Innehållsförteckning för December 2021 från Turf Monthly

With another Spring Carnival over and done with, it never ceases to amaze me the wonderful stories that come out of the industry. The story of Incentivise is a wonderful one, but nothing in my view tops the continued rise of the superstar Verry Elleegant. We look at that mare’s new position as the Cups Queen of Australian racing, achieving something that neither Winx or Makybe Diva managed. The disappointing part of the Spring is the growth of the anti-racing protesters. We even see a Green’s Senator vowing to end the industry. Funnily these anti-racing groups seem to appear only in the Spring when they will gain the biggest audience for their personal views and advancement. One of the statistics that was being sprouted is that one horse dies on…

Herald (Melbourne, Vic.: 1861 - 1954), Monday 9 October 1911, page 2 NOTED HORSE OWNER MR DAN O’BRIEN. WHY HE SOLD CARBINE. The name of Dan O’Brien is not likely to ever die out of Australian turf history. He it was who picked out and purchased Carbine as a yearling, swept the board with him in New Zealand as a two-year-old, and, after failing by one of the greatest flukes ever heard of in connection with horse racing to win the Victoria Derby, sold the famous son of Musket and Mersey for 3000 guineas. Before his retirement to the stud Carbine won £29,476 in stakes, but out of this only about £1300 went to the man who discovered and educated him. Yet O’Brien is of such a philosophical and happy…

Wallace, Donald Smith (1844–1900) by Alan W. Black This article was published in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6, 1976 online in 2006 Donald Smith Wallace (1844-1900), pastoralist, racehorse owner and parliamentarian, was born at Ballark station near Morrisons, Victoria, on 10 August 1844, eldest son of John Wallace, squatter, and his wife Elizabeth, née Smith. He was educated at Charles Goslett’s Academy in Melbourne. After pastoral experience at Alexander Wilson’s property, Vectis, he went to Queensland about 1870 to a series of sheep station partnerships, including large ventures with (Sir) Samuel Wilson. He returned to Victoria in 1878, and in 1880 failed to win the seat of Grant in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. Next year he headed a syndicate that sought to establish an agricultural college on crown…

Australasian (Melbourne, Vic.: 1864 - 1946), Saturday 21 June 1930, page 17 WALTER HICKENBOTHAM. CARBINE’S TRAINER DEAD. The last time I saw Walter Hickenbotham was in the saddling paddock at a Caulfield meeting a few months ago. He was then looking a picture of health, and one might have been excused for believing he was in possession of the secret of perennial youth. He was at Moonee Valley a few weeks ago when his son Tim won a race with Ideal Prince, and those who saw him that day little imagined that in a few short weeks they would be paying a tribute to his memory. He died somewhat suddenly on Wednesday at his winter home at Dromana at the age of 82 years. Walter Hickenbotham had been for very…

Century is another name in Australian racing that is fading into the mists of time. At one stage he was a superstar of the turf and a champion stallion whose name every breeder wanted in a pedigree. That was before Bletchingly, and then Sir Tristram and eventually Danehill. Nevertheless he remains not only a valuable influence in the Australian thoroughbred, but also one of the most enduring lines of the wonderful Amberite. The colt was born in 1969, by Champion Irish bred stallion, Better Boy. Better Boy was a son of My Babu who had won the Autumn Foal Stakes as a 2yo but came to Australia as a racing prospect as a northern hemisphere 3yo. After acclimatising he finally made it to the track during his southern 5yo season…

There is little doubt that the Cups races do not have quite the impact on Australian racing that they once did. Some of us who love the history of racing though are still enamoured by these great showpieces and the remarkable horses that are able to win such time honoured events. Nevertheless the 2020 Caulfield Cup did not really stand out as being such an important piece of history at the time. We have talked about the great Verry Elleegant’s 2021 Melbourne Cup win, but it was her 2020 Caulfield Cup that allowed her to take her first big step into racing immortality. She was no doubt a remarkable mare and had won the ATC Oaks and was well respected. Her major successes had been in Sydney, and while Melburnians…