Tulloch (horse)

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename= Tulloch


caption=
sire= Khorassan
grandsire= Big Game
dam= Florida
damsire= Salmagundi
sex= Stallion
foaled= 1954
country= New Zealand
colour= Bay/Brown
breeder= Trelawney Stud
owner= EA Haley
trainer= Tommy J. Smith
record= 53:36-12-4
earnings= £110,121
race= VRC St Leger Stakes (1958)
Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1958,1960,1961)
Chipping Norton Stakes (1958,1960)
Brisbane Cup (1961)
Cox Plate (1960)
Mackinnon Stakes (1960)
All Aged Stakes (1958)
Rawson Stakes (1958)
Caulfield Cup (1957)
Caulfield Guineas (1957)
VRC Derby (1957)
AJC Derby (1957)
Queensland Derby (1957)
Rosehill Guineas (1957)
AJC Sires Produce Stakes (1957)
VRC Sires Produce Stakes (1957)
QTC Sires Produce Stakes (1957)
awards=
honours= Australian Racing Hall of Fame
updated= 20th September 2006

Tulloch (1954-1969) is considered to be among the top three champion Australian thoroughbred racehorses of all time.Bred in New Zealand, the bay or brown colt by Khorassan out of the Salmagundi mare Florida was foaled in 1954.Tulloch won at distances from 5 furlongs (1000 m) to 2 miles (3200 m) and established Australian records at 10 furlongs (1960 Cox Plate) and 12 furlongs (1957 Caulfield Cup), and took 2 seconds off Phar Lap's 28 year old record for the AJC Derby.As a three year old Tulloch won 14 of his 16 starts before he was struck down by a virus which kept him off the racing scene for almost two years. He came back to racing as an Autumn five year old and won 15 of his last 24 races.Tulloch was one of the five inaugural horse inductees into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, alongside the other turf immortals Carbine, Phar Lap, Bernborough and Kingston Town.

A promising start

Trainer Tommy J. Smith bought Tulloch as a yearling for 750 guineas in 1956 at the Trentham Yearling Sales. He offered the colt to E A Haley who was impressed by the horse's breeding, intelligence and presence despite having what was referred to as a "swampy" back. Healy named him Tulloch after the Scottish town where his mother was born.

In the spring of 1956, a 2yo Tulloch had his first start in the AJC Breeders Plate where although sent out favourite he was beaten by Flying Kurana. Backing up the next week, Tulloch won the Cannonbury Stakes. He was sent to Melbourne where he contested 3 races, winning twice but beaten in the VRC Maribyrnong Plate by Concert Star.

Resuming in the Autumn, Tulloch was beaten into second in his first two starts, a 2yo handicap in Sydney and the VATC Merson Copper Stakes. He then won the VRC Sires Produce Stakes over 7 furlongs, beating Ace High. Next start, dropping back a furlong, Ace High turned the tables on Tulloch, beating him in the Ascot Vale Stakes (Until 1965 the Ascot Vale Stakes was run in autumn for 2yos. From 1969 the Ascot Vale Stakes has been run in the spring for 3yos). Going back to Sydney, Tulloch won the Fairfield Handicap at Warwick Farm Racecourse before meeting only 2 other horses in the AJC Sires Produce Stakes. Todman and Prince Darius were to prove themselves as worthy foes, however were no match for Tulloch, who at this stage was unbeaten over the 7 furlong distance. Todman turned the tables in the Champagne Stakes (dropping back to 6F) beating Tulloch by six lengths. Before heading for a spell, Smith and Tulloch headed to Brisbane where Tulloch won the QTC Sires Produce Stakes.

His record at the and of his 2yo season stood at 13:7-6-0. Tulloch had won the VRC, AJC & QTC Sires Produce Stakes, the Cannonbury Stakes as well as 2yo races at Caulfield, Flemington & Warwick Farm Racecourse. He also ran second in the Maribyrnong Plate, AJC Breeders Plate, Ascot Vale Stakes and the Champagne Stakes.

Three year old legend

The spring of 1957 is the stuff legends are made from. Resuming in the Warwick Stakes Tulloch took on open age competition for the first time beating MacDougal (winner of the AJC Queens Cup, Metropolitan Handicap, Brisbane Cup and Melbourne Cup), Monte Carlo (AJC Derby & VRC Derby, AJC St Leger, Metropolitan Handicap, STC Cup, LKS Mackinnon Stakes & VRC Queens Plate) and Caranna (AJC Derby, Caulfield Guineas, Rosehill Guineas & Craven Plate). Next he went back to his own age group in the Rosehill Guineas where he beat Prince Darius, then onto the AJC Derby which Tulloch beat Prince Darius (again) by 6 lengths and in the process breaking the track record that had been held by Phar Lap since 1929. Tulloch then made the trip down to Melbourne to win the Caulfield Guineas and then took on the older horses again in the Caulfield Cup. Tulloch started 6/4 favourite in a field of 17, carrying 7 stone 8 pounds (approx 48 kg) Tulloch won in 2:26.9, which at the time was the fastest time in the world for a mile and a half on turf and the third fastest overall. He won by two lengths from Mac's Amber (Chipping Norton Stakes, Alister Clarke Stakes,Toorak Handicap) and Sailor's Guide (AJC Derby, AJC St Leger & VRC St Leger Stakes, LKS Mackinnon Stakes as well as the Washington, D.C. International in the USA).

Tulloch was installed as favourite for the Melbourne Cup - it was rumoured that Smith had a wager of 33,000 pounds to a thousand that Tulloch would win the Cups double. A Sydney newspaper ran a story on the Monday after the Caulfield Cup that quoted the owner EA Haley as saying that Tulloch would never run in the Melbourne Cup as he did not fancy running 3yos over two miles, especially with the 8 stone 5 pound burden he had been allotted. The rest of the newspapers were full of Tommy Smith predicting how far Tulloch would win the Cup by and the debate raged leading up to the race if the great horse would run or not. Whilst the controversy ensured an exciting lead up to the Cup, Tulloch won the VRC Derby, beating Prince Darius by 8 lengths.

Scratched from the Cup, punters were left to wonder what might have been, as Straight Draw downed Prince Darius by a neck with Pandie Sun a further 2 1/2 lengths further back in third. The WFA CB Fisher Plate was next on the agenda with Tulloch easily accounting for Sailors Guide, before he was quickly shipped to Brisbane for the QTC Derby, only 7 days later, which he won by 7 lengths.

Returning in the Autumn, Prince Darius got one back on Tulloch, beating him in the St George Stakes over 9F , Prince Darius again beat Tulloch home in the VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 12F, but the winner was another old adversary, Sailors Guide. Third up Tulloch won the VRC St Leger, before heading to Sydney to win the Rawson Stakes, Chipping Norton Stakes, AJC St Leger, All Aged Stakes and the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

As a three year old. Tulloch had 16 starts for 14 wins, one second and one third. His lifetime record now stood at 29:21-7-1. Tulloch's fame had spread and Haley knocked back massive overseas offers for his horse. Grand plans were formulated to campaign Tulloch in the United States and England, but in April 1958, Tulloch developed a mysterious stomach disease that almost killed him. Over the next 2 years Tulloch suffered recurring infections and severe weight loss.

The comeback

Amazingly, Tulloch returned to the track on the 12th of March 1960 - almost 2 years after he first became sick. First up in the VRC Queens Plate over 10 Furlongs, Tulloch beat Lord, one of the best WFA horses of that era (Caulfield Guineas,Caulfield Stakes x 3, Memsie Stakes x 4, St George Stakes x 2, C F Orr Stakes x 2, Underwood Stakes x 2) by a short head. He then won the Chipping Norton Stakes, Craven Plate & the PJ O'Shea Stakes to finish off a successful autumn return.

The 1960 Melbourne Cup was the aim in the spring, in his lead up Tulloch won the Cox Plate, LKS Mackinnon Stakes & VRC Queens Plate. Under 10 stone 1 pound (approx 64 kg) in the Melbourne Cup and starting 3/1 favourite, Tulloch finished an unlucky seventh, the race being won by Hi Jinx. This was to be Tulloch's only unplaced run in his career. After the Cup Tulloch again took out the CB Fisher Plate.

Returning for the autumn Tulloch won the AJC Autumn Stakes and the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes before heading to Brisbane where he again won the PJ O'Shea Stakes. His last race was the 1961 Brisbane Cup which he won by 1 3/4 lengths

After returning from his debilitating injury, Tulloch had a record of 24:15-5-3 with 1 unplaced run. 13 of these wins were at WFA in stakes races.

At the end of his amazing career, Tulloch had won 19 races that are now classified as group one. He also twice won the no longer contested AJC Autumn Stakes (with winners such as Ming Dynasty, Balmerino, Gunsynd, Rain Lover, Galilee, Beau Vite, Peter Pan, Nightmarch, Heroic and Carbine), As well as the no longer contested VRC Queens Plate, (winners such as Leilani, Gunsynd, Rain Lover, Galilee, Lord, Ajax, Phar Lap, Wallace & Carbine) which both of would be categorised as group 1 racs by today's standard. Seven races that Tulloch won are now Group 2 races and Two are Group 3. When you take into account that the VRC St Leger and AJC St Leger were held in much higher regard in days gone by the record becomes even more impressive.

Tulloch Stood at Haleys Te Koona Stud where he did not perform up to his racetrack standard. He did sire two stakes winners, in Dahma Star (1967 Christmas Cup) and Valide (1968 SA Oaks). Tulloch Died at Old Gowang Stud in 1969.

Racing record

* TOTAL: 53 Starts: 36 Wins, 12 seconds, 4 thirds, 1 unplaced.

Pedigree

Pedigree
name = Tulloch
f = Khorassan (IRE) 1947
m = Florida (NZ) 1945
ff = Big Game (GB) 1939
fm = Naishapur (IRE) 1942
mf = Salmagundi (GB) 1924
mm = Island Linnet (NZ) 1929
fff = Bahram (GB) 1932
ffm = Myrobella (IRE) 1932
fmf = Nearco (ITY) 1935
fmm = Udaipur (GB) 1929
mff = Phalaris (GB) 1913
mfm = Salamandra (IRE) 1913
mmf = Songbird (NZ) 1918
mmm = Unawed (NZ) 1918
ffff = Blandford (IRE)
fffm = Friars Daughter (GB)
ffmf = Tetratema (GB)
ffmm = Dollabella (IRE)
fmff = Pharos (GB)
fmfm = Nogara (ITY)
fmmf = Blandford (IRE)
fmmm = Uganda (FR)
mfff = Polymelus (GB)
mffm = Bromus (GB)
mfmf = St. Frusquin (GB)
mfmm = Electra (GB)
mmff = Kilbroney (GB)
mmfm = Grey Linnet (GB)
mmmf = Markhope (GB)
mmmm = Unawares (NZ)|

ee also

* Repeat winners of horse races

External links

* [http://www.racingmuseum.com.au/ Australian Racing Museum and Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/tulloch Tulloch's pedigree and stats]