Racing into History - Living Legends
(First published in Australian Performance Horse magazine Oct-Nov 2010).
ARTICLE & PHOTOS: James Vereker
Racing into history…
A retirement home for Australia’s horseracing legends gives the
public a chance to get up close and personal with their favourites.
Victoria’s “Spring Racing Carnival” attracts the best
racehorses in the nation and from overseas, as well as a huge influx of
visitors to witness a series of fabled ‘Group One’ races such as the “Caulfield
Cup”, “Cox Plate” and “Melbourne Cup” – the race that ‘stops the nation’ and
creates legends.
It is understandable that gallopers, who continue winning ‘against
the odds’ in handicapped Group One races, become ‘legends of the turf’ and are much
admired by racegoers. Of course, in the ‘Sport of Kings’, there are always
winners and losers but what happens to champion racehorses when they lose their
‘zip’ and are retired from the racetrack?
Though well-performed stallions and mares are placed at stud,
geldings can go to pasture but be lost to obscurity. Some lucky “Living Legends”
can earn retirement at the “International Home of Rest for Champions” set in a
parkland estate located just minutes from Melbourne Airport. The centrepiece is
a historic 1840s homestead ‘Woodlands’ that is surrounded by beautiful gardens
and picturesque walking, biking and horse riding trails - abundant in native
wildlife. A section of the estate is divided into small paddocks with
enclosures for ‘stablemates’ with a central lane for walking tours.
Veterinarian and CEO of Living Legends, Andrew F Clarke is
enthusiastic about the group of champions in his care including ‘featured
guests’ during the Spring Racing Carnival. “There is big news of a very special
visiting horse. ‘Northerly’ will be here!”, says Andrew. The dual-conqueror of
‘Sunline’ is sure to be an extra drawcard, together with the most recent
addition of the striking ‘Apache Cat’, who joined the honour roll of legends in
March this year. He is in the company of the indomitable ‘Might and Power’ and
other stars such as ‘Better Loosen Up’, ‘Brew’, ‘Bullish Luck’, ‘Doriemus’,
‘Fields of Omagh’, ‘Paris Lane’, ‘Regal Roller’, ‘Rogan Josh’ and ‘Silent
Witness’.
Whilst the power and speed of ‘racing legends’ may have
diminished with the years, their personalities have not changed. The
characteristics which gave them the ‘winning edge’ are still evident. As
regulars used to being in the winner’s circle, they love an audience and here,
champions are brought within arms reach of adoring fans for a pat or photo
opportunity.
The career achievements of these racehorses is staggering: ‘Northerly’
won over $9 million in stake money including back-to-back Cox Plates and won a
Caulfield Cup carrying 58kg - before being retired in 2004. ‘Apache Cat’, a
copper-chestnut with four white socks and a white-face like a splash of ‘war
paint’, was a crowd favourite as a sprinter. He won the “Global Sprint
Challenge” in 2008 trouncing ‘Takeover Target’ after scoring five consecutive
Group One victories to equal ‘Tulloch’ from 1957. His back-to-back “Doomben
10,000” followed but ‘The Cat’ was retired after fracturing a leg at Hong Kong
in December last year.
‘Might and Power’ gained fame through victories as a
frontrunner and won the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double in 1997. He again won
the Cox Plate in 1998 leading all the way and was the first reigning Melbourne
Cup champion since ‘Phar Lap’ to do so. After earning over $5m in prize money this
“Champion Horse of The Year” was retired in 1999 after injury.
‘Better Loosen Up’ is the only Australian thoroughbred to win
the “Japan Cup” after he had set a race record in the Cox Plate of 1990 and is
a member of the “Australian Racing Hall of Fame”. Although not large in
stature, his forelegs bear the usual lumps and bumps of a well-campaigned
racehorse in retirement. Melbourne Cup winner ‘Brew’ was a late-bloomer with
only one victory in two years before 2000, when he qualified with a light
weight and had the race won with 400 metres to go!
Living Legends include overseas stars too, represented by ‘Bullish
Luck’ who was voted “Hong Kong Horse of the Year” in 2006. He achieved fame for
back-to-back wins in the “Champions Mile” as well as ending the 17-race winning
streak of stablemate ‘Silent Witness’ who had become a legendary sprinter on
the Asian circuit. Since arriving from Australia in 2002, ‘Silent Witness’ had
18 wins from 29 starts for over $10m in prize money. He was crowned “Horse of
the Year” twice and declared ‘the world’s top sprinter on turf’.
‘Fields of Omagh’ won his last race, the 2006 Cox Plate, as a
nine-year old with career earnings totalling $6.5m. He had raced for seven
seasons and internationally in Japan, Dubai and Hong Kong. Remarkably, ‘Foo’
regained form after suspensory injuries to his forelegs in an era competing
against the likes of ‘Makybe Diva’, ‘Northerly’, ‘Sunline’ and ‘Lonhro’.
‘Doriemus’ won the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double in 1995 and
was a great rival to ‘Might and Power’ who scored the double in 1997 by beating
him into second place each time. True to form, they were initially paired at
Living Legends but the dominance of ‘Might and Power’ meant ‘Bullish Luck’ was later
substituted as his mate.
‘Paris Lane’ won the Caulfield Cup and Mackinnon Stakes in
1994 before a second in the Melbourne Cup and was renowned for a ‘pig-root’ in
the parade ring! ‘Regal Roller’ was another crowd favourite as a regular frontrunner
at Caulfield racecourse - beating his opponents with speed and determination -
scoring nine wins and three placings from 21 starts at the track.
‘Rogan Josh’ raced to victory in the 1999 Melbourne Cup from
relative obscurity, giving owner Wendy Green, the greatest thrill of her life.
She took the cup back to Darwin amidst national publicity. The win also gave
trainer, Bart Cummings, a historic eleventh victory in the great race. ‘Josh’
and ‘Paris Lane’ are good paddock mates and like posing with horse lovers.
Small groups of local and international tourists are guided
around the enclosures with the opportunity for ‘Q&A’. Andrew Clarke gives insights
on the various equine personalities, peppered with racing anecdotes of their
halcyon days spent on the leading racetracks of the world. This information is
augmented by a series of plaques displaying portraits and a summary of each champion’s
career highlights.
Living Legends is open 10am to 4pm Wednesday, Saturday and
Sunday, located in Oaklands Road, Greenvale, just off the Sunbury Road, near
Melbourne Airport – Melway 177 H9. Phone (03) 9307 1165, 
see Facebook or search www.livinglegends.org.au for
information and a special section on the ‘Health of Older Horses’. ©James Vereker 2010
see Facebook or search www.livinglegends.org.au for
information and a special section on the ‘Health of Older Horses’. ©James Vereker 2010
(First published in Australian Performance Horse magazine Oct-Nov 2010).
