Hall Of Fame Inaugural Inductees Announced

6 March 2006

The much-awaited inaugural New Zealand Bloodstock Racing Hall Of Fame inductee gala dinner took place in Auckland on Friday night, with 14 New Zealand Racing icons inducted in a night dedicated to recognising outstanding contribution to the history of New Zealand Racing - both equine and human. Below is a comprehensive guide to the first 14 inductees.

CARBINE

  • Australasia's first undisputed racing champion
  • 43 starts, 33 wins, 6 seconds, 3 thirds and 29,626 pounds (record earnings for more than 20 years)
  • 1890 Melbourne Cup winner and still holds the weight carrying record for the Melbourne Cup 10st 5lb (66kg)
  • Unbeaten in five starts as a 2YO in New Zealand
  • Founded a dynasty of three English Derby winners: Spearmint, Spion Kop and Felstead

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GEORGE GATENBY STEAD

  • Dominant owner and industry leader
  • Treasurer of the Canterbury Jockey Club for more than 30 years, at the time the most successful club in New Zealand.
  • Active in the formation of the New Zealand Racing Conference
  • Set up a uniform set of racing rules for the country
  • Played a leading role in moving NZ racing to an all-totalisator structure
  • Was leading owner 12 times in the 1890s and 1900s

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SIR GEORGE CLIFFORD

  • Three decades the head of NZ racing industry
  • President of the New Zealand Racing Conference 1900-1930
  • Produced the first official New Zealand Stud Book (1900)
  • Won more than 116 classics as an owner and over 181,258 pounds (making him one of the most successful owners of his period in Australasia)
  • Owned a famous sheep and thoroughbred station, Stonyhurst, standing several generations of successful homebred stallions

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�RICHARD (DICK) JOHN MASON

  • Prince of Trainers
  • The outstanding trainer of his era (1880-1932)
  • Trainer of 30 Derby winners, probably a world record
  • Trained the winners of over 200 Group One-equivalent races
  • Took on the best in Australia on a regular basis and often won
  • Trained Gloaming, the great champion of the 1920s

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GLOAMING

  • The great trans-Tasman traveling racehorse
  • 67 starts, 57 wins, 9 seconds.�
  • Jointly holds the New Zealand record for a winning sequence of 19
  • Won 3 Derbys as a 3YO on both sides of the Tasman
  • Bred in Australia, but trained and owned in New Zealand and was a stakes winner in Australia on debut
  • Crossed the Tasman more than 15 times in his long career

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PHAR LAP

  • Racehorse great
  • 51 starts, 37 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds
  • Bred in New Zealand but never raced here; he was Australasia's champion for the Depression years
  • Won the Victoria Derby, AJC Derby and Rosehill Guineas as a 3YO
  • As a 4YO he won the Melbourne Stakes, Melbourne Cup, Linlithgow Stakes and CB Fisher Plate during Cup week - a feat never matched before or since
  • Won his only race outside of Australia, the Agua Caliente Handicap in Mexico in race record time
  • Remains the benchmark for all future Australasian champions

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BILL (W.J.) BROUGHTON

  • Champion jockey
  • Won 11 jockey championships (a record for nearly 50 years)
  • Lifetime tally of 1446 winners was a record when he retired
  • Holds the record for number of wins during the 1940s
  • Never regularly associated with a champion, but known for his professionalism and fitness

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KINDERGARTEN

  • Racehorse - The wartime hero
  • 35 starts, 25 wins, 3 seconds, 3 thirds
  • Won 10 of 13 starts at 3 including the Easter Handicap carrying 7kgs over WFA
  • Given top weight for 3 Melbourne Cups, but never ran in the race due to WWII
  • Won the Easter again as a 4YO, this time carrying 10st 3lb (65kg)
  • As a 5YO won the Auckland Cup by five lengths carrying 10st 2lb (64.5kg)

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BILL (W.D.) SKELTON

  • Champion jockey
  • Won 7 jockey premierships over 3 decades
  • His winning tally of 124 in 1967-68 season was a record until 1982-83
  • He was the first NZ jockey to ride 2000 winners
  • Leading rider in 1950s decade
  • Lifetime tally of 2156 was a record when he retired

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BOB (R.J.) SKELTON

  • Champion jockey
  • All-time distance-racing master
  • Won 9 jockey premierships from 1955-6 to 1975-6
  • Was the most successful jockey in the 1960s decade
  • His record of 775 wins from 1960 to 1969 was a record for a decade to that time
  • Won more 2 mile (3200m) races than any other jockey in Australasian history

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DAVE (D.J.) O'SULLIVAN

  • Champion trainer
  • Holds current record for winners trained in New Zealand, with a total of 1877
  • Won 11 trainers' premiership titles
  • Reknowned as a mentor of apprentice jockeys
  • Successful trainer of international winners including Horlicks' 1989 Japan Cup

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SIR PATRICK HOGAN

  • Master breeder, brilliant marketer
  • Set new standards for marketing stallions and yearlings
  • Has sold the most sale-topping yearlings of any vendor in New Zealand history
  • In 2006 was the leading vendor by aggregate at the National Yearling Sales for an unprecidented 25th year in succession
  • Four times New Zealand Breeder of the Year
  • Stood champion sires Sir Tristram and Zabeel (78 Group 1 winners to date between them)
  • Was knighted for his services to racing

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LANCE O'SULLIVAN

  • Champion jockey
  • Won a record 12 jockey premierships
  • Holds the New Zealand win tally record of 2358
  • Rode the greatest number of winners in both the 1980s decade and 1990s decade, with 1980s decade total of 1077 being the current record
  • Won 50 Group 1 races, including Horlicks' 1989 Japan Cup and 3 Railway Handicaps on Mr Tiz.

SUNLINE

  • Champion Racehorse
  • Raced 45 times for 32 wins, eight seconds and two thirds
  • Set an Australasian record of $11 million in stakes money earned
  • Raced in four countries and won in three
  • Sunline was twice elected Australian Racehorse of the Year and three times New Zealand Horse of the Year.
  • In 1999 Timeform publication named her the best turf mare in the world.
  • Was successful in both the Cox Plate and Doncaster Handicap on dual occassions.

Press Release: New Zealand Racing Hall Of Fame