Milestone Memories: The Champions

The day features three elite Group 1 races, each worth $3 million: the TAB Champions Stakes (2000m), Lexus Champions Mile (1600m), and VRC Champions Sprint (1200m).

The VRC’s Joe McGrath reflects on some of the milestone victories that have shaped these three storied races.

CHAMPIONS STAKES

1960 - Tulloch

65 YEARS AGO

Tulloch was such a star performer he could have won anything when at the peak of his powers. He was precocious enough to win an AJC Sire Produce Stakes; he won a Caulfield Guineas, a Caulfield Cup, and a VRC and AJC Derby.

He was the most dominant horse of the late 1950s. He arguably should have won the 1957 Melbourne Cup, but his owner Mr E.A. Haley turned down the opportunity, believing it would be too taxing on the three-year-old.

When the world appeared at his feet, a dark cloud loomed, inflicting the horse with a stomach virus that would see the champion sidelined for two years. He nearly died in the process. So, to return to the ultimate level, winning not only the 1960 LKS MacKinnon Stakes but also a W.S. Cox Plate, was a momentous comeback that only solidified Tulloch’s legend.

Tulloch had two more runs in the spring of 1960. These were the Melbourne Cup, where he would finish seventh carrying 10 stone 1 pound, and the C.B. Fisher Plate on the final day, which he won. The Cup placing would be his only unplaced run in 53 starts.

Tulloch continued training into the autumn of the following year, securing the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes among other victories. He then travelled north to Brisbane in the winter, winning the QTC PJ O’Shea Stakes and the QTC Brisbane Cup in his final two race starts. The attendance at his last race was fitting for the champion he was.

In 2001, Tulloch was announced as an inaugural inductee into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

CHAMPIONS MILE

1990 - Shaftesbury Avenue

35 YEARS AGO

One of the most versatile horses trained by Bart Cummings was Shaftesbury Avenue. Quick enough to win sprint majors like the Lightning Stakes and Newmarket Handicap, Shaftesbury Avenue was also adaptable enough to run third in a Japan Cup over 2400 metres.

He was a star performer for Cummings winning 13 of his 28 race starts. He was unlucky not to run better in a Cox Plate after he appeared to slip on the turn out of the straight the first time. 

However, it was his win in the 1990 Honda Stakes (Champions Mile) that defined his brilliance over a middle-distance and the craftsmanship of Australian and New Zealand Racing Hall of Famer, Jim Cassidy, who jumped from a wide gate, pushed forward and took the lead, controlling the race in the process.

On entering the straight Cassidy would have all runners off the bit, kicking clear with about 300 metres left to run. In the closing stages Cassidy and Shaftesbury Avenue opened up a three to four length margin.

He kicked off his following autumn campaign in style, capturing both the 1991 Lightning Stakes and the 1991 Newmarket Handicap, landing a seventh Lightning and eighth Newmarket for Cummings.

CHAMPIONS MILE

1965 - Heroic Stone

60 YEARS AGO

In 1965, Heroic Stone, the winner of the George Adams Handicap, was trained by astute Flemington trainer Tommy Hughes, who pulled off one of the more remarkable betting plunges during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

After finishing 11th in the Epsom Handicap at Randwick and seventh in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield, Heroic Stone headed to Flemington as an each-way chance. However, the horse continued to improve during the preparation, and come final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the stable was full of confidence.

An old-fashioned plunge took place, with the stable netting over £100,000 in the process.

The stable won so much cash that they stuffed part of it in a chaff bag inside Heroic Stone’s stable box, only to find the next day that some of the cash had been eaten by the horse!

Unperturbed, Hughes retorted, ‘Oh well … he won the race, so he’s entitled to eat it.’

Hughes is remembered for training many winners out of his Flemington stables. Besides Heroic Stone, he trained top performers like Grand Cidium, Rechabite, No Parole, Rajah Sahib, Gay Master, Umatilla, Rechabite, Symbollico, and Grey Song. Hughes was a master at preparing horses for specific targets.

Yet, for all his race wins, the race that most defines his career is his gallant second-placed finish to Salamander in the 1979 Melbourne Cup. 

CHAMPIONS SPRINT

2010 - Black Caviar

15 YEARS AGO

The 2010 Champions Sprint marked the eighth race start and win for the champion sprinting mare, Black Caviar. While the racing community was quick to recognise the exploits of this race champion, the general public had yet to taste the equine form of caviar, which would see Black Caviar become a front-page headline across newspapers worldwide.

The VRC Champions Sprint – formerly known as the VRC Sprint Classic in recent times – has carried Group 1 status since 1979 and has always been run down the famous Flemington Straight six-furlong, 1200-metre track. It was previously held on Victoria Derby Day from the mid-2000s but was moved to the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, enhancing a line-up of three Group 1 races.

The 2010 edition had an extra layer of intrigue, with Black Caviar being ridden by a young Ben Melham, as the regular rider, Luke Nolen, was unavailable on the day.

Asked about his experience riding Black Caviar, Melham replied, ‘it was pretty much a point and steer situation’, referring to the ease with which this emerging star had performed.

The following autumn, things truly began to unfold as Black Caviar won the first of her three Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) down the Flemington straight, leading to a momentous victory in the Newmarket Handicap carrying 58kg. It was at this point that this equine great transitioned from industry superstar to public icon. She never looked back.  

CHAMPIONS SPRINT

1970 - Dual Choice

55 YEARS AGO

The 1970 Champions Sprint Classic, formerly known as the Craven A Stakes, saw Dual Choice drop back from a victory in the Caulfield Guineas to take on the elite sprinters down the Flemington straight.

Ridden by future Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Frank Reys, Dual Choice held off subsequent 1971 Cox Plate winner, Tauto, winning by a half head. In doing so, she recorded a new race record of 1 minute 9 seconds, which stood for some time.

Dual Choice – or ‘Julie’ as she was affectionately known – was one of the best sprinting mares to ever grace the Australian turf. A dual winner of the Oakleigh Plate (1971-72), Dual Choice won 16 of her 28 starts and surpassed the stakes-winning efforts of Wenona Girl almost a decade earlier. She secured what we now recognise as nine Group 1 races.

Her regular riders were Frank Reys (11 wins) and Peter Gumbleton (4 wins), and she was a precocious two-year-old who trained on well, winning top class sprint races into her four-year-old season.

Dual Choice was the first of the imported stallion Showdown’s progeny to win the VRC Maribyrnong Trial Stakes at her first start. She was trained out of Geelong by Ken White, bred by well-known breeder Harry McNamara, and was raced by Mr and Mrs Norm Gilham.

Upon retirement, Dual Choice was bought back by McNamara for $80,000. She did not produce anything of note at stud.