High Caste
Encyclopedia
High Caste was a Thoroughbred
racehorse and stallion that was bred in New Zealand
and was considered the best two-year-old in New Zealand after winning three of his four race starts. He was a good racehorse under handicap and weight for age
conditions and combined this with wins in good races from 5 furlongs (1,000 metres) to 1¾ miles (2,800 m), carrying up to 10 stone 6 lbs. (66.0 kilograms).
High Caste was colloquially known as the ‘Strawberry Bull’ because of a distinct grey fleck through his rich red bay coat.
, to the meat baron, Harry Tancred and was immediately shipped over to Melbourne to race in Australia
. In Australia, High Caste won at his first three race starts for his new owner, including the 1939 Group One
(G1) Ascot Vale Stakes
, VRC Sires Produce Stakes
plus the Champagne Stakes
(G1). He was defeated in the Fairfield Handicap before placing second in the G1, AJC Sires Produce Stakes
. High Caste had ten starts as a two-year-old (2yo) for seven wins, one second and a third placing. He was then acclaimed to be the best two-year-old on both sides of the Tasman Sea
.
, was unplaced in the Chelmsford Stakes
before winning the G1 Rosehill Guineas
and placing second to Reading (by a ½ head) in the AJC Derby
. He then won Craven Plate
, AJC Clibborn Stakes, Caulfield Guineas
and Caulfield Stakes before he was unplaced in the G1 W S Cox Plate. High Caste placed second in the Victoria Derby
before he dead-heated with Manrico in the Linlithgow Stakes
before winning the CB Fisher Plate
two days later.
In the autumn of 1940 High Caste won the Challenge Stakes in Sydney before travelling to Melbourne for wins in the C F Orr Stakes
and St George Stakes
. High Caste then finished second in three other stakes races in Melbourne before he returned to Sydney where he was unplaced in the AJC Doncaster Handicap
before he finished second to the outstanding, Ajax in the AJC All Aged Stakes
. High Caste had 21 starts as a 3yo for 11 wins, 6 seconds and 1 third placing.
. High Caste won the Hawkesbury Clarendon Handicap and then won the AJC Epsom Handicap
carrying 9 stone 5 lbs. (59.5 kilograms) in a new race record time. After finishing second in the wfa Craven Plate High Caste then went to Melbourne where he won the Caulfield Stakes from Ajax by a ¾ length and equalled the course record. After a fourth in the Caulfield Cup
High Caste ran second in the LKS Mackinnon Stakes
on the Saturday before he dead heated with St Constant in the Yan Yean Stakes on Melbourne Cup
Tuesday, then winning the G2 Linlithgow Stakes, for the second time, on VRC Oaks
day. High Caste then won the CB Fisher Plate for the second time on the Saturday.
Following a second placing in the Williamstown Cup High Caste was spelled. In the autumn of 1941 High Caste defeated Zonda to win the VATC Futurity Stakes
carrying 10 stone 6 lbs. (66 kg). After a fourth placing in the VRC Newmarket Handicap
carrying 10 st. 2lbs. ( 64.5 kg) High Caste then won the 14 furlong (2,800 m) Kings Plate five days later. Two days later he was successful in the CM Lloyd Stakes, atoning for his defeat in this race the previous year.
Taken to Sydney he had four more starts for 2 seconds and 1 third before he was spelled.
first up after his spell, followed by two seconds and then a win in the Rosehill Hill Stakes
. He finished second in the AJC Epsom Handicap before placing third in the Craven Plate and the Caulfield Stakes. After an unplaced run in the Cantala Stakes High Caste returned to form taking out the Linlithgow and CB Fisher Plate double for the third successive year. A spell followed before High Caste resumed racing in Sydney with a win in the Challenge Stakes then a dead heat with Mildura in the AJC Australia Day Handicap. Back in Melbourne High Caste won the St George Stakes for his fifth consecutive win. In his next two starts in Melbourne he was unplaced before he returned to Sydney where he could only manage a fourth in the Doncaster Handicap and a third in the wfa All Aged Plate.
High Caste had 72 starts and won 35 races (including 3 dead-heats), 19 seconds, 7 thirds and was unplaced in 11 races for £35,547 in prize money.
He was purchased as a five-year-old by Lionel Israel to stand at his Segenhoe Stud at Scone, New South Wales
. Later he stood at Mr T.L. Flynn’s Oakleigh Stud, Kerrabee, New South Wales.
High Caste's progeny commenced racing in the 1945-6 season. He did not sire a horse of his own ability, but still sired 9 stakes-winners that had 13 stakes-wins between them, plus many other winners in all states.
His stakes winning progeny were:
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 and stallion that was bred 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...
and was considered the best two-year-old in New Zealand after winning three of his four race starts. He was a good racehorse under handicap and weight for age
Weight for Age
Weight 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...
conditions and combined this with wins in good races from 5 furlongs (1,000 metres) to 1¾ miles (2,800 m), carrying up to 10 stone 6 lbs. (66.0 kilograms).
Breeding
He was by the good racehorse and sire, Bulandshar (GB), his dam, The Begum (a sister to Rulette) was by the outstanding sire, Chief Ruler (GB). High Caste was a brother to the stakes race winners, Nawab and Nizam and a half brother to the stakes winner, Stretto by Hunting Song (IRE).He traced in the tenth generation to Cornelia (GB) who was imported with her dam, Manto into Australia in 1825. They are from family 18.High Caste was colloquially known as the ‘Strawberry Bull’ because of a distinct grey fleck through his rich red bay coat.
At two years: 1938-39
Racing in New Zealand High Caste won three of his first four race starts including the 1938 Auckland Racing Club (ARC) Great Northern Foal Stakes and ARC Royal Stakes. He was subsequently sold for 7,000 guineasGuinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
, to the meat baron, Harry Tancred and was immediately shipped over to Melbourne to race in Australia
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...
. In Australia, High Caste won at his first three race starts for his new owner, including the 1939 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...
(G1) Ascot Vale Stakes
Ascot Vale Stakes
The Coolmore Stud Stakes is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, at set weights, run over 1200 metres at Flemington Racecourse on VRC Derby Day...
, VRC Sires Produce Stakes
VRC Sires Produce Stakes
The VRC Sires Produce Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for two year olds, run at set weights, over a distance of 1400 metres, at Flemington Racecourse in March each year. The total prizemoney is A$302,000...
plus the Champagne Stakes
Champagne Stakes (Australia)
The Champagne Stakes is a Group 1 horse race in Australia for two-year-old Thoroughbreds at set weights run at Randwick Racecourse over a distance of 1,600 metres during the Sydney Autumn Carnival...
(G1). He was defeated in the Fairfield Handicap before placing second in the G1, AJC Sires Produce Stakes
AJC Sires Produce Stakes
The AJC Sires Produce Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horserace for two year olds at set weights run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April. The race was first run over one mile in 1867 and won by Glencoe...
. High Caste had ten starts as a two-year-old (2yo) for seven wins, one second and a third placing. He was then acclaimed to be the best two-year-old on both sides 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...
.
At three years: 1939-40
After returning from a spell High Caste won the G2 Hobartville StakesHobartville Stakes
The Hobartville Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, for three-year olds at set weights, over a distance of 1400 metres. It is held at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney every February...
, was unplaced in the Chelmsford Stakes
Chelmsford 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...
before winning the G1 Rosehill Guineas
Rosehill Guineas
The Rosehill Guineas is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race run annually in March at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney. A race for three-year-olds at set weights, it is contested on turf over a distance of 2000 metres .-Distance:...
and placing second to Reading (by a ½ head) in the AJC Derby
AJC Derby
The Australian Derby also known as AJC Derby, is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run by the Australian Jockey Club at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. Open to three year olds, the race is held annually in the latter part of March or early April...
. He then won Craven Plate
Craven Plate
The 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....
, AJC Clibborn Stakes, Caulfield Guineas
Caulfield Guineas
The Caulfield Guineas is a Melbourne Racing Club Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held over 1600 metres at set weights for three-year-old horses, held annually on the second Saturday in October and forms part of the Spring Carnival at Caulfield Racecourse. Total prize money is A$1 million...
and Caulfield Stakes before he was unplaced in the G1 W S Cox Plate. High Caste placed second in the Victoria Derby
Victoria Derby
The Victoria Derby is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race held annually on the first day of Melbourne's annual Spring Racing Carnival, Victorian Derby Day, held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. A Group One race for three-year-old horses, it is raced on a left-handed turf course at a...
before he dead-heated with Manrico in the Linlithgow Stakes
The Age Classic
The Patinack Farm Classic is a Victoria Racing Club Group One Australian Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over, under weight for age conditions, over a distance of 1200 metres...
before winning the CB Fisher Plate
CB Fisher Plate
The VRC C.B. Fisher Plate was a weight-for-age thoroughbred horse race over 2400 metres . It was run at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne Australia on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup in early November from 1870 till 1978...
two days later.
In the autumn of 1940 High Caste won the Challenge Stakes in Sydney before travelling to Melbourne for wins in the C F Orr Stakes
C F Orr Stakes
The C F Orr Stakes is a Group 1 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1400 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne in February. Prizemoney in 2010 is A$400,000...
and St George Stakes
St George Stakes
The St George Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held under weight for age conditions, for horses aged two years old and upwards, over a distance of 1800 metres. It is held at Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne every February. Total prize money is A$200,000.-Distance:1900 -...
. High Caste then finished second in three other stakes races in Melbourne before he returned to Sydney where he was unplaced in the AJC Doncaster Handicap
Doncaster Handicap
The Doncaster Mile is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race held at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney. Although the race has traditionally been held on Easter Monday, the race is now run on the third Saturday in April. The race is contested over 1,600 metres . The prizemoney in 2010 was A$1,510,000...
before he finished second to the outstanding, Ajax in the AJC All Aged Stakes
All Aged Stakes
The All Aged Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April or May...
. High Caste had 21 starts as a 3yo for 11 wins, 6 seconds and 1 third placing.
At four years: 1940-41
At his first four-year-old start High Caste won the Victoria Park Flying Handicap in Sydney before placing third in the Canterbury StakesCanterbury Stakes
The Canterbury Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and upwards at weight for age, over a distance of 1300 metres. It is held annually at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney.-Race History:...
. High Caste won the Hawkesbury Clarendon Handicap and then won the AJC Epsom Handicap
Epsom Handicap
The Epsom Handicap is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held over 1,600 metres at Randwick Racecourse. It is one of the major races of the Sydney Spring Carnival. Many great milers have won the race, including Chatham, Gunsynd, and Super Impose, who was also a dual winner of the...
carrying 9 stone 5 lbs. (59.5 kilograms) in a new race record time. After finishing second in the wfa Craven Plate High Caste then went to Melbourne where he won the Caulfield Stakes from Ajax by a ¾ length and equalled the course record. After a fourth in the Caulfield Cup
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...
High Caste ran second in the LKS Mackinnon Stakes
LKS MacKinnon Stakes
From 1869 to 1936 the LKS Mackinnon Stakes was known as the Melbourne Stakes.The LKS Mackinnon Stakes is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 2000 metre Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions. The race is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia on the Saturday before...
on the Saturday before he dead heated with St Constant in the Yan Yean Stakes on 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...
Tuesday, then winning the G2 Linlithgow Stakes, for the second time, on VRC Oaks
VRC Oaks
The Crown Oaks , is the third day of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival at Flemington Racecourse. Oaks Day is held on the Thursday directly following Melbourne Cup Day...
day. High Caste then won the CB Fisher Plate for the second time on the Saturday.
Following a second placing in the Williamstown Cup High Caste was spelled. In the autumn of 1941 High Caste defeated Zonda to win the VATC Futurity Stakes
Futurity Stakes (Australia)
The Futurity Stakes is a Group 1 Australian weight-for-age Thoroughbred horse race held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. For most of its history it was a 1400 metre race but since 2006 it has become the first leg of the Asian Mile Challenge series, and its distance has changed to 1600 metres...
carrying 10 stone 6 lbs. (66 kg). After a fourth placing in the VRC Newmarket Handicap
Newmarket Handicap
The Newmarket Handicap is a VRC Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. The event is an open handicap race over 1200 metres...
carrying 10 st. 2lbs. ( 64.5 kg) High Caste then won the 14 furlong (2,800 m) Kings Plate five days later. Two days later he was successful in the CM Lloyd Stakes, atoning for his defeat in this race the previous year.
Taken to Sydney he had four more starts for 2 seconds and 1 third before he was spelled.
At five years: 1941-42
High Caste won the AJC Warwick StakesWarwick Stakes
The Warwick Stakes is a Group 2 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age that was traditionally run over a distance of 1400 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse, Sydney in August...
first up after his spell, followed by two seconds and then a win in the Rosehill Hill Stakes
Hill Stakes
The Hill Stakes is a STC Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at run at Weight for Age over a distance of 1900 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, Sydney in September.-Past winners:*2011 - Trusting *2010 - Descarado *2009 - Miss Marielle...
. He finished second in the AJC Epsom Handicap before placing third in the Craven Plate and the Caulfield Stakes. After an unplaced run in the Cantala Stakes High Caste returned to form taking out the Linlithgow and CB Fisher Plate double for the third successive year. A spell followed before High Caste resumed racing in Sydney with a win in the Challenge Stakes then a dead heat with Mildura in the AJC Australia Day Handicap. Back in Melbourne High Caste won the St George Stakes for his fifth consecutive win. In his next two starts in Melbourne he was unplaced before he returned to Sydney where he could only manage a fourth in the Doncaster Handicap and a third in the wfa All Aged Plate.
High Caste had 72 starts and won 35 races (including 3 dead-heats), 19 seconds, 7 thirds and was unplaced in 11 races for £35,547 in prize money.
He was purchased as a five-year-old by Lionel Israel to stand at his Segenhoe Stud at Scone, New South Wales
Scone, New South Wales
Scone is a town in the Upper Hunter Shire in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Scone had a population of 4,624 people. It is located on the New England Highway north of Muswellbrook about 270 kilometres north of Sydney, and is part of the Hunter and Upper...
. Later he stood at Mr T.L. Flynn’s Oakleigh Stud, Kerrabee, New South Wales.
High Caste's progeny commenced racing in the 1945-6 season. He did not sire a horse of his own ability, but still sired 9 stakes-winners that had 13 stakes-wins between them, plus many other winners in all states.
His stakes winning progeny were:
- High Jip (won VRC Newmarket HandicapNewmarket HandicapThe Newmarket Handicap is a VRC Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. The event is an open handicap race over 1200 metres...
etc). Exported to USA. - High Nymph (SAJC Morphettville Plate)
- High Sense (Wagga Wagga Gold Cup)
- Highlea (Doomben 10,000Doomben 10,000The Doomben 10,000 is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred Weight for Age horse race, run over a distance of 1350 metres at Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane in May. The race was originally called the T.M. Ahearn Memorial but was changed to the Doomben 10,000 after the 10,000 pounds prize money on offer. ...
) - Miss High Caste (VRC Australian CupAustralian CupThe Australian Cup is a Group 1 Weight for Age race for Thoroughbred racehorses run over 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in March...
) - Prince Aly (TTC Debutant Stakes)
- Prince Kerdeil (Canterbury GuineasCanterbury GuineasThe 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:...
- Sir Pilot (STC Cup, Newcastle Gold CupNewcastle Gold CupThe Newcastle Gold Cup is a Newcastle Jockey Club Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred open handicap horse race over a distance of 2300 metres. It is held annually at Broadmeadow Racecourse in Newcastle, New South Wales in September...
etc) - Swinside (SAJC Morphettville Plate)