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Gloaming (horse)
Encyclopedia
Gloaming was an outstanding Thoroughbred
racehorse
, owned, trained, and based in New Zealand
. He set many records which includes the Australasian record (jointly held with Desert Gold
) of 19 successive wins, many in Principal Races
. Gloaming was unusual that he was a champion who won many major races in both Australia and New Zealand. Gloaming still holds the Australasian record of 45 seconds for four furlong
s.
. Gloaming was a brother to seven other named horses, all by The Welkin, including Gloaming's Sister (won AJC Kirkham Stakes), but none were nearly so successful as him. Light was inbred
in the third generation (3x3) to Sterling.
Gloaming was sold as a yearling in 1916 for 230 guineas to Mr H. Chisholm acting on behalf of George D. Greenwood, of Teviotdale in the North Island, New Zealand. Following the sale he made his first of 15 crossings of the Tasman Sea
.
, Whittier and The Hawk
. He was successful at distances from four furlongs to a mile and a half.
He was put into work as a two-year-old, but became shin-sore, and was gelded before being spelled. In June 1918 he was shipped to Sydney
, after he had showed promise in track work in New Zealand.
, over nine furlongs, he ran a race record time to defeat a class field that included the imported five-year-old Rebus and Kennaquhair. This was the first time this race had been won by a three-year-old having their first start. In his first season's racing Gloaming went on to win three Derbies, the AJC Australian Derby, the New Zealand Derby
Stakes, and also the Great Northern Derby
in New Zealand. In addition he
which was a race he later won three times. When he retired he was the leading Australian racing stakes winner. He was the first horse to defeat the great mare, Desert Gold over a mile and he still holds the Australasian record of 45 seconds for four furlongs. He jointly holds the Australasian record (with Desert Gold
) (whom he met five times and defeated each time, except once) of 19 successive wins.
When Gloaming was retired from the turf to his owner's property at Teviotdale, he was the leading stakes-winner in Australasia with fifty-seven wins and £43,100 in prize-money.
and it was reproduced in Racehorses in Australia.
Gloaming was one of five inaugural inductees into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
, alongside the other four turf immortals Carbine
, Kindergarten
, Phar Lap
and Sunline
. The Group Three Gloaming Stakes (1,800m) contested at Sydney's Rosehill Gardens Racecourse is named in his honour.
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
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, owned, trained, and based in New Zealand
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...
. He set many records which includes the Australasian record (jointly held with Desert Gold
Desert Gold
Desert Gold was a famous and successful New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who raced at the time of World War I. She raced in Australia and New Zealand, winning 36 races, including a still-standing record of 19 in succession ....
) of 19 successive wins, many in Principal Races
Group races
Group races are the highest standard of Thoroughbred horseraces in Australia. The Australian Pattern Committee recommends to the Australian Racing Board which races shall be designated as Group races...
. Gloaming was unusual that he was a champion who won many major races in both Australia and New Zealand. Gloaming still holds the Australasian record of 45 seconds for four furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s.
Breeding
He was a robust bay gelding standing 15 hands 3 inches high with a good length of rein. Gloaming was sired by the good imported racehorse and sire, The Welkin (GB) out of the unplaced mare, Light (GB), by the good sire, Eager. His paternal grandsire was the English Triple Crown champion, Flying FoxFlying Fox (horse)
Flying Fox was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1899 English Triple Crown Races and was the leading sire in France three times.-Breeding:...
. Gloaming was a brother to seven other named horses, all by The Welkin, including Gloaming's Sister (won AJC Kirkham Stakes), but none were nearly so successful as him. Light was inbred
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
in the third generation (3x3) to Sterling.
Gloaming was sold as a yearling in 1916 for 230 guineas to Mr H. Chisholm acting on behalf of George D. Greenwood, of Teviotdale in the North Island, New Zealand. Following the sale he made his first of 15 crossings of the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
.
Racing record
Gloaming had a long career, racing from age three to nine years, which included victories over other champion racehorses such as Desert Gold, Beauford, KennaquhairKennaquhair (horse)
Kennaquhair was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse that won the Sydney Cup , and the AJC Metropolitan Handicap as well as finishing second in the 1918 Melbourne Cup.-Pedigree:...
, Whittier and The Hawk
The Hawk (horse)
The Hawk was a exceptional New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse. He had 136 race starts, winning top quality races in both New Zealand and Australia, and set Australasian records for six and eight furlongs...
. He was successful at distances from four furlongs to a mile and a half.
He was put into work as a two-year-old, but became shin-sore, and was gelded before being spelled. In June 1918 he was shipped to Sydney
Sydney
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...
, after he had showed promise in track work in New Zealand.
At three years: 1918-19
At his first start, in the Sydney Tattersall's Chelmsford StakesChelmsford Stakes
The Chelmsford Stakes is an Australian Group 2 Thoroughbred horserace run over 1600 metres at Weight for Age at Randwick Racecourse Sydney in September...
, over nine furlongs, he ran a race record time to defeat a class field that included the imported five-year-old Rebus and Kennaquhair. This was the first time this race had been won by a three-year-old having their first start. In his first season's racing Gloaming went on to win three Derbies, the AJC Australian Derby, 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...
Stakes, and also the Great Northern Derby
Great Northern Derby (race)
The Great Northern Derby was a set-weights thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 2400 m at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. Since it was run for the first time as the ARC Auckland Derby Principal race over 12F in 1875, the race had become New...
in New Zealand. In addition he
- won the 1918 Wellington R.C. (WRC) Champion Plate weight for ageWeight for AgeWeight for Age is a term in Thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. It means that a horse will carry a set weight in accordance with the Weight for Age Scale. This weight varies depending on the horse’s age, its sex, the race distance and the month of the year...
(w.f.a.) over 10 furlongs by 2½ lengths - 2nd in G. G. Stead Memorial Stakes (w.f.a.) (defeated by the New Zealand CupNew Zealand CupThe New Zealand Cup is a thoroughbred horse race held at Riccarton Park racecourse in Christchurch, held on the final Saturday of New Zealand Cup week in November. The week also features the New Zealand 1000 and 2000 Guineas, with the New Zealand Trotting Cup on the Tuesday at Addington being the...
winner, Sasanof). - won Auckland Racing Club (ARC) Islington Plate (w.f.a.) 1 mile.
- won Wellington Stakes 5 furlongs in 58 3/5 seconds (race record)
- won WeRC Kelburn Plate (w.f.a.) 4 fur. (defeating Surveyor)
- 2nd in Taranaki Stakes (defeated by Desert Gold).
- won Egmont Stakes (defeating Desert Gold).
- won Hawera Stakes (defeating Desert Gold)
- won WangJC Wanganui Jackson Stakes (w.f.a.) 6 fur.
- won WangJC Wanganui Guineas, 1 mile
- won Canterbury Jockey Club (CJC) Challenge Stakes, 7 fur. (defeating Surveyor).
- fell in the North Island Challenge StakesNorth Island Challenge StakesNorth Island Challenge Stakes was a major thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand. It was run at Trentham Racecourse, Wellington, New Zealand over a sprint distance of 7 furlongs....
(which was won by Warplane who was in receipt of 31 lb.).
At four years: 1919-20
Gloaming won all but one of his starts during this season. All of his starts for this season are listed below:- won Rosehill Spring Stakes (w.f.a.) 1 mile (defeating Wolaroi and Prince Viridis).
- 2nd in Australian Jockey Club (AJC) Spring Stakes (w.f.a.) (beaten a head by Poitrel; Cetigne 3rd), 12 furlongs
- won AJC Craven PlateCraven PlateThe Craven Plate is an AJC Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race run over 2,000 metres, under Weight for Age conditions for horses aged three-year-old and upwards, at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in October. Total prize money for the race is A$125,000....
(w.f.a.) 10 furlongs (defeating Wolaroi and, Rebus 3rd, Sasanof). - won Wellington (N.Z.) Champion Plate (w.f.a.) 10 f (defeating Affectation, Mascot, Vagabond, and Desert Gold).
- won G. G. Stead Memorial Gold Cup, 10 f (defeating Rossini and Desert Gold).
- won ARC Islington Plate (w.f.a.) 1 mile
- won ARC. Royal Park Stakes, 6 furlongs in 1:13 (race record)
At five years: 1920-21
As a five-year-old Gloaming had 15 race starts and won all of them including these principal races:- 1920 ARC Islington Plate (w.f.a.) 8 f
- 1920 ARC Royal Stakes 6 f
- 1921 ARC Auckland Plate (w.f.a.) 12 f
- 1921 CJC Challenge Stakes 7 f
- 1921 TaraJC Taranaki Stakes 6 f
- 1921 WangJC Jackson Stakes (w.f.a.) 6 f
At six years: 1921-22
As a six-year-old Gloaming had 12 race starts and won all but one, in which he ran second. The principal races he won were:- 1922 ARC Auckland Plate 12 furlongs
- 1922 TaraJC Taranaki Stakes 6 furlongs
- 1922 WangJC Jackson Stakes (w.f.a.) 6 furlongs, in 1:11 4/5, a race record
- 1922 WRC North Island Challenge Stakes 7 furlongs
- 1922 CJC Challenge Stakes 7 furlongs
- 1922 HBJC Ormond Memorial Gold Cup 8 furlongs.
At seven years: 1922-23
As a seven-year-old Gloaming had 5 starts for 3 wins and 2 seconds. The principal races he won were:- 1922 RRC The Hill Stakes 10 f by 1¼ lengths from Beauford
- 1922 AJC Craven Plate Pr 10 f by 3 lengths from Beauford
- 1922 WRC Champion Plate (w.f.a.) 10 f with 9 st. 4 lbs. (59 kg) in 2:6 1/5 a race record.
At eight years: 1923-24
As an eight-year-old Gloaming had 5 starts for 4 wins and 1 second. The principal races he won were:- 1924 WangJC Jackson Stakes (w.f.a.) 6 f
- 1924 WeRC North Island Challenge Stakes with 10.1 (defeating Quiescent 6.12 by 6 lengths), 7 fur. in 1:27 4/5.
At nine years: 1924-25
As a nine-year-old Gloaming had 10 starts for 8 wins and 2 seconds. The principal races he won were:- 1924 AJC Spring Stakes over 12 furlongs (defeating David, Ballymena, and Rivoli).
- 1924 AJC Craven Plate over 10 f (defeating Ballymena, David, and Nigger Ministrel).
- 1924 VRC Melbourne Stakes (w.f.a.) 10 f.
- 1925 Canterbury (N.Z.) Middle Park Plate, 6 fur. with 9 st. 10 lb. by 5 lengths with the 3rd horse a further 3 lengths away.
- 1925 WRC North Island Challenge Stakes 7 f. with 10.1 (Inferno 8.13, and), 7 fur. in 1.26.
- 1925 CJC Challenge Stakes 7 f. with 9.11
- 1925 HBJC Ormond Memorial Gold Cup 8 furlongs with 9.10 (beating The Hawk 9.10)
Summary
Gloaming had 67 race starts, won 57 (including 39 Principal Races) and was second 9 times. Gloaming fell in his only other race start, at barrier rise in the North Island Challenge StakesNorth Island Challenge Stakes
North Island Challenge Stakes was a major thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand. It was run at Trentham Racecourse, Wellington, New Zealand over a sprint distance of 7 furlongs....
which was a race he later won three times. When he retired he was the leading Australian racing stakes winner. He was the first horse to defeat the great mare, Desert Gold over a mile and he still holds the Australasian record of 45 seconds for four furlongs. He jointly holds the Australasian record (with Desert Gold
Desert Gold
Desert Gold was a famous and successful New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who raced at the time of World War I. She raced in Australia and New Zealand, winning 36 races, including a still-standing record of 19 in succession ....
) (whom he met five times and defeated each time, except once) of 19 successive wins.
When Gloaming was retired from the turf to his owner's property at Teviotdale, he was the leading stakes-winner in Australasia with fifty-seven wins and £43,100 in prize-money.
Honours
Gloaming has had his portrait painted by the noted equine artist, Martin StainforthMartin Stainforth
Martin Frank Stainforth was a British-born artist best known for his portraits of Thoroughbred racehorses he painted in England and while living in Australia and the United States....
and it was reproduced in Racehorses in Australia.
Gloaming was one of five inaugural inductees into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame is an organization created to recognise and honour those whose achievements have enriched the New Zealand Horse racing industry...
, alongside the other four turf immortals Carbine
Carbine (horse)
Carbine , was an outstanding New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse, who competed in New Zealand and later Australia. During his racing career he won 30 stakes or principal races...
, Kindergarten
Kindergarten (horse)
Kindergarten was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse that raced during the early 1940s. He won many of the premier events in New Zealand including the Wellington Cup and Auckland Cup for more than £16,000 in stake money, which was a large amount during the War.-Breeding:He was a bay colt by...
, Phar Lap
Phar Lap
Phar Lap was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression. Foaled in New Zealand, he was trained and raced in Australia. Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne...
and Sunline
Sunline
Sunline was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was the world's highest earning racemare of her time, competing on 48 occasions for 32 wins, 9 seconds and 3 thirds to earn A$11,351,607. She won races in three different countries, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. She won successive...
. The Group Three Gloaming Stakes (1,800m) contested at Sydney's Rosehill Gardens Racecourse is named in his honour.