In an effort to remind American racing fans about a rich Australian racing history that has been filled with great horses, jockeys and trainers, here's a blast from the past that might shake a few cobwebs and illicit future interest in getting race tips or horse racing tips for great horse racing from the Southern Hemisphere.
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Phar Lap (1926-1932) - Phar Lap is likely the most recognised name in the world of horse racing. His legend was captured in the 1984 film by the same name. The horse was legendary for the way he won races and the way he died. In 1928, Phar Lap was originally purchased by American businessman David J. Davis. After seeing a colt that looked a mess, Davis balked at paying to have him trained and reached a training agreement with Sydney trainer Harry Telford under a lease-to-own contract. After winning 5 of his first 16 races against modest competition, the light went on and Phar Lap became a holy terror on the race track. In fact, he won 32 of his last 35 races despite having to carry ridiculous amounts of weight as punishment for dominating Australian racing. After winning the Agua Caliente Hcp 10f in Mexico in early 1932, Phar Lap died under suspicious circumstances while race negotiations were underway for his North American debut.
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Kingston Town (1976-1991) - The horse with a little guy complex. Although Kingston Town amassed a fantastic career record of 40-31-5-2, he earned a reputation as the greatest Australian horse to never win a Caulfield Cup or Melbourne Cup. In fact, the horse won all 21 starts in Sydney, but accumulated only 5 wins from 13 starts when he step on the tracks in Melbourne. His legend was officially born when he became the third three-time winner of the Cox Plate, one of the country's premiere races held at Moonee Valley Racecourse. Legendary trainer T.J. Smith considered him to be one of the best he ever trained.
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Makybe Diva (1999-present) - If The Melbourne Cup is the world's premiere race for stayers, then Makybe Diva would have to be considered the best female stayer in history. From 2003-2005, the mare became the first three-time winner of Australia's premiere race. By adding the Cox Plate in 2005 to her resume, she also established herself as one of the greatest race mares in the world. In the process of winning 15 races from 36 starts, she established herself as the all-time purse winning horse of either sex in Australia with almost AUS$15 million in earnings.
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Black Caviar (2006-present) - If ever a racehorse was to capture the attention of racing fans all over the world, it would have to have been Black Caviar during her amazing streak from 2009-2013. During this time, she won all 25 of her starts and retired undefeated. After being named WATER World Champion Sprinter (2010,2011,2012,2013) and Australian Racehorse of the Year (2011,2012,2013), she left the racing world wondering how good she really was. If they can't be beat, you can never be sure.
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T.J. Smith (1916-1988) - While Thomas John Smith may not be a household name in most parts of the world, he was a horse training legend in Australia. Based primarily in Sydney, he dominated Australian horse racing from the 1950s until the mid 1980s. Among his most significant accomplishments were winning seven W. S. Cox Plates, six Golden Slippers, four Caulfield Cups and two Melbourne Cups with Toparoa in 1955 and Just a Dash in 1981.
This article was written by Tony Samboras. Being a big fan of horse racing along with a passion for writing has led Tony to writing for a premium sports website that's dedicated to free horse racing tips for Australian race meets.
