Thanks Tontonan. I hadn't seen that detail about Bayly and his both short and long-sighted attitudes towards thoroughbreds. Jorrocks screams out for a book! I certainly wouldn't disagree with his 8x HOTY between 1843 and 1850.

I've been working through his racing record, as i know some others have, and it would seem possible to come up with something close to accurate but whether it could ever be definitive is another story! It's a matter of cross-referencing and removing some of the "best guesses" in contemporary sources. Checking it through thoroughly would be a holiday job for me!

Cossack, the "invincible Russian", reads like the first "modern" colonial horse. He's more like The Barb and Fishhook than his early 1850s contemporaries. Would love to see your record of his career.

Here's Sportsman's record and below him, that of his brother, Sampson. Between August 1852 and September 1854 Sportsman won 21 out of 22 starts and the only one he didn't win was when his brother was "declared". Sampson was probably the second-best horse in the colony for a while but became a "cash-cow' at minor country meets for a succession of owners post-1855.

Jorrocks-Cossack-Sportsman-Veno would seem to be the absolute champions before the start of the "modern" era from 1859(!?)

SPORTSMAN (1849)

28 starts, 23 wins, 1 second, 4 unplaced

1851-1852 (3yo)
5 starts, 2/-/-/3

1st – 28/4/1852 Windsor Maiden Plate £40, once round and a distance, 2 heats, Sportsman won both, 2nd Fly
1st – 30/4/1852 Windsor St Leger £30, 1½ miles, 2nd Surplice, head
Unpl – 2/6/1852 Homebush Metropolitan Maiden Plate 100sovs, 1st The Brewer, 3min 23sec
Unpl – 4/6/1852 Homebush Queen’s Plate, 100sovs, 3 miles, (2yo – 5st 12lb, 3yo – 7st 2lb, 4yo – 9st 2lb, 5yo – 10st, 6yo and aged – 10st 4lb, mares and geldings allowed 3lb), 1st Cossack, 6min 1sec,
Unpl – 4/6/1852 Homebush Welter Stakes, 3 miles, 1st Sampson, 6min 6sec

1852-1853 (4yo)
10 starts, 9/1/-/-

1st – 12/8/1852 Singleton St Patrick’s Plains Glenridding Purse (£25) 1½ miles, 2 heats, 2nd Bessy Bedlam
1st – 26/8/1852 Maitland St Leger, 1½ miles, 2 heats, 2nd Hebe, second WO
1st – 7/10/1852 Homebush Drapers’ Races Drapers’ Purse (100sovs to winner), once round, 2nd Bronzewing, 3min 21sec, 6 lengths
2nd – 8/10/1852 Homebush Drapers’ Meeting the Finish Sweepstakes (50sovs), once round, 1st Samson
1st – 9/11/1852 Braidwood Welter Stakes (£300, three times around the course, 2nd Tam O’Shanter
1st – 11/11/1852 Braidwood Diggers’ Purse, 2nd Cinderella
1st – 29/4/1853 Windsor Australian Plate (40sovs), mile and a distance, 2nd Sir Charles, 2min 16sec,
1st – 1/6/1853 Homebush Welter Stakes, 3 miles, 2nd Jack Shepherd, 6min 20sec
1st – 3/6/1853 Homebush Queen’s Plate, 3 miles, wfa, (9st 2lb), 2nd Samson 5min 55½ sec
1st – 19/7/1853 Newcastle Publicans’ Purse (40sovs), 2 miles, 2 heats, 2nd Clementina, 2nd heat WO

1853-1854 (5yo)
9 starts, 9/-/-/-

1st – 29/9/1853 Homebush Match Race for £1500 wfa 1½ miles, vs Cooramin (3yo), 2min 56 sec, 20 lengths “hard held”
1st – 6/10/1853 Homebush Drapers’ Spring Meeting Champion Hcp (200sovs), twice around and a distance (9st 3lb), 2nd Sampson, 5min 20sec, 3 lengths
1st – 21/2/1854 Goulburn Town Plate (£75), twice around the course, 2 heats, 2nd Muleyson, length, half a neck
1st – 23/2/1854 Goulburn County Stakes (£100), twice around d the course, 2 heats, 2nd (first heat) Seducer, 2nd (second heat) Muleyson
1st – 23/2/1854 Goulburn Forced Hcp, twice around the course, 2nd Vanity
1st – 31/5/1854 Homebush Stakes (75sovs), once around, 2 heats, 2nd Sampson, 2 lengths, 1 length, 2min 30sec, 2min 31sec
1st – 2/6/1854 Homebush Queen’s Plate (100sovs), 2nd Cooramin, 5min 55sec, 10-12 lengths
1st – 2/6/1854 Homebush Forced Hcp, once round, (9st 8lb), 2nd Volunteer, length “well held”
1st – 7/6/1854 Homebush Match Race for £1000 a side wfa 1½ miles, vs Cooramin, 2min 58sec, 1½ lengths

1854-1855 (6yo)
4 starts, 3/-/-/1

1st – 5/9/1854 Mudgee Town Plate (150sovs), 2 miles, two heats, 2nd Vanguard
1st – 6/9/1854 Mudgee Cudgegong Purse (75sovs), 3miles and a distance, 2nd Tocul
1st – 7/9/1854 Mudgee Publicans’ Purse (100sovs), twice round the course, 2 heats, 2nd Planet
Unpl – 13/3/1855 Flemington Queen’s Plate (200sovs), wfa, 1st I Want It, 6min 3sec Sportsman broke down during the race on a “very macadamised” track


SAMPSON (aka Samson) 1848

At least 58 starts with 43 wins

1850-1851 (3yo)
1 start – 1/-/-/-

1st – 18/6/1851 Dungog Purse (£20), 2miles, 2 heats, 2nd Panther, 3min 59sec, 4min 2sec

1851-1852 (4yo)
9 starts 5/1/2/1

1st – 27/8/1851 Singleton St Patrick’s Plains Purse (£30), two miles, 2 heats, 2nd Lieutenant, 3min 57sec, 3min 59sec
1st – 29/8/1851 Singleton Publicans Purse (£50) 2 miles, 2 heats, 2nd Pasha, 4 min 7½ sec, 4min
1st – 9/9/1851 Maitland Town Plate (£50), 2 miles, 2 heats, 2nd Pasha, 3min 59sec, 3min 57sec
1st – 28/4/1852 Windsor All-Aged Stakes £40, twice around, 2 heats, 2nd Plover, 2 lengths, close struggle, 4min 3sec, 4min 1sec
2nd – 30/4/1852 Windsor Richmond Purse £40, wfa, 3 miles, 1st Vanity
3rd – 2/6/1852 Homebush Australian Plate 50 sovs, twice round, 1st Plover, 5min 12sec
Unpl – 4/6/1852 Homebush Queen’s Plate, 100sovs, 3 miles, (2yo – 5st 12lb, 3yo – 7st 2lb, 4yo – 9st 2lb, 5yo – 10st, 6yo and aged – 10st 4lb, mares and geldings allowed 3lb), 1st Cossack, 6min 1sec
1st – 4/6/1852 Homebush Welter Stakes, 3 miles, 2nd Almack, 6min 6sec, dozen lengths
3rd – 4/6/1852 Homebush Forced Hcp, twice round, 1st Plover

1852-1853 (5yo)
14 starts 12/2/-/-

1st – 11/8/1852 Singleton St Patrick’s Plains Purse (£50), 2 heats, 2nd Sappho
1st – 13/8/1852 Singleton Publicans’ Purse (£30), 2 miles, two heats, 2nd Wentworth
1st – 25/8/1852 Maitland Town Plate £50, two miles, 2 heats, 2nd Sluggard, WO second heat
2nd – 27/8/1852 Maitland Purse, 2 miles, 2 heats, 1st Wentworth, length, 3-4 lengths
1st – 7/10/1852 Homebush Drapers’ Meeting Metropolitan Hcp (100sovs), twice round and a distance, (8st 5lb), 2nd Vanity, 5min 25sec, dozen lengths
1st – 8/10/1852 Homebush Drapers’ Meeting the Finish Sweepstakes (50sovs), once round, 2nd Sportsman (Sampson “declared to win”)
1st – 9/11/1852 Braidwood Town Plate (£50), twice around the course, 2 heats, 2nd Cinderella
1st – 11/11/1852 Braidwood Publicans Purse 2 heats 2nd Royal Oak
1st – 27/4/1853 Windsor All Aged Stakes, 2miles, 2 heats, won both, 2nd Plover, 4min 9sec, 4min 17sec
1st – 29/4/1853 Windsor Richmond Purse, 3 miles, 2nd Jack Shepherd
1st – 1/6/1853 Homebush Australian Plate (50sovs), twice round the course, 2nd Little John, 5min 14sec, “easily”
1st – 1/6/1853 Homebush Ladies’ Purse (50sovs), once around the course, 2nd Lieutenant, 3rd Cossack, 20 lengths, 2min 29sec
1st - 3/6/1853 Homebush Corinthian Stakes (Gentlemen Riders), twice round, (11st 11lb), 2nd Jack Shepherd
2nd – 3/6/1853 Homebush Queen’s Plate, 3 miles, wfa, (9st 11lb), 1st Sportsman, 5min 55½ sec,

1853-1854 (6yo)
7 starts 4/2/1/-

2nd – 6/10/1853 Homebush Drapers’ Spring Meeting Champion Hcp (200sovs), twice around and a distance (10st), 1st Sportsman, 5min 20sec, 3 lengths
1st – 6/10/1853 Homebush Metropolitan Hcp (100sovs), (9st 9lb), 2nd Little John 3min 15sec, length “hard held”
1st – 21/2/1854 Goulburn Welter Stakes, 3 times around the course, 2nd Irish Kate, close finish
1st – 22/2/1854 Goulburn Publicans’ Purse (£50), twice around the course, 2 heats, second heat WO, 2nd Warratah
1st – 23/2/1854 Goulburn Ladies’ Purse, once around the course and a distance, 2 heats, 2nd Black Ball, second heat WO
2nd – 31/5/1854 Homebush Stakes (75sovs), once around, 2 heats, 1st Sportsman, 2 lengths, 1 length, 2min 30sec, 2min 31sec
3rd – 2/6/1854 Homebush Queen’s Plate (100sovs), 1st Sportsman, 2nd Cooramin, 5min 55sec, 10-12 lengths

1854-1855 (7yo)
4 starts 2/1/1/-

1st – 2/8/1854 Singleton Patrick’s Plains Purse (£40), 2 miles, two heats, 2nd Cato, “a made-up race”, the other two only being entered as a ‘matter of form”
1st – 4/8/1854 Singleton Town Plate (£60), 3 miles, 2nd Venison, 2 lengths
2nd – 5/10/1854 Homebush Drapers’ Meeting Champion Handicap, twice around and a distance, 1st Volunteer, 5min 11sec
3rd – 5/10/1854 Homebush Metropolitan Hcp (£100), 1st Volunteer, 2nd Cooramin

Disputed ownership and court cases seem to have stopped him running in 1855

1855-1856 (8yo)
11 starts 10/1/-/-

2nd – 5/2/1856 Beechworth Publicans’ Purse (£100), twice around, 3 heats, 1st Orlando, Sampson 2nd, 1st, 2nd , 1st heat 3min 58sec
1st – 6/2/1856 Beechworth Miners’ Purse (£100), 3 times round, 2nd Mosstrooper
1st – 7/2/1856 Beechworth Town plate (£100) 2 miles and a distance, 2nd Stranger
1st – 18/3/1856 Mulwalla Squatters Purse (50sovs), twice round the course, 2 heats, 2nd Stranger
1st – 19/3/1856 Mulwalla Publicans’ Purse,(50sovs), twice around the course, 2 heats, 2nd St John
1st – 8/4/1856 Albury Publicans’ Purse (60sovs), twice round and a distance, 2nd Orlando, 5min 14sec
1st – 10/4/1856 Albury Town plate (100sovs), 2 miles and a distance, 2heats, 2nd Mosstrooper, both heats won in 4min 9sec
1st – 10/4/1856 Albury Squatters’ Purse (40sovs), 3 miles, (11st 11lb), 2nd Orlando, 6min 24sec
1st – 26/6/1856 Beechworth Birthday Races Birthday Plate (100sovs), twice around, 3 heats, 2nd mosstrooper
1st – 26/6/1856 Beechworth Ladies’ Purse (60sovs), WO from another horse from his owner (Robert Brown)
1st – 27/6/1856 Beechworth Stakes (75sovs), once round and a distance, 2nd Electricity

1856-1857 (9yo)
5 starts 2/3/-/-

1st – 19/11/1856 Flemington Victoria Plate (150sovs) 3 miles, 2nd Hotspur, 6mins, 2½ lengths
1st – 20/11/1856 Flemington Victoria Turf Club Cup (100sovs), 3 miles, 2nd Rose of May, 6min 17sec, 10 lengths
2nd – 21/11/1856 Flemington Sweepstakes, 3 miles, 1st Hotspur, 6min, short half-head
2nd – 16/12/1856 Ballarat Town Stakes (100sovs), 3 miles, 1st Alice Hawthorne, 6min 49sec
2nd – 17/12/1856 Ballarat Ladies’ Purse (50sovs), once around the course, 1st Camel, 2 lengths

1857-1858 (10yo)
At least 7 starts 7/-/-/-

1st – /11/1857 Wagga Publicans’ Purse (75sovs) 2 miles, 2 heats, 2nd Tallyho
1st – /11/1857 Wagga Town Plate (100sovs), 2 miles, 2 heats, 2nd Alpha

March 1858 2 races won at Ten Mile Creek

“The sporting owner of Sampson, unable to resist the opportunity which offered itself of picking up a few sovereigns by taking this crack animal to run against a few stock horses at a small country meeting completely succeeded in spoiling the whole affair” Races on the second day cancelled (The Border Post)

He then won 3 races at Goulburn in May but lameness seems to have forced his retirement

Has Reading 1936 got an entry on these pages ? He was obviously a tip top 3yo of his era.

He along with Noholme ( sire of Nodouble) have their names in neon lights in the pedigree of the worlds best galloper for 2014 so far Just A Way.

Cossack, the "invincible Russian", reads like the first "modern" colonial horse. He's more like The Barb and Fishhook than his early 1850s contemporaries.

Totally agree.

 In 1850 the sun is setting on the career of not only Jorrocks but many of the other old 'half bred' Anglo/Arabian horses and Cossack is the rising star of the thoroughbred era.  It's not that simple of course.  Nothing is known of Sportsman's maternal line beyond his second dam who was a (Bay) Camerton mare and nothing is known of Samson's pedigree at all.

 The 'half breds' remain influential for a while yet but their influence diminishes   The 'superiority of the thoroughbred' (or perhaps the 'pure bred') was not an argument that was completely resolved when the GSB became a closed shop.

One of the characteristics of the thoroughbred is that it matures quickly.  When Whisker won the Governors Cup in the early 1830's Sir John Jamieson (a most fair minded sportsman) protested that Bayly's colt couldn't only be three years old as he had laid waste to the older more seasoned colonials and must have been grossly advantaged at the weights.  But Whisker's bona fides were impeccable.  He was simply a well advanced, well bred youngster - and something of a revelation to the NSW breeders.

Henry Bayly wasn't the only man to declare that the future belonged to the thoroughbred.  Men like Thomas Icely knew it all along (although he bred his fair share of halfs).  He imported Manto, perhaps the first TB mare in NSW, he bred Flora McIvor and he stood Sir Hercules for a time after the death of the remarkable Charley Smith.

Charley Smith of Beefsteak Corner picked a pocket or two too many and was sentenced to 14 years and transported to NSW where he married and was assigned to his wife (and we all know how that feels).  The Smiths established a butchery in Sydney that was so successful that they ended up owning a 'city block' in Sydney town (known as Beefsteak corner) and had 9 assigned servants - all before Charley had done his time !

 They also cultivated connections up and down the Sydney social ladder, and Charley indulged his passion for race horses ( and riding them).  Charley wasn't discharged from his sentence until he had served 13 years by which time he had arranged to acquire Icely's Bungarribee Stud at Doonside which he devoted exclusively to the breeding of thoroughbreds.  He imported stock and bred them up and his name is written over the pedigree of virtually every decent horse bred in NSW because in 1833 he bought out the stockholders of the stallion Rous Emigrant and in 1843 he bred the mighty Sir Hercules.

There is admittedly only one reference to the story (and that in the NZ press) but it seems that Charley was so taken with the young Sir Hercules he did not bother with racing him in NSW but rather booked him a passage to England.  A box was built and all provisions made for the trip but on the eve of the ships departure Charley died.  The trip was cancelled. Thomas Icely brought the young stallion from Smith's estate and stood him at Coombing Park before selling him to Henry Redwood of New Zealand along with a good part of his harem including Flora (and her foal at foot Zoe) in 1852.

Charley's funeral was one of the biggest Sydney had ever seen.  The mourners included the highest and lowest of Sydney society including the kids from the orphanage and what remained of the Aboriginals of Sydney who had all appreciated Charley's generosity. 

There had been a saying 'No one need ever go hungry while Charley Smith is in Sydney'.

Thanks for posting Cossack's record, Tontonan. It wasn't just what he won but the way he won that set him apart from his contemporaries!

Also liked the story of Charley Smith. The turf attracted some fascinating figures in the 19th century and it is remarkable to see how many transported convicts ended up doing well for themselves (9 servants!)

Thanks PP7.

Has anybody got the racing record of Rainbird ? She was a Melbourne Cup winner who become one of Australia's great taproot mares. She is the ancestress of some wonderful race horses including the famous Tennessee line of mares.

 

Had a great weekend looking through your HOTY pages, Tontonan. So many memories!

Had a look at the Turf Monthly Annual for the 1980-81 season and they chose Sovereign Red as their HOTY. They said, "Kingston Town, winner of 4 of his 6 starts during the Spring including the Cox Plate by 5 lengths, and Manikato, unbeaten in 3 appearances, are undoubtedly the best racehorses in the country but neither did enough to be named Horse of the Year".

It was narrowed down to three with Our Paddy Boy first eliminated. They gave it to Sovereign Red because he campaigned in 4 states over 4 seasons and won in classic, w.f.a. and handicap company. He also won twice as much prize-money as Hyperno, but Hyperno won some good w.f.a. races! Both would have been deserving winners.

At least Turf Monthly always justified their selection of HOTY.

It's like 1967-68 when Tobin Bronze only started 4 times in Australia taking the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate in his final starts. He was definitely the class racehorse of the season but General Command won the Metropolitan, the C. B. Fisher Plate, both the VRC and AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Chipping Norton and the Sydney Cup amongst his 8 wins and Winfreux won 10 of his 15 starts including the Craven Plate, the Caulfield Stakes, the Mackinnon, the William Reid, the Orr Stakes and the St George Stakes.

There wasn't much around that season in the 3yo and 2yo categories. There was a real class-gap in the year between Galilee/Tobin Bronze and Vain/Rain Lover.

Who do you select in 1962-63? Aquanita, Sky High, Pago Pago would all have their supporters over Even Stevens but his Cups were so memorable.

Tontonan, got there through http://championsgallery.herobo.com/HOTY/1981.htm and Google Chrome.

You made a very convincing case for Even Stevens; that Fisher Plate victory the sealer as you point out. Bounding Away got the official HOTY as a 2yo but that wasn't exactly the most popular of decisions!

Sky High never quite gets the historical respect he deserves. His record stacks up well against just about every other horse in the post-Tulloch - pre-Kingston Town era.

Sorry, I realised that my original post was confusing. I was referring to the following pages:

 http://championsgallery.herobo.com/horses_of_the_years.htm for the lists to 1940 and http://www.thewinningposts.blogspot.com.au/ to access your original write-ups of 1860-1900. Superb stuff by the way.

No, I couldn't get past the sample page on 1980-81.

Record updated for Bernborough to show Flight winning the 1946 McKinnon, not Tea Cake

I have not read the last 25 or so posts on the Super Impose Vs Bernborough thread but when I have time I am looking forward to it.

I am motivated to start a couple of threads, perhaps 3 discussing and or trying to compile the best fields for a 1600 2400 and 3200m contest within Australasia.

Yes, I was doddling a fantasy Randwick Mile field earlier today when my new fridge arrived.  I like fantasy fields more than playing who is better than who.  I have no idea who is better than who and I am always surprised that others are so adamant about it.

The idea of a series of threads compiling the fields for the ultimate race meeting tickles me though.

Great idea   

Tontonan, the HOTY pages are just a fantastic resource and must have been a phenomenal amount of work! You can see the season at a glance. I've left a comment on the 1878-9 page. It was a straightforward process.