Better Loosen Up
Encyclopedia
Better Loosen Up was an Australia
n Thoroughbred
racehorse who won the Japan Cup
in 1990 and was named Australia's champion racehorse
in 1991. He campaigned from two to seven years of age, and won 17 of his 45 starts, including eight Group One
races. In 2004, he was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
.
Better Loosen Up was a small bay gelding
, by Loosen Up (USA) out of Better Fantasy by Better Boy (IRE). He was bred by Howard Martin and foaled in Berrigan, New South Wales
. Loosen Up won the French Prix de l' Avre and was the sire of six stakes-winners in Australia with Better Loosen Up being the best one. Better Fantasy was the dam of 13 named foals, but Better Loosen Up was her only stakes-winner.
stables of Bart Cummings
, where he won four races and was runner-up in the Canterbury Guineas
. At season's end, his record stood at a relatively unprepossessing five wins from 16 starts, although Les Theodore claims to have told the staff at Lindsay Park that the horse was a 'champion'.
Now trained by Colin Hayes
, Better Loosen Up resumed late in the spring of 1989, on Caulfield Cup day, with a close second, and finished the year with three Group One wins in as many starts, in the Honda Stakes
, the Winfield Stakes
, and the Railway Stakes
. In the new year, he defeated Super Impose
and Vo Rogue
in the Blamey
and the Segenhoe Stakes
, and was runner-up to Vo Rogue in the Australian Cup
in between. In his final starts for the season, he was defeated by Sydeston
on heavy tracks in the Mercedes Classic and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. At five, under the care of David Hayes (Colin Hayes had retired at the end of the 1989-1990 season), Better Loosen Up was better again. After a first-up defeat in the Liston Stakes, he was undefeated for the rest of the season, and, in successive races, took out the Feehan Stakes, the Turnbull Stakes
, the Cox Plate
, the Mackinnon Stakes, the Japan Cup
, and, in the new year, the Blamey Stakes and the Australian Cup. In the Cox Plate
, Better Loosen Up had come from an estimated 30 lengths off the lead to win in course record time; in the Mackinnon Stakes, on Derby Day, he was one of a 'world record' six Group winners for his trainer; in the Japan Cup, he scored a thrilling win to racecaller Bryan Martin's cry of 'Better Loosen Up has won for Australia', and remains the only Australian horse to do so; in the Australian Cup, he defeated Vo Rogue by five-and-a-half lengths. Following this season, Better Loosen Up was named Australia's champion racehorse in 1991.
A leg injury, which had cut short his autumn campaign, restricted him to just 12 further starts, at six and seven, and he failed to reach the same heights. His best performance came in the Cox Plate of 1992, where he was beaten just over a length by Super Impose, and successfully protested against Let's Elope, who was second past-the-post. He was retired in February 1993, within days of Super Impose, with whom he would star on 'Super Better Best' - the story of how two geldings rose from obscurity to amass a '$10 million fortune'.
, The International Home of Rest for Champion Horses in the Melbourne suburb of Greenvale
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse who won the Japan Cup
Japan Cup
The is the most prestigious horse race run in Japan. It is contested at the end of November at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters over the grass. With a purse of ¥476 million , the Japan Cup is one of the richest races in the world.The Japan Cup is an invitational event...
in 1990 and was named Australia's champion racehorse
Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year
The Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year is awarded to the Thoroughbred horse who is voted to be the champion horse within an Australian racing season. This award is open to all racehorses racing within Australia, regardless of age and sex, and includes overseas performances.This award...
in 1991. He campaigned from two to seven years of age, and won 17 of his 45 starts, including eight Group One
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
races. In 2004, he was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
Australian Racing Hall of Fame
The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000....
.
Better Loosen Up was a small bay gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
, by Loosen Up (USA) out of Better Fantasy by Better Boy (IRE). He was bred by Howard Martin and foaled in Berrigan, New South Wales
Berrigan, New South Wales
Berrigan is a town located on the Riverina Highway in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Berrigan is in the Berrigan Shire Local Government Area and is the location of the Berrigan Shire Council offices...
. Loosen Up won the French Prix de l' Avre and was the sire of six stakes-winners in Australia with Better Loosen Up being the best one. Better Fantasy was the dam of 13 named foals, but Better Loosen Up was her only stakes-winner.
Racing career
Under the care of Les Theodore, won one of his four starts as two-year-old, a maiden at Bendigo on 28 April 1988. At three, he was transferred to the SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
stables of Bart Cummings
Bart Cummings
James Bartholomew 'Bart' Cummings, AM is one of the most successful Australian racehorse trainers. He is known as the Cups King, referring to the Melbourne Cup, as the he has won the 'race that stops a nation' a record 12 times....
, where he won four races and was runner-up in the Canterbury Guineas
Canterbury Guineas
The Canterbury Guineas was a thoroughbred horse race held over 1900 metres at set weights for 3 year old horses. The race was held in March each year as part of the Sydney Autumn Carnival at Canterbury Park Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.-Race History:...
. At season's end, his record stood at a relatively unprepossessing five wins from 16 starts, although Les Theodore claims to have told the staff at Lindsay Park that the horse was a 'champion'.
Now trained by Colin Hayes
Colin Hayes
Colin Sidney Hayes was a champion trainer of thoroughbred racehorses based in Adelaide, Australia.During his career he trained 5,333 winners including 524 individual Group or Listed winners. He won 28 Adelaide and 13 Melbourne Trainers' Premierships.-Early days:Colin was born in Semaphore, South...
, Better Loosen Up resumed late in the spring of 1989, on Caulfield Cup day, with a close second, and finished the year with three Group One wins in as many starts, in the Honda Stakes
Emirates Stakes
The Emirates Stakes is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horserace held as part of the Melbourne Cup Carnival in early November. The race is over 1600 metres and is held at Flemington Racecourse...
, the Winfield Stakes
Kingston Town Classic
The Kingston Town Classic is an 1800 metre Australian Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions. It is named in honor of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame horse, Kingston Town who won the race in 1982....
, and the Railway Stakes
Railway Stakes (Australia)
The Railway Stakes is a WATC Group 1 1600 metre Thoroughbred horse race under handicap conditions. The race is held at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Australia in November. Prizemoney was increased to $1 million in 2007.-Distance:...
. In the new year, he defeated Super Impose
Super Impose
Super Impose was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. In a career spanning 74 starts, Super Impose won eight Group One races and a then Australasian record $5.6 million in prize money...
and Vo Rogue
Vo Rogue
Vo Rogue is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by American-bred Ivor Prince whose racing career ended from injury after just two starts. Ivor Prince was a son of the British champion Sir Ivor who won the 1968 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby. His American damsire, Dignitas, was a...
in the Blamey
Blamey Stakes
The Blamey Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race open run at Set Weights with Penalties over 1600 metres, at Flemington Racecourse in March each year.-Race history:* From 1955 to 1980 the race was run at Weight for Age....
and the Segenhoe Stakes
Ranvet Stakes
The Ranvet Stakes is a 2000 metre weight-for-age Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and over, run at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney Australia, early in March each year...
, and was runner-up to Vo Rogue in the Australian Cup
Australian Cup
The Australian Cup is a Group 1 Weight for Age race for Thoroughbred racehorses run over 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in March...
in between. In his final starts for the season, he was defeated by Sydeston
Sydeston
Sydeston was one of the best racehorses to come out of Tasmania in the history of Australian racing, and easily the best to do so in the modern era. After winning a number of races in his home state, the plain brown gelding was transferred to Bob Hoysted in the middle of 1989...
on heavy tracks in the Mercedes Classic and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. At five, under the care of David Hayes (Colin Hayes had retired at the end of the 1989-1990 season), Better Loosen Up was better again. After a first-up defeat in the Liston Stakes, he was undefeated for the rest of the season, and, in successive races, took out the Feehan Stakes, the Turnbull Stakes
Turnbull Stakes
The Turnbull Stakes is a 2000 metre Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, run under set weights with penalties conditions. The race is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne in October. Total prize money is A$502,000. It is one of the important races of the Spring Racing Carnival along...
, the Cox Plate
Cox Plate
The W.S. Cox Plate is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne every October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour W.S. Cox, the club's founder. For three-year-olds and over, the race is considered to be the Weight for Age championship of Australasia...
, the Mackinnon Stakes, the Japan Cup
Japan Cup
The is the most prestigious horse race run in Japan. It is contested at the end of November at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters over the grass. With a purse of ¥476 million , the Japan Cup is one of the richest races in the world.The Japan Cup is an invitational event...
, and, in the new year, the Blamey Stakes and the Australian Cup. In the Cox Plate
Cox Plate
The W.S. Cox Plate is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne every October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour W.S. Cox, the club's founder. For three-year-olds and over, the race is considered to be the Weight for Age championship of Australasia...
, Better Loosen Up had come from an estimated 30 lengths off the lead to win in course record time; in the Mackinnon Stakes, on Derby Day, he was one of a 'world record' six Group winners for his trainer; in the Japan Cup, he scored a thrilling win to racecaller Bryan Martin's cry of 'Better Loosen Up has won for Australia', and remains the only Australian horse to do so; in the Australian Cup, he defeated Vo Rogue by five-and-a-half lengths. Following this season, Better Loosen Up was named Australia's champion racehorse in 1991.
A leg injury, which had cut short his autumn campaign, restricted him to just 12 further starts, at six and seven, and he failed to reach the same heights. His best performance came in the Cox Plate of 1992, where he was beaten just over a length by Super Impose, and successfully protested against Let's Elope, who was second past-the-post. He was retired in February 1993, within days of Super Impose, with whom he would star on 'Super Better Best' - the story of how two geldings rose from obscurity to amass a '$10 million fortune'.
In retirement
Now in his 20s, Better Loosen Up resides at Living LegendsLiving Legends horse retirement home
Living Legends is an international home of rest for champion horses located on Oaklands Road at Woodlands Historic Park in Greenvale near Melbourne, Australia...
, The International Home of Rest for Champion Horses in the Melbourne suburb of Greenvale
Greenvale, Victoria
Greenvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
.