Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Turf Monthly

Trainer Rob Hickmott has been in charge of some wonderful racehorses as the head trainer for leviathan owner Lloyd Williams, but he maintains that the best horse he was ever involved in was Efficient. It is high praise for a horse that would barely rate a mention when it comes to the best horses of the last twenty years, but in many ways, it is a case of what might have been. Efficient is the only horse since the great champions Comic Court and Delta in the 1950’s to have won the VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup. When we consider the quality of some of the VRC Derby winners over this time, it is a remarkable record. We cannot forget that we have seen horses like Red Anchor, the ill-fated…

Prince Foote won eleven stakes-races including the AJC and VRC Derbies, both St Legers and the Melbourne Cup while still a 3yo, yet barely rates a mention when great Australian racehorses are mentioned. He was to become only the third horse after Grand Flaneur and Poseidon to win the AJC Derby, VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup in the same season. The feat since then has only ever been repeated by champions Trivalve and Hall Mark. Rather oddly both Trivalve and Prince Foote have not yet earned a place in Australia’s Racing Hall of Fame. Phar Lap of course was to miss the Melbourne Cup in his 3yo season but came back the following year to win that great race having won the two Derbies. But on to Prince Foote. Prince…

Things change, and it is hard not to notice how much racing has changed when we look at the VRC Derby. For over a century it was the pinnacle of Australian racing. If you ever doubted just how important the race was within society, there is a remarkable piece that we have reprinted from the Age published on the Monday following the 1887 VRC Derby. Not only does it give a wonderful insight into Derby Day, but it is also exquisitely written and unlike anything you will see in today’s media. This month we want to look at some of the glory days and how the VRC Derby has impacted every horse that races today. In times gone by, the list of Derby winners was literally a list of our…

The Australian Peer started in only six races that did not include Abercorn in the field. Three days after running third to Abercorn in the AJC Derby, he ran second in the Randwick Spring Maiden Stakes beaten a length by Cranbrook. Four days later he was to win the AJC Randwick Plate over three miles beating Trident on 24 September 1887. It was the Australian Cup at Flemington in March 1888 before The Australian Peer again lined up in a field that did not include Abercorn. This was only three days after the pair had met in the VRC St Leger and their careers diverged only briefly. While The Australian Peer was unplaced behind Carlyon in the Australian Cup, only a couple of days later Abercorn was winning the The…

Comic Court repeated the remarkable effort of Delta who was a year younger than him, by winning the VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup over the space of three seasons. For Delta it was 1947 and 1949, and for Comic Court it was the following years, 1948 and 1950. Comic Court is often remembered as the horse that was instrumental to the career of a young Bart Cummings, but his story is so much more than that. In fact, it is much more a story of that great trainer’s father, Jim Cummings who was a guiding light for much of what the younger Cummings was to achieve. But let us start at the beginning. James Martin Cummings was born on the second Tuesday in November 1885, exactly a week after Sheet…

Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854 - 1954), Monday 31 October 1887, page 5 V.R.C. SPRING MEETING. DERBY DAY. The Derby day, quoth on Englishman half a century ago, is an illustrated epitome of the history of English sports, manners and society. He declared it to be a national scene, and one so peculiarly and completely national, so identified with the very nature of Englishmen that it showed more of the national character to a foreigner in a few hours than months of residence and inquiry could furnish even to an industrious and judicious investigator. Although we have altered, if not improved on, the day of the fete which marks the great event of the sporting year, the prestige of Derby day with us has by no means departed from it. It…

While Abercorn is well known for his rivalry with The Australian Peer, he raced over a longer period and is often rated the second best Australian racehorse of the nineteenth century, just behind the legendary Carbine. Abercorn raced against The Australian Peer through much of his three and four year old seasons but even if we ignore this part of his career, he was a remarkable galloper. He was bred by James White at his Kirkham Stud. Reportedly he was a good looking flashy chestnut albeit compact growing to only 15.2 hands. In all Abercorn won 20 of his 35 starts and was only unplaced twice in his career despite often appearing lame on race day. He raced during a true golden age of Australian racing and beat the best.…

Patrobas was a wonderful racehorse but is another who barely rates a mention among the greats. His record though shows that he deserves his place with some of our best and Patrobas certainly set some records along the way. He is one of the few racehorses who has a statue of him displayed. In his case it is on show in Rosedale in Victoria where the plaque proudly claims Patrobas as the only horse from Gippsland to have won the Melbourne Cup. It also lays claim to the fact that Patrobas is the only horse in history to have won the Caulfield Guineas, VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup, and to top that off he did it all in the one season. Without negating this remarkable feat, it should perhaps be…