Author Topic: Race Records Of Champion Racehorses (Read 704105 times)

pwa54 · « 2020-May-19, 10:33 AM **Reply #1900** »

Wily, I checked on Archer. There's a book called The Master's Touch, Racing with Etienne de Mestre by Keith Paterson which has a full record of Archer.

He was even money favourite in his last race, the Champion Sweepstakes, but after finishing 3rd there was an uproar in the press that de Mestre had raced him when he was lame. He had had a swelling in a foreleg and a fever for a fortnight a while before the race. Archer was a heavy horse and hard to train. A spokesman for de Mestre said "Mr de Mestre runs his horses for his own amusement and ignores the right of the public to question any course he may choose to adopt".

He was taken back to Sydney to train for the Metropolitan in September but in August 1864 he was injured in training and retired to the stud at Exeter Farm where he stood until 1872. His breeders apparently preferred to keep his breeding secret as he had a short pedigree and so was not regarded as a thoroughbred according to Paterson.

wily ole dog · « 2020-May-19, 05:45 PM **Reply #1901** »

Cheers mate. A great tale

ahremck · « 2020-Jun-07, 07:07 AM **Reply #1902** »

Can we get a race record for Time and Tides older brother Fine and Dandy. I feel a horse good enough to win the Goldern Slipper and later 2 Doncaster handicaps is likely to be a worthy subject.

ahremck · « 2020-Jun-07, 07:20 AM **Reply #1903** »

I have submitted a Nomination for the Hall of Fame for Winfreux. A record that has 10 Group 1 victories, and twice runner up in the Cox Plate is more than adequate I feel. Additionally he was able to win a Group 1 as a 3yo , 4yo, 5yo, 6yo and 7yo. The main reason I submitted is that he holds 3 Australian distance records still, as they are in furlongs. I would be surprised if any other horse has retired with that many. [/size

ahremck · « 2020-Jun-07, 07:27 AM **Reply #1904** »

While I am in an inquisitive mood. Does anyone know of a list of Principal races? They were the predecessor of Group Races Racing Australia ia happy to list all 4 level of Group races but nothing about Principal Races. I wonder did they have levels too?

timw · « 2020-Jun-08, 01:22 PM **Reply #1905** »

ahremck

A list of principal races can be found at pages 659ff of Peter Pring's Analysis of Champion Racehorses published in 1977. The various Turf Registers published lists of winners of principal races but does not appear to be comprehensive. One that caught my attention was the 1963 AJC Millers Lager Hcp over 12f which carried about the same prizemoney as the Sydney Cup that year. I haven't looked at the Australian Stud Book website for years so you may be able to compile a list of winners from it but it would be time consuming and I have found errors in their race tables in the past.

Interestingly Mr Pring did not think Fine and Dandy's record was worth of inclusion in that book. However he did include Fine and Dandy's record in his Major Australian Races and Racehorses 1960-1980 at pp 42-44 (published 1980). 7 of his 15 wins (45 starts) came as a 2YO (after the 2YO year he won 8 of 37). While he did beat Sky High and Wenona Girl (once each as an older horse) looking through his record he struggled against top liners such as Aquanita, Sky High (beat him many times), Wenona Girl, Kilshery,

Cheers

timw · « 2020-Jun-08, 07:28 PM **Reply #1906** »

ahreck

Re Winfreux course records

Peter Pring only recorded one course record in his book "Major Australian Races and Racehorses 1960-1980" and that was the Caulfield 9f record which he described as an '(ANZR)' or Australasian record.

The Canberra Times claimed that his winning time in the Doomben Cup was a world record breaking Man O'War's 2.14.2 set ay Belmont Park NY June 1920 (actual date 12 June 1920). I checked thru my American publications and found that they only included the US 11f dirt record in their tables. The 11f. turf record of 2.12.4. was held by Cool Prince set at Delaware Park, Delaware on 3 July 1965. Looking at my NZ books it is clear he ran a faster time that any horse in NZ so it can be labelled an "ANZR" record as well.

The Canberra Times labelled his win in the 1967 Hill Stakes as a course record. It could be an ANZR record as well although I wouldn't claim it as such as there are so few races over that distance.

if you are looking for an Australian horse that set or equalled records then Shannon (AUS) 1941 is hard to go past. He set an ANZR in the 1946 George Main Stakes. In America he broke the Bay Meadows 9.5f course record (8 May 1948). At Golden Gate Fields he equalled the 9f world record (17 Oct 1948) Next start (23 Oct 1948) at same track he set the 10f American record and equalled the world record. At his last start he broke the 9f. Tanforan course record (25 Nov 1948).

pwa54 · « 2020-Jun-09, 10:34 AM **Reply #1907** »

Tim, the Millers Lager Hcp was a 12 furlong race, starting as the Randwick Centenary Invitation Stakes in 1960 when Valerius won. It was the Sunday Telegraph Invitation Stakes in 1961 when Persian Lyric beat Tulloch and Valerius, then the Daily Telegraph Cup in 1962 when Grand Print defeated River Seine and Nilarco.

The winners of the Millers Lager Hcp from 1963-1965 were The Dip, Politician and Richetta. Craftsman was 2nd in 1965. I'm not sure why it was discontinued but the prizemoney was impressive. Maybe it wasn't attracting the quality they thought it might by 1965.