Holy Roller (horse)
Encyclopedia
Holy Roller by the Biscay
stallion Sanction out of the mare Secret Blessing, was a large Australia
n Thoroughbred
racehorse
of the mid-to late-1990s. He won 12 of his 26 races and a developed a cult following amongst Sydney
race fans. Bred and owned by Woodlands Stud, Holy Roller stood 18.1 hands
compared to the average thoroughbred at around 16 hands. His career highlights included wins in the Bill Ritchie Handicap and the Crystal Mile.
Born at Woodlands Stud Denman, New South Wales
, it took his dam
over one hour to get him out. The foal arrived at 0240 and did not stand until 0320. Both dam and foal were exhausted and lay for almost an hour recovering. The foaling night watchman was a 6 ft young man, and when the foal finally stood, he reached the mid-chest level of the watchman. Comments at the time included: "VERY big foal, enormous knees, fetlocks, etc."
His dam, Secret Blessing, was an average size mare, about 16hands, but very wide and roomy. Most of her progeny
had been fairly large - her daughters tended to be wide like her, such as Genuflect, but Immense was tall and wide but not as big as her half-brother Holy Roller. His sire Sanction is a fairly tall horse, 16.1h.
Holy Roller was weaned
off his dam in April 1993. He was always very easy to pick out amongst the weanlings in a paddock - he was taller than the Clydesdale foal which shared the same paddock, and stood out like a giraffe.
Woodlands Stud does not sell its yearlings
but races everything it breeds; Trevor Lobb (general manager) and their private trainer
John Hawkes assess the youngsters in November and divide them into the appropriate groups for breaking-in. When John Hawkes saw Holy Roller the first time, he said, "He would look good pulling a cart". The yearling was named for the evangelical preachers that used to roam the southern states of the USA (the Mississippi bible belt) commonly known as "holy roller
s". He was left until the very last batch of yearlings for breaking-in and didn't go to Belmont Park (north east of Sydney) until May 1994. After the breaker had ridden him the first time, he said, "This huge lump knows where he is putting his feet and has tremendous balance". Holy Roller was gelded
at an early age to try to slow down his rapid growth pattern, but it didn't work.
At breaking-in, Holy Roller measured 17 hands and weighed an estimated 660 kg. Each time he went out for a spell, on his return, he would be re-measured and always had increased in height. At the end of his racing career, he measured 18.1 hands. He had the sweetest temperament, very gentle around people and other horses, with his only dislike being dogs yapping around his feet.
John Hawkes was always very conscious of not putting any pressure on the horse while young, so he didn't start until he was a late 3 year old. Hawkes tried to keep for races on big open tracks but the horse won at Canterbury
and Moonee Valley
(both very tight-turning tracks). Holy Roller always had to race on the outside of the field to have the freedom to stretch out properly, otherwise if caught inside other horses, he would cramp up to avoid hitting the others.
Jockeys who have ridden Holy Roller him say it was like riding in an old Cadillac, very smooth ride, tremendous suspension but when the stride lengthens in the straight, they get whiplash in their necks; they also refuse to dismount straight off his back but rather get down onto a handy rail if possible, then drop to the ground. Another problem during a race was that the jockey was often unable to see horses in front of Holy Roller's neck and head (hidden underneath), and would have to trust to the horse to get around and past the smaller horse safely. Jockey Larry Cassidy said often he would ask Holy Roller to go forward in a race but the horse would refuse, then move out sideways and Larry would realise there had been an "normal size" horse in front of him but not visible from the saddle.
Holy Roller created extra work for farrier
s. Standard steel shoes are about 8 inches in length but the Holy Roller needed 14 inches per hoof, meaning the farrier had to start with a straight steel bar. Luckily he was a calm steady horse that did not scrape his feet, so the shoes did last about six weeks.
Upon retiring, his owners - "Chicken Kings" Jack
and Bob Ingham - donated Holy Roller to Rod Hoare (NSW Equine Protection officer) who was looking for a big horse to do dressage work.
Biscay (horse)
Biscay was a brilliant two-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse that was bred in Australia in 1965 and who easily won the Maribyrnong Plate by eight lengths....
stallion Sanction out of the mare Secret Blessing, was a large 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...
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
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...
of the mid-to late-1990s. He won 12 of his 26 races and a developed a cult following amongst 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...
race fans. Bred and owned by Woodlands Stud, Holy Roller stood 18.1 hands
Hand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
compared to the average thoroughbred at around 16 hands. His career highlights included wins in the Bill Ritchie Handicap and the Crystal Mile.
Born at Woodlands Stud Denman, New South Wales
Denman, New South Wales
Denman is a small rural town in New South Wales, Australia, in Muswellbrook Shire. The town is located on the Golden Highway in the Upper Hunter Valley region, about 250 km north of Sydney...
, it took his dam
Mother
A mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
over one hour to get him out. The foal arrived at 0240 and did not stand until 0320. Both dam and foal were exhausted and lay for almost an hour recovering. The foaling night watchman was a 6 ft young man, and when the foal finally stood, he reached the mid-chest level of the watchman. Comments at the time included: "VERY big foal, enormous knees, fetlocks, etc."
His dam, Secret Blessing, was an average size mare, about 16hands, but very wide and roomy. Most of her progeny
Offspring
In biology, offspring is the product of reproduction, of a new organism produced by one or more parents.Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way...
had been fairly large - her daughters tended to be wide like her, such as Genuflect, but Immense was tall and wide but not as big as her half-brother Holy Roller. His sire Sanction is a fairly tall horse, 16.1h.
Holy Roller was weaned
Weaning
Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk.The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk...
off his dam in April 1993. He was always very easy to pick out amongst the weanlings in a paddock - he was taller than the Clydesdale foal which shared the same paddock, and stood out like a giraffe.
Woodlands Stud does not sell its yearlings
Yearling (horse)
A yearling is a young horse of either sex that is between one and two years old. Yearlings are comparable in development to a very early adolescent, they are not fully mature physically, and while they may be in the earliest stages of sexual maturity, they are considered too young to be breeding...
but races everything it breeds; Trevor Lobb (general manager) and their private trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
John Hawkes assess the youngsters in November and divide them into the appropriate groups for breaking-in. When John Hawkes saw Holy Roller the first time, he said, "He would look good pulling a cart". The yearling was named for the evangelical preachers that used to roam the southern states of the USA (the Mississippi bible belt) commonly known as "holy roller
Holy Roller
Holy Roller is a term in American English used to describe Pentecostal Christian churchgoers. The term is commonly used derisively, as if to describe people literally rolling on the floor or speaking in tongues in an uncontrolled manner....
s". He was left until the very last batch of yearlings for breaking-in and didn't go to Belmont Park (north east of Sydney) until May 1994. After the breaker had ridden him the first time, he said, "This huge lump knows where he is putting his feet and has tremendous balance". Holy Roller was gelded
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...
at an early age to try to slow down his rapid growth pattern, but it didn't work.
At breaking-in, Holy Roller measured 17 hands and weighed an estimated 660 kg. Each time he went out for a spell, on his return, he would be re-measured and always had increased in height. At the end of his racing career, he measured 18.1 hands. He had the sweetest temperament, very gentle around people and other horses, with his only dislike being dogs yapping around his feet.
John Hawkes was always very conscious of not putting any pressure on the horse while young, so he didn't start until he was a late 3 year old. Hawkes tried to keep for races on big open tracks but the horse won at Canterbury
Canterbury Park Racecourse
Canterbury Park Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located 11 km from the Sydney Central Business District, in the suburb of Canterbury, adjacent to Canterbury railway station.- Races :...
and Moonee Valley
Moonee Valley Racecourse
Moonee Valley Racecourse is a horse-racing track in Melbourne, Australia which hosts races for Thoroughbreds. Located six kilometers from the Melbourne CBD, it is the home of the Moonee Valley Racing Club...
(both very tight-turning tracks). Holy Roller always had to race on the outside of the field to have the freedom to stretch out properly, otherwise if caught inside other horses, he would cramp up to avoid hitting the others.
Jockeys who have ridden Holy Roller him say it was like riding in an old Cadillac, very smooth ride, tremendous suspension but when the stride lengthens in the straight, they get whiplash in their necks; they also refuse to dismount straight off his back but rather get down onto a handy rail if possible, then drop to the ground. Another problem during a race was that the jockey was often unable to see horses in front of Holy Roller's neck and head (hidden underneath), and would have to trust to the horse to get around and past the smaller horse safely. Jockey Larry Cassidy said often he would ask Holy Roller to go forward in a race but the horse would refuse, then move out sideways and Larry would realise there had been an "normal size" horse in front of him but not visible from the saddle.
Holy Roller created extra work for farrier
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
s. Standard steel shoes are about 8 inches in length but the Holy Roller needed 14 inches per hoof, meaning the farrier had to start with a straight steel bar. Luckily he was a calm steady horse that did not scrape his feet, so the shoes did last about six weeks.
Upon retiring, his owners - "Chicken Kings" Jack
John H. Ingham
John Horace Ingham AO was a leading Australian businessman and co-founder of the largest Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding operation in Australia....
and Bob Ingham - donated Holy Roller to Rod Hoare (NSW Equine Protection officer) who was looking for a big horse to do dressage work.