third to Toi Port in the Epsom of 1963. He then went to Melbourne to win the Caulfield Guineas from Rosie Sun in record time. He was then unplaced in the Craven A and George Adams though far from disgraced, before going to a spell.

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ime And Tide returned to win his first two races which included the Railway Stakes, which was later to become the George Ryder, in race record time. He disappointed in the Doncaster running eleventh to Persian Puzzle. A third in the AJC All-Aged Stakes behind Wenona Girl was followed by a brief let-up that saw him travel to Brisbane to win the QTC White Lightning. An ordinary run in the Delaney saw Time And Tide back in the paddock in preparation for his 4yo season, a season that was to stamp him as the best Sprinter/Miler in the country.

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e started by winning the AJC Challenge Stakes over 5 furlongs on 30 January. He then went to Melbourne to win the Oakleigh Plate in another race record where he beat Ripa by 3 lengths. That mare turned the tables in the Newmarket where she had a huge weight advantage and won by only a short half head. Back in Sydney the gelding won the Rawson Stakes as a 2/1 on favourite before his most famous win in the 1965 Doncaster where he carried 59kg and started at 6/4 to beat Our Fun on a soft track by a neck with a further half neck back to Ripa. A second in the AJC All Aged rounded off the season and he was comfortably beaten by Scottish Soldier much to the delight of the bookmakers who had him at 5/2 on.

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he remainder of his career was marred by two bleeding attacks although he was from time to time show glimpses of his best. Time And Tide won the Theo Marks in both 1965 and 1966 and his last win came in 18 March 1967 in the Railway Quality Hcp.

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SOBAR S H

obar was one of the enigmas of Australian racing. For a time in his 3yo season, he was rated as the equal to the mighty Tulloch. Sadly a tendon injury saw him fail to recapture his form but he would show glimpses at times of what might have been.

e started his career at Flemington in March of his 2yo season running second beaten only a short half head by Arabian Breeze when ridden by Len Hill. His second start came only a few weeks later when he won the Caulfield Orrong Handicap over 6 furlongs by an impressive three lengths when ridden by Harry White. Sobar had shown connections enough to give him a let up before setting him for a Spring Carnival with high hopes.

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obar returned to the track on 5 August 1972, the first weekend of metric racing in Australia. Over the unsuitable 1000m, he finished sixth to Acidity. He had done enough in that run to start at 7/4 favourite at his next run at Sandown over 1400m, but he again finished out of the placings. The two runs though had primed him for the first of his big tests in the Craiglee Stakes over a mile. Sobar finished third to Gossiper and Royal Show but the margins were only a short half head by a short half head. He then stepped up to the 2000m of the Underwood Stakes and was heavily backed to start the 5/2 favourite. Sobar justified everyone’s confidence by winning comfortably by 1.5 lengths beating Kazanlik and Gossiper. Back to the Caulfield Guineas against his own age, Sobar put in a dominant display beating Century and Acidity by 3.5 lengths.

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obar then faced his biggest test against the older horses in the Caulfield Cup. He was weighted with only 48 kgs but Harry White rode him 2.5kgs overweight against a topquality field. He won impressively by 2 lengths from Stormy Seas and the gallant Gunsynd who carried a mammoth 62kgs in the race. Sobar broke the track record in the run, but that might have been deceptive seeing as it may have been the first time that a Group race had been run over the metric distance.

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he colt was thought unbeatable in the VRC Derby two weeks later and went out as one of the shortest priced Derby favourites in years at 11/4 on. There was much discussion over the ride of Harry White in the race as Sobar was beaten a neck by Dayana who was to become one of the few horses in history to win four Derbies by also winning the South Australian, West Australian and the WATC Australian Derby. Sobar was three wide for the entire race, but kicked clear on the home turn to only narrowly be caught by Dayana.

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t was to be the last time that Harry White was to ride the horse and he was sent to the paddock, scratching from the Melbourne Cup in which he had been a raging 2/1 favourite before he ran in the Derby. He drifted to 8/1 after his Derby run and trainer Ken Hilton decided against a Cup start at what would have been only the colt’s ninth race start. The racing public awaited eagerly for the Autumn with their new champion.

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n February 1973 when returning to work, Sobar hurt a tendon in a track gallop and was immediately withdrawn from all Autumn engagements. He returned to the track in September 1973 in the Craiglee Stakes over 1600m but finished tenth to Gay Icarus. A seventh in the Underwood Stakes behind Scotch and Dry and Dayana followed and then a fifth in the Turnbull Stakes behind Australasia, Dayana and Gala Supreme showed promise. Sobar started a 5/1 when he ran third to Glengowan and All Shot in the 2000m Caulfield Stakes but it was to be his last run of the Spring.

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nother spell saw him return in the Autumn to run fifth at Moonee Valley in the William Reid Stakes, over 1200m behind All Shot and Tauto. Next up with Mick Mallyon

on board, Sobar showed some of his ability by winning the Blamey Stakes over 1600m at Flemington. Punters flocked to their former hero on the basis of his win and he started at 2/1 on at his next start to win the St George Stakes over 1800m at Caulfield. Sobar was again sent out as favourite, this time at 5/4 when he ran ninth in the Australian Cup at Flemington. Connections were not disappointed in the run claiming that Mallyon had been unable to extract the horse from a pocket at a key time and insisted he would have been a winning chance had he been able to have a clear run. Managing partner Keith Southwick announced after the Australian Cup run that the owners had refused an offer of $500,000 for the horse and said that they had been fielding offers from not only Australia, but also from the US.

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obar came back for one more preparation in the Spring but finished well beaten in the Feehan, the Gold Nugget at Ballarat and the Toorak Handicap at Flemington where he was a poor fifteenth behind champion filly, Leilani. It was to be his last start and Sobar was retired to stud. He was to sire only one stakes winner in Venus And Mars who won the 1981 WATC Derby.

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e was by the NZ stallion Sobig who was a quality stallion also notable for siring So Called and dual Melbourne Cup winner, Think Big. His dam was the NZ bred Miss Filou by Le Filou who also produced stakes winners Play The Game, twice victor in the AJC Memorial Cup and Tasman, winner of the 1980 SA Derby.

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obar stood only five seasons at stud before a paddock injury claimed his life in February 1980 bringing to a close another memorable shooting star on the Australian racing skyline.

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DALRELLO

Dalrello’s Doncaster

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alrello was the Queensland Horse Of The Year in 1974 and 1976, and runner up to Charlton Boy in 1975, but oddly never won any of the big Brisbane races.

colt when it went through the sale.

alrello did not start until the April of his 2yo season, running third to King Curtis at Toowoomba over nstead, most of his success came in Sydney. Firstly though, 1200m. He then ran second four times in a row behind WarDalrello was by the imported Irish stallion Aloe, a son of ranilla, Red Comet, Ima Shadow and Americano in BrisAlycidon who also was to sire champion mare, Mode who bane before breaking his maiden in the Claret Stakes over won the Qld Grand Prix, Oaks and Brisbane Cup. Dalrello 1600m at Eagle Farm on Brisbane Cup Day 1973. Returning was out of a Widden bred mare called Deligraphy by the top as a Spring 3yo, Dalrello won four races in succession inracehorse, Delta and traced to the wonderful daughter of cluding the Queensland Guineas and the Koomela Stakes.

Grand Flaneur in Equation. He was bred by Ray Murdoch Later in the season he won three more races including a and Deligraphy was named the Broodmare of the Year in Doomben Newmarket before running second in the Der1976. The mare had raced twice for a second in a Maiden by behind Count Rapier and in the Grand Prix, beaten a at Charleville before winning at Barcoo by five lengths over half-length by Asgard with Think Big a further head away 1000m. Mr Murdoch had managed the famed Terrick prop- in third. He was also to set the course record at Doomben erty at Blackall and the mare was paddocked with one of over 1200m. In the Autumn he went to Sydney winning two local stallions in Stromio or Repatriate. She produced the Doncaster Handicap from Sizzler and Martindale in four country winners by these stallions before Murdoch an Australian record of 1.33.9. Dalrello was also to win a retired to the Darling Downs and selected Aloe as a mate George Ryder, an Apollo Stakes, the QTC White Lightning for his mare. Mr Murdoch and his son, Murray established Handicap and two All-Aged Stakes. Along the way he was Craigow Stud outside of Warwick where they also bred Our also to finish second in the 1975 Doomben 10,000 beaten Cavalier who was to run third in a Brisbane Cup behind 2.5 lengths by Spedito.

Balmerino. alrello retired in May 1977 with earnings of over alrello made $1300 at the Brisbane yearling sales, co$184,000 which was then a record for a Queensland incidentally the same amount that Gunsynd had sold horse. In total he won 15 races and was the first horse in the for a few years before. Noel Gamble who had a mixed farm State to be crowned Horse Of The Year twice. at Biddiston, and a young Darryl Gollan who was then the mine-host at the Federal Hotel in Toowoomba went to the sale with the intent of buying one of Aloe’s progeny. It was their first venture into racehorse ownership and Dalrello was the last one to go through the ring. They phoned trainer, Jim Atkins later that night to see if he would train the horse, and Atkins readily agreed having been taken by the

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HORLICKS

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orlicks started her career in New Zealand for owner Graham de Gruchy of Hastings on 30 December 1986 running second in a 1300m maiden. She won at her second start over the same distance, and was to have her first stakes win in the Dulcie Stakes in May 1987 at her eighth start. She was trained by Dave and Paul O’Sullivan and her regular rider was brother, Lance. She had won five stakes races before crossing the ditch and her first race in Australia was a good second to Our Poetic Prince in the Cox Plate of 1988, beating home another NZ favourite in Bonecrusher who finished third. She did not return to Australia for another year, this time winning the Mackinnon Stakes at her only start here en route to Japan for her win in the 1989 Japan Cup. She returned to NZ for a spell and came back to the races to win her second G1 DB Classic on 3 March 1990. Horlicks then returned to Australia, this time to Sydney where she was beaten into 5th behind Better Loosen Up, the horse that was to win that year’s Japan Cup, in the G1 Segenhoe. She then ran third to Sydeston in the G1 BMW

International before returning to NZ to win the G1 Television NZ Stakes. Horlicks returned for the Spring in Melbourne and was to have her last career start in the Cox Plate of that year, running 8th behind Better Loosen Up and Sydeston. That was Better Loosen Up’s last start before his Japan Cup success, while the Tasmanian Sydeston was backing up from his Caulfield Cup win.

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orlicks retired with 17 wins and 12 placings from 40 starts and over NZ$4 million in prizemoney. She was to prove an exceptional broodmare producing two stakes winners in Bubble and Brew both by Sir Tristram. Bubble won the Avondale Guineas while Brew won the Japan Trophy, SAAB Quality and Melbourne Cup over the space of a month in 2000. He had a second between this string of wins in the Moonee Valley Cup coincidentally behind Yippyio who we see as another of Grand Flaneur’s descendants. He had also run 4th to that horse in the Brisbane Cup over 3200m in the Brisbane Winter before getting his revenge in the Melbourne Cup with Yippyio finishing runner up.

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orlicks also produced, Latte, who was the dam of G1 AJC Australian Derby winner, Fiumicino. In all Horlicks was to produce 13 foals. She died on 24 August 2011 at Cambridge Stud, NZ.

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GENERAL NEDIYM

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eneral Nediym became a hugely popular racehorse in Queensland. He was by the relatively unfashionable Irish stallion, Nediym, a son of Shareef Dancer by Northern Dancer who had won the Irish Derby and King Edward VII Stakes. Nediym stood at Ron Ashdown’s Glengarry Stud alongside Heart Of Darkness, Tong Po and Snappy Landing. General Nediym was offered at the Magic Millions sale but was sporting a bandage having hurt himself. Ashdown insisted that the injury was superficial, but it certainly put off a lot of potential buyers. He was knocked down to Tosh Murphy who took the horse home. After having his vet look at the injury, they determined that he was unlikely to race, and approached Ashdown who agreed to take the yearling back. It was a wise move, and interestingly another close brush with racing fame for Murphy who was later to sell his mare, Murphy’s Arch in foal to Blu Tusmani in a mating that was to produce the speedster, Murphy’s Blu Boy.

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eneral Nediym won his first two races at Eagle Farm in November 1996 by a combined total of eleven lengths.

He was trained by Bill Mitchell but much of the work was done by his young stable foreman, Peter Moody who looked after the Brisbane stable of the Sydney based trainer.

His next start came on Boxing Day, again at Eagle Farm but this time over 1200m and ridden for the first time by Mick Dittman. Another win here saw him go into the Magic Millions as an odds-on favourite and the crowd cheered him home over Special Dane despite jumping from barrier 13.

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He went to Sydney where he won the Todman before tasting defeat for the first time in the Golden Slipper, running fourth behind Guineas and Encounter. After a spell, he returned in the Spring with a new jockey in Brian York and he won four races straight in Sydney before finishing third in the Caulfield Guineas in Melbourne behind Encounter at his only try over 1600m.

nother spell saw him come back in the Autumn to win the Lightning and Newmarket in Melbourne in two of his three starts. He returned to Brisbane to win the Carlton Cup at Doomben before he finished third in his last race start, the 1998 Doomben 10,000 beaten by grand galloper and track specialist, Chief De Beers.

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etired to Glengarry Stud alongside his sire, the General was an immediate success siring Magic Millions winner, Regimental Gal in his first crop. The filly was later to win the Lightning and William Reid at G1 level. Ashdown leased the stud to Eliza Park to operate as their new Queensland base for three years, before he moved the stallion to Widden Stud in the Hunter Vallley.

eneral Nediym died in 2009 but not before producing 45 stakes winners including other G1 winners, Mrs Onassis who won the 2013 Oakleigh Plate and Warhorse who is now at stud in Victoria after winning the G1 Auckland Diamond Stakes.

IGLESIA I

glesia won six of his 22 starts in a career that kicked off as a January 2yo with a win at Rosehill. Within a month he had won the Silver Slipper before a brief let-up saw him taste defeat for the first time in the Todman behind Laurie’s Lottery. He drew 14 in the Golden Slipper and was back near the tail before finishing brilliantly to finish fourth behind Prowl. He struggled to fifth in the Champagne Stakes behind Dracula at his only start over a mile. Iglesia was off the scene for over a year and it was February 2000 before the colt was to record his next win, in a Welter at Rosehill.

He transferred stables by the end of the year from Jack Denham to Russell Cameron and he had his first start for the new stable on New Year’s Day 2001 in the Group 3 Standish Handicap at Flemington over 1200m. Iglesia was sensationally backed from 11/1 into 3’s and set a new track record in a brilliant display. It is a record that remains to this day. The stallion was never to win another race, and his last start was in the Stradbroke at Eagle Farm in June 2001, finishing 12th behind Crawl.

Yodells who was also to produce Tyrolean by Danehill who won the Listed Brock Partners Trophy in Adelaide and Yippyio. Yippyio was by Interstellar who we saw traced to a daughter of Grand Flaneur and was to win eight stakes races including the Queensland Derby and Brisbane Cup at Group 1 level.

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he female line of Iglesia traced to the Grand Flaneur mare, Equation. He has ensured that there will be a legacy of this line through a son that was from his first crop called Written Tycoon. The colt was sold at Magic Millions for only $50,000 on account of Daandine Stud. Written Tycoon was to prove among the better 2yo’s that season winning the Todman Slipper Trial at Rosehill but finishing a disappointing eleventh to Stratum in the Golden Slipper.

The colt won only two of his eleven starts but was a sensation at stud where he stood at Eliza Park for the moderate fee of $7500 plus GST initially in 2007. He has produced 35 stakes winners to date including Oakleigh Plate winners, Booked and Pippie, Golden Slipper winner, Capitalglesia went to stud at Oaklands in Queensland alongside ist, Goodwood winner, Despatch, Blue Diamond winner, Lion Hunter and had good success largely in Queensland. Written By, Stradbroke winner, Tyzone and recent Caulfield He sired 11 stakes winners with Nova Star being his only Guineas winner, Ole Kirk. He now stands at Arrowfield at a Group 1 success with her win in the Tatt’s Winter Stakes. fee of $77,000 after having commanded a high of $110,000.

Iglesia was a son of Last Tycoon out of the Marscay mare,

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STRAWBERRY ROAD S

trawberry Road was perhaps Australia’s first true International Ambassador of the modern era, competing in six countries in a remarkable career. He was an unfashionable colt who not only became the first Australian horse to win Group 1 races in three countries, but also a successful stallion in the US upon retirement. He was the pinnacle of the hobby bred horse, with his breeder Jim Pantos purchasing his dam as a weanling. When Giftisa showed little on the racetrack, she was sent to a relatively unknown first season stallion in Whiskey Road, a son of Nijinsky, who had commenced his stud career at Strathallan Stud at Braidwood NSW outside Canberra in 1977. The resultant foal was kept and raced by Mr Pantos and George Georgopoulos from Canberra. They sent the horse as an early 2yo to Brisbane trainer, Doug Bougoure who had trained for the pair previously. When the colt turned up, he was overweight and small, and Bougoure wondered what he had been sent. After a stint in the paddock, the little colt matured and grew, finally ready for the track in the last few weeks of his 2yo season.

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ollowing two promising runs, Strawberry Road broke his maiden at his first start as a 3yo, and then went on to win five straight before venturing to Sydney for the Autumn Carnival. After three runs in Sydney where he showed promise without having a lot of luck, the rains came to the carnival, and Strawberry Road relished the wet conditions. His sire, Whiskey Road was later to become well known for his progeny’s ability in the wet, but Strawberry Road’s ability was due to a lot more than just the weather. It is hard to say that it didn’t help though. The colt won the Rosehill Guineas on a slow track by a little over two lengths, and then followed up with a dominant five and a half length win at Randwick in the AJC Derby on a heavy track. To illustrate just how wet it was that day in April, the time for the race was 2 minutes and 41.8 seconds.

The preceding year, Rose of Kingston won the Derby with a time that was almost twelve seconds quicker. In general handicapping terms, one length is considered to be covered in about 0.2 seconds.

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trawberry Road then returned to Brisbane, where a campaign interrupted by continued wet weather saw him beaten at 1800m in an open handicap at his first start.

He quickly bounced back winning the rest of his starts over the Winter highlighted by his win in the Queensland Derby. He returned in the Spring of his 4yo season in a campaign that saw him win first up on a wet track in the Tramway over 1200m.

The culmination of that season was a win in the 1983 Cox Plate and crowning as the Victorian Horse of the Year to complement his earlier Queensland Horse of the Year title. Strawberry Road was the subject of a number of offers of purchase, but a full sale never eventuated. A controlling share was sold in 1984 to Ray Stehr and John Singleton, reportedly for $1 million with the intention of later standing at stud at Princes Farm. He was transferred from the Bouguore stable to that of Sydney trainer, John Nichols who was to take him to France for a campaign aimed at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomph. The ambitious plan saw him win the Grosser Preis von Baden, a Group 1 race in Germany when ridden by Brent Thompson before finishing a tiring fifth in the Arc although connections were critical of the ride.

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nternational interest in the horse saw him head to the US, where Daniel Wildenstein bought into the horse. Plans to return Strawberry Road to stud in Australia at the end of his career did not eventuate, and he was later sold to Allen Paulson and Bruce McNall who were to stand the stallion at Brookside Farm in Kentucky after retiring from racing. Strawberry Road sired around forty stakes winners including Admiralty who was imported to Queensland for stud duties and proved a solid stallion. Daughters of Strawberry Road also performed well as broodmares, producing stallions like All American, Danroad, Quality Road and Vindication. Danroad is of

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STRAWBERRY ROAD Photo courtesy of Noel Pascoe

particular importance as the damsire of Zed, the sire of Verry Elleegant, the recent Caulfield Cup winner.

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ome may argue that it is a little contentious to include Strawberry Road as a descendant of Grand Flaneur. We need to go back in his female line to his fourth dam, Carefree. Her sire is Harum Scarum by Psychology out of War Scare by Martian making him a half-sibling to four stakes winners in Highland, Finmark, Estland and Bjorneborg, all by the Australian stallion, Finland by Bill Of Portland. War Scare had two other named foals by Finland before visiting Psychology, an imported British stallion by Tracery, to produce a daughter called Bravado in 1925. Her other recorded foal is Sigma, a full sister to Bravado born in 1929. We see that War Scare has her third dam as the wonderful daughter of Grand Flaneur in Tuberose. What is remarkable about this is that the daughter of War Scare by Psychology was to go on to produce the line that gave us Froth and her subsequent descendants in Horlicks, Sobar and General Nediym.

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SIR ADRIAN KNOX

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ir Adrian Knox is widely regarded as one of the greatest-ever administrators of Australian racing. He was born in Sydney on 27 November 1863 and was the fourth surviving son and youngest of eight children of Edward Knox and his Irish wife Martha who was a sister of William Rutledge, a noted merchant, banker and settler.

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drian’s father, Sir Edward Knox had been born in Denmark of English parents in 1820 and arrived in Australia in 1840. Three years later Edward was appointed as manager of the Australasian Sugar Company which in 1855 became the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, later known as CSR. Sir Edward was also connected with the Commercial Banking Company which merged to become NAB, a company also associated with his brother in law. He was for many years a member of the legislative council. Sir Edward was knighted in 1898 and died on 7 January 1901.

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drian Knox attended Waverley House, Sydney, and H. E. Southey's school at Mittagong.

In 1878 he went to England to continue his education at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge. He returned to Sydney in 1886 where he practiced law with his brother, George Knox, a leading barrister of the period, who died soon afterwards. Adrian took over the

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practice and became a leader at the bar. He stood for the legislative assembly at Woollahra in 1894. Disillusioned with politics he did not seek re-election for a second term. He became a King’s Counsel in 1906 and was offered a Supreme Court judgeship but declined it. In February 1897, Sir Adrian married Florence Lawson, a descendant of the explorer William Lawson, at Bong Bong near Moss Vale.

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nox was a foundation member of the NSW division of the British Red Cross Society which became the Australian Red Cross in 1916. During WW1 Knox gave up his large practice in Sydney to go to Egypt as a commissioner for the Red Cross putting himself on the front-line taking stores and medical supplies to Gallipoli. Returning to Sydney early in 1916, Knox was an official visitor to internment camps and served on a Commonwealth advisory committee on legal questions arising out of war problems. In October 1919, he succeeded Sir Samuel Griffith as Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. In 1926, he was made a member of the Privy Council. He resigned his position as Chief Justice at the end of March 1930, having been made the beneficiary of the estate of his old friend John Brown, which saw him taking an interest in the business. Knox felt this may conflict with his judicial office. By now Sir Adrian’s health was starting to fail which contributed to his decision.

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ir Adrian was elected to the committee of the Australian Jockey Club in 1896. He was to serve as Chairman from 1906 to 1919, resigning upon his appointment as Chief Justice.

Knox reportedly ruled with an iron discipline that was his trademark. He is credited with lifting the reputation of racing in NSW to a high level and during his tenure the Randwick racecourse was largely rebuilt. His legal background saw him responsible for drawing up many of the Australian rules of racing, and he was particularly active in promoting and encouraging country racing associations.

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he most significant contribution of Sir Adrian Knox to racing though was arguably the introduction of the totalisator. This changed the face of racing and allowed huge additional funds to flow into the coffers of the race clubs. During his time in charge, the AJC saw prizemoney rise from £23,000 a year to over £80,000, with much of it for weight-for-age events. It also allowed the AJC to contribute significant funding to the war effort.

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ir Adrian Knox raced many good horses including Crown Grant, Popinjay and Vavasor, winner of the 1910 Sydney Cup but gave up racing his own horses during World War I. The bequest from John Brown however included a number of racehorses which saw Sir Adrian again involved in ownership including Balloon King who won the 1931 Victoria Derby

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nox died of heart disease at his home at Woollahra on 27 April 1932 and was cremated after a service at All Saints. Sir Adrian was elected to the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame in 1990 but of course is likely best remembered by having one of the Sydney Autumn 3yo feature races for fillies named in his honour.

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THINK BIG, LEILANI and the 1974 Melbourne Cup

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he thoroughbred is a wonderfully interconnected creature whose influence extends to all parts of society. Sometimes one could even be forgiven for thinking that higher levels of consciousness were at play, just as we saw with Grand Flaneur’s tragic injury that robbed racing of a great champion. The stars have perhaps aligned in this month’s Great Race feature. You may have read about Dalrello, a great Queensland Champion that traces back to a daughter of Grand Flaneur. Unfortunately, it is near impossible to find footage of his races even though he ran second in both the Qld Derby and Grand Prix in a race where subsequent Melbourne Cup winner, Think Big ran third. I was hoping that footage of Think Big might have been around in the Grand Prix and this search led me to the 1974 Melbourne Cup only a few month’s later. This got me thinking about Think Big whose story is quite a remarkable one. He remains one of only five horses to have won multiple Melbourne Cup joining Archer, Peter Pan and Rain Lover at the time, although of course Makybe Diva has gone on to eclipse those. To win two Cups is a remarkable achievement though and Think Big was hardly given the credit due.

There are two major factors as to why he wasn’t much more highly lauded. Firstly, Rain Lover had become the third horse to win two Cups only five years before somewhat lessening the rarity of the feat. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, Think Big was not the most popular winner of the Cup, starting at 12/1 in 1974, and at 33/1 the following year. Think Big was widely offered at 33/1 and longer before his win in the Hotham Handicap on the Saturday before the 1974 Cup. Even though he was well supported in the last few days of betting, the clear favourite on the day was the great mare Leilani. Not only was she favoured in the betting ring, but she was a darling of the crowd. Even in accepting the trophy, part owner Tan Chin Nam (he was not yet granted the title of Dato in Malaysia at this time), acknowledged the disappointment in the crowd. At the same time, Harry White was to ride his first Melbourne Cup winner on Think Big but his wife was not even on track to see it. Roy Higgins was the regular rider of Leilani but was outed for four meetings for his ride on Prince Amura in the Moonga Handicap. Harry White offered to ride Leilani in the Cup, but trainer Bart Cummings preferred to go with Sydney rider, Peter Cook. Like most, White thought that Leilani was the likely winner and was disappointed. “All things being equal,” White said, “I did not think he (Think Big) could beat Leilani.” Harry’s wife, Lauris was good friends with Genine Higgins, wife of Roy, who was downcast at her husband’s suspension. They both chose to give away their reserved seats at Flemington on that fateful first Tuesday in November 1974.

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he story of both Think Big and Leilani started with Champion trainer Bart Cummings who was to quinella the race with his two charges. Leilani was bred by Ian McRae of NZ. His neighbour was Tom Williams of Te Parae Stud who stood Oncidium and whose Australian contact, federal politician and keen racing enthusiast, Andrew Peacock was looking for a staying type of horse. Williams thought that the Oncidium x Lei filly might suit and Peacock’s trainer, Bart Cummings who visited the NZ sales every year was tasked with checking out the filly. He liked what he saw and organised the lease on the horse. At the same time, Cummings had purchased a colt by Sobig from Sarcella from the Trentham sale for $10,000. He normally had buyers waiting for his purchases, but Bart was happy to buy this one on speculation and race it himself. Upon returning to Australia, Cummings had a chance meeting with Tan Chin Nam, a banker, property and horse owner from Malaysia at the pool of a motel they were staying at in Melbourne. Tan said he was looking to buy a staying horse in Australia to race with his partner, Rick O’Sullivan from Queensland with a view to winning the Melbourne Cup. Cummings offered four horses and together Tan and O’Sullivan narrowed their selection

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to the Sobig gelding. Tan invited O’Sullivan and his wife, Joan to Melbourne for the weekend to finalise the deal. Cummings’ proviso was that he trained the horse. At dinner, the question as to what to name their new purchase arose. Mrs O’Sullivan commented that her husband had a habit of telling people who might have a problem that they should “Think Big.” The name resonated with Tan and the Melbourne Cup dream went into full swing.

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hink Big had eight starts as a 2yo for one win in a maiden at Cheltenham over 1350m.

He won his third start as a 3yo over a mile at Strathalbyn, followed by a win at Morphetville over the same trip. Think Big then went to Flemington to win the Carbine Club Handicap. Think Big was aimed at the Brisbane Cup in the Winter in Brisbane, running third in the Grand Prix behind Asgard and Dalrello. He was to run third in the Brisbane Cup beaten less than a length by the very good proven stayer, Igloo. His Spring started off disappointingly but Think Big steadily improved and by the time he won the Hotham on the Saturday before the Cup, he was ready for his date with destiny.

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n contrast, Leilani had become the idol of a nation. She did not start as a 2yo, but by the end of her 3yo season, she had won the AJC Oaks. Her Spring was outstanding and leading into the Melbourne Cup she had won four straight including the Turnbull Stakes, Toorak Handicap, Caulfield Cup and Mackinnon Stakes to be a firm favourite at 7/2.

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here was also a marked contrast in the ownership of the two horses The modest Tan and O’Sullivan were not in the media prior to the race, but Leilani was the pinup of the high society crowd. Federal Minister Andrew Peacock and his high profile wife, Susan were comfortable in the limelight and not lacking in confidence nor exposure. On the track it turned out a little the same way. The brilliant mare kicked clear and looked to be going on to win only to see the gelding grind his way to an impressive victory, enjoying the 3200m that he was bred for. For Bart Cummings it was his fourth victory in the Melbourne Cup, and his third quinella. After the race, he said “I’ve got to be happy that Think Big won, but I am also disappointed that Leilani had to lose. I know she won’t get the opportunity again, but I know she will go down as one of the all time greats of Australian racing.” Bart may have been a little off in his assessment as both horses now hold a special place in racing history.

Turf monthly 51