Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i Turf Monthly

It is saddening in a way to write on Neville Sellwood. He was arguably our greatest jockey. Many who still remember him describe him as true gentleman. Sellwood was an outstanding jockey in a time of many outstanding jockeys, but it is doubtful if any were his superior. Tragically his early death in a race fall in France has seen his memory fade far too rapidly. When he should be being revered as at least the equal of George Moore, another Queensland product, there are few that remember just what he did in the saddle. Not only was he a success in Australia, but he was heralded throughout the world. There was a series of articles written by him, or most likely by journalist Merv Williams for the Sporting Globe…

Todman was perhaps the first true superstar 2yo in Australian racing and he holds a special place in history. Almost singlehandedly, Todman was the horse that established the Golden Slipper, and cemented the reputation of his sire, Star Kingdom. He was trained by former champion Sydney jockey, Maurice McCarten and ridden in every start by Neville Sellwood. Rather surprisingly, Todman stood only a touch over 15.1 hands. The colt was from the third crop of emerging superstar stallion, Star Kingdom who had been brought to Australia by Stanley Wootton. Not only did Wootton import Star Kingdom, but he also brought from England Todman’s dame, Oceana. Star Kingdom had been a quality racehorse winning nine of his sixteen starts including five of six as a 2yo. Todman was from the stallion’s…

Super Impose is an interesting addition to the ranks of Champion Australian gallopers, but it would be remiss to mention Imposing and Todman without referring to this amazing galloper. His pedigree is the epitome of the New Zealand thoroughbred in many ways. Super Impose was also a champion who did not always show his class, at least certainly in his early career. Unlike many that share his NZ heritage, he was also not at home on wet tracks. It raises a very interesting question as to track conditions and their influence on the breed. Given the years of drought that Australia sees, there have certainly been times when horses have gone for years without encountering wet tracks. Sires suffer the same drawbacks, and many have no doubt been discarded because…

Shaquero was something of an upset winner of the Magic Millions even though it was one of the most open races of recent times. The 2yo colt has ensured himself of every chance at stud irrespective of what he does on the track for the rest of his career. In fact, if history is any guide, he may well not get to race past his 2yo season. The colt won his first start in the Breeders Plate at Randwick over 1000m in October 2020. A brief let up saw him return for his Magic Millions campaign in the Bruce McLachlan at Eagle Farm on Boxing Day. He finished a disappointing seventh of eight runners at Eagle Farm on that occasion. Shaquero then went to the Gold Coast a week before…

SELLWOOD SAYS: DELTA THE GREATEST Delta is the greatest horse I have ridden, and I think it is fitting that I should pay him separate tribute. Delta is the champion of champions in my book. When my new house is built it will be named in honor of that grand little horse. I'll never forget that Delta gave me my greatest thrill — winning the Melbourne Cup. Delta's most impressive win in the Mackinnon Stakes on Derby Day proved that he'd not only retained his AJC. Metropolitan winning form but was better than ever. Mr Basser, his owner and trainer Maurice McCarten, thought after that performance that Delta would win the Cup. But I wasn't so confident. Great horse that I knew Delta was, I just couldn't see him giving…

Tulloch is perhaps one of the most written about of all Australian horses. He became the benchmark of a champion for a generation of racegoers, and his story is one of overcoming huge obstacles. Few will not be aware of the illness that kept him away from racing for two years and almost cost him his life. He was also the horse that cemented the reputations of at least three of Australia’s greatest racing personalities. Tulloch was inexorably linked with his trainer, a young TJ Smith who was making a big impact on racing in Sydney at the time. Tulloch led his career to stellar heights and his name was etched on Smith’s famed Tulloch Lodge for the remainder of his long career. Tulloch also became synonymous with jockey George…

Todman had a spectacular start as sire. His first crop saw him become leading First Season Sire winning £34,045 in stakes in the 1963-64 season. This was £12,065 above the previous Australian first crop record set by champion French stallion Wilkes in the 1959-1960 season. Wilkes had set the mark with nine individual winners of seventeen races in his first season for a total of £21,980 in prizemoney. This, in turn, had beaten the previous first-crop record held by Todman's sire, Star Kingdom, who produced the winners of 18 races and £21,318 in the 1954-55 season. Todman produced 10 winners of 18 races for his record-breaking total of £34,045 during the season. The winners included Eskimo Prince whose dam was the great mare Chicquita, and Todwana. Eskimo Prince was owned…

Larkspur represents one of jockey Neville Sellwood’s most famous moments by winning the English Derby of 1962. By then, Sellwood was well established as an international rider, and was the leading jockey in France for the season. Larkspur was a fortunate winner of a race that saw seven runners including the favourite Hethersett fall. Born in Ireland, Larkspur was trainer Vincent O’Brien’s first of six Derby winners. He was a son of Never Say Die who was by Nasrullah out of a War Admiral mare. Never Say Die became the first US bred horse in 73 years to win the English Derby with his victory in 1954. Larkspur’s Derby victory helped his sire to the Champion Sire’s title of 1962. Larkspur was out of the mare, Skylarking by Precipitation. Skylarking…

It is always important to look at the historical context of individual races. We now look at the Cox Plate as the pinnacle of weight for age racing in Australia. This was not the case until recently. Many of the great horses from the past were focussed on the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double and bypassed the Cox Plate. Three-year-olds had a very good record in the race as more started in the race which was used as a lead into the VRC Derby for many. This is just one example of how the nature of a race can change and we only have to look at the Sydney Cup and the Metropolitan to demonstrate this further. In 1957, the Golden Slipper was a novelty, albeit a very lucrative one. Todman’s…

Sporting Globe (Melbourne, Vic: 1922 - 1954), Saturday 10 November 1951, Sydney jeweller, Mr A. Basser, whose horse Delta broke an 84-year-ofd record by winning the Metropolitan and Melbourne Cup in the same year, definitely believes in miracles. To use Mr Basser's own words, "Delta didn't win the Melbourne Cup just because he is the best horse in Australia but because Dame Fortune smiled and enabled crack Sydney lightweight, Neville Sellwood to be back in Australia to ride him." Plans for Delta's dual staying success were complete in every detail but one when Mr Basser began a 63-day sea trip on the luxury liner Caronia early this year. Missing from the set-up was Sellwood, who was contracted to ride in England to the end of this year. Mr Basser met…

Tulloch produced only the two stakes winners, and only a handful of winners. He produced daughters who bred on, yet few of them had success at stud themselves. Perhaps his best daughter was Tulrigo who produced a son by Prince Max called Tullmax who was to win the 1980 George Main Stakes and the Listed NSW Tramway Stakes. Another daughter called True Beauty was to produce a son called Sydney Cove by Bogan Road who won the 1974 Canterbury Guineas. He went to stud but produced little of note. Tulloch also produced a daughter called Tullette who produced a daughter by Le Cordonnier called Cordonette. She was to produce a son by Scrupules called Jam City who won the Hobart Cup in 1996. Tullette also produced a daughter by Ballyhot…

It would not be fitting to talk about Todman without talking about Dulcify who was out of a daughter of Todman in Sweet Candy. Dulcify may well represent the greatest tragedy in Australian horse racing. He was at his peak, and a dominant favourite in the Melbourne Cup of 1979 when galloped on by eventual winner, Hyperno. Dulcify fractured his pelvis in the incident and was humanely euthanized on course. It brought to a close a fairy tale twelve months for connections which had started with a win at the incredible odds of 330 to 1 in Adelaide, a second in the SA Derby and a crushing Victoria Derby win the year before. Dulcify traces back to a mare called Cinna who is akin to royalty in many thoroughbred circles.…