Castletown (horse)
Encyclopedia
Castletown is a New Zealand
thoroughbred
racehorse who won over $2 million in prize money and is best known for winning one of New Zealand's toughest staying tests, the Wellington Cup
, on three occasions. He had over 100 starts, from two to eight years of age, including a record 13 races over 3,200 metres - a distance at which he excelled. Over the distance, he won the Wellington Cup in 1991, 1992, and 1994, and the Auckland Cup in 1992. In his third win in the Wellington Cup, Castletown carried topweight of 58 kilograms, and won a special place in New Zealand racing history - accompanied by the memorable 'the dream bursts into reality' commentary from Tony Lee. Castletown could also be effective over shorter distances, especially earlier in his career, where highlights included wins in the New Zealand Derby
, the Kelt Capital Stakes
, and the Caulfield Stakes
, and he was placed in stakes races as short as 1,600 metres. In Australia, he contested the Caulfield
and Melbourne Cup
s three years in-a-row, from 1991 to 1993, and the Sydney Cup
in 1991 and 1992. He was placed in both Sydney Cups, and finished third to Subzero
and Veandercross in his second Melbourne Cup, in 1992. He failed to recapture his best form after his last Wellington Cup, and ran his last race in November 1994.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
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 over $2 million in prize money and is best known for winning one of New Zealand's toughest staying tests, the Wellington Cup
Wellington Cup
The Wellington Cup is a Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand held annually in late January at Trentham Racecourse in Trentham by the Wellington Racing Club....
, on three occasions. He had over 100 starts, from two to eight years of age, including a record 13 races over 3,200 metres - a distance at which he excelled. Over the distance, he won the Wellington Cup in 1991, 1992, and 1994, and the Auckland Cup in 1992. In his third win in the Wellington Cup, Castletown carried topweight of 58 kilograms, and won a special place in New Zealand racing history - accompanied by the memorable 'the dream bursts into reality' commentary from Tony Lee. Castletown could also be effective over shorter distances, especially earlier in his career, where highlights included wins in the New Zealand Derby
New Zealand Derby
The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horserace for three-year-old, run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day of Auckland Cup Week. From 2009, it was run for a purse of $2.2...
, the Kelt Capital Stakes
Kelt Capital Stakes
The Kit Ormond Memorial Spring Classic is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay and is New Zealand's richest weight-for-age horse race...
, and the Caulfield Stakes
Caulfield Stakes
The VATC Caulfield Stakes is now a Melbourne Racing Club Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under weight-for-age conditions, for three-year-olds and upwards, at Caulfield Racecourse. The race was previously known as the Caulfield Stakes but since 1997 it has been referred to as the...
, and he was placed in stakes races as short as 1,600 metres. In Australia, he contested the Caulfield
Caulfield Cup
The Caulfield Cup, one of Australia's richest Thoroughbred horse races and the richest of its type in the world is held annually by the Melbourne Racing Club. The race is a handicap like the Melbourne Cup, which means that horses that compete in the Caulfield Cup are capable of running on the...
and Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
s three years in-a-row, from 1991 to 1993, and the Sydney Cup
Sydney Cup
The Sydney Cup is an Australian horse race, held for Thoroughbred horses and run over 3200 metres. It is run every year at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales in April/May...
in 1991 and 1992. He was placed in both Sydney Cups, and finished third to Subzero
Subzero (horse)
Subzero was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1992 Melbourne Cup. Trained by Lee Freedman and ridden by veteran jockey Greg Hall, the four-year-old revelled in the rain-affected going to defeat the favourite Veandercross and the two-miler Castletown...
and Veandercross in his second Melbourne Cup, in 1992. He failed to recapture his best form after his last Wellington Cup, and ran his last race in November 1994.