Race of the Century (Horse racing)
Encyclopedia
The Race of the Century was the name given to a 1986 W.S. Cox Plate
, a thoroughbred
horse race in held in Melbourne
, Australia
, between two great New Zealand
racehorses of the 1980s.
The W.S. Cox Plate
, held annually at Melbourne's Moonee Valley Racecourse, is one of the most significant races on the Australian calendar. It is run at weight-for-age
, and considered to be the weight-for-age championship of Australia and New Zealand. The race had been won by some of the great thoroughbreds of Australasian turf since its inception in 1922, including Phar Lap
, Tulloch
and Kingston Town
. However, the build-up, media hype and fervour of the 1986 epic contest raised the profile of the race to what was only secondary to the Melbourne Cup
.
The race centred on the encounter between Our Waverley Star
and Bonecrusher
. The two horses came into the race with outstanding form. Bonecrusher was a New Zealand Champion - with a cult-like following - having won most of the three-year-old classics, including the New Zealand Derby
. His form continued in Australia winning the Tancred Stakes, the AJC Derby, the Underwood Stakes, and the Caulfield Stakes. In turn, Our Waverley Star had being winning almost all his races in New Zealand in the lead-up to the Cox Plate. Given this, the race was highly anticipated, especially as it was the first time the two horses had been in race together. It was, in essence, a race to decide which was the best horse.
The race was run at a good pace, in good weather and track conditions, neither favouring or disadvantaging either horse. Our Waverley Star settled wide, in mid-field, while Bonecrusher - as usual - was towards the back of the field. At the 800 metres mark, Bonecrusher (ridden by Gary Stewart
) moved around the field to be immediately shadowed by Our Waverley Star (ridden by Lance O'Sullivan
). Quickly, the two horses cleared out from the rest of the field. Race caller Bill Collins - giving what is considered to be one of the finest ever race calls - questioned whether the horses had gone to early: "Here come the New Zealanders . . . have they gone too early...?".
From this point it was in essentially a two-horse race. At first, Our Waverley Star built up a length lead, which was countered by Bonecrusher. As they entered wide into the short home straight at the Moonee Valley Racecourse, Bonecrusher had a slender lead. Quickly, Our Waverley Star gathered in Bonecrusher and it seemed he would pull away - but with the determination that Bonecrusher would turn into legend - he fought back down the straight to win by a neck at the post...to which race caller Bill Collins added "...and Bonecrusher races into equine immortality..."
Subsequently, the 1986 W.S. Cox Plate has become folk-lore - both inside and outside of horse racing. It is one of the most replayed versions of the race and one of the most remembered horse races in Australia and New Zealand of all time. This was largely due to the build-up and expectation being fulfilled in such a compelling outcome. "This was one of those races where the hype in the lead-up was matched, surpassed even, by the race"
Of note, the 3rd place-getter was The Filbert, another well performed New Zealand horse. This gave New Zealand the trifecta in the race.
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...
, a 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...
horse race in held in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, 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...
, between two great 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...
racehorses of the 1980s.
The W.S. 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...
, held annually at Melbourne's Moonee Valley Racecourse, is one of the most significant races on the Australian calendar. It is run at 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...
, and considered to be the weight-for-age championship of Australia and New Zealand. The race had been won by some of the great thoroughbreds of Australasian turf since its inception in 1922, including 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...
, Tulloch
Tulloch (horse)
Tulloch was a Thoroughbred racehorse, who is regarded as one of the three finest racehorses in Australian racing history...
and Kingston Town
Kingston Town
Kingston Town was an outstanding Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won a record three Cox Plates and 11 other Group One races in a career spanning from 1979 to 1982...
. However, the build-up, media hype and fervour of the 1986 epic contest raised the profile of the race to what was only secondary to the 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...
.
The race centred on the encounter between Our Waverley Star
Waverley Star
Waverley Star was a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who is best remembered for finishing second to Bonecrusher in the 1986 Cox Plate - widely referred to as the 'race of the century'. Waverley Star, who was known as Our Waverley Star in Australia to distinguish him from a 1976 foaling of the...
and Bonecrusher
Bonecrusher (horse)
Bonecrusher Is a retired champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who was widely admired in both Australia and New Zealand. Bred by Bill Punch, his dam's sire was a son of a French champion, Tantieme. Bonecrusher was purchased by Peter Mitchell for just $3,250 at the Waikato Yearling Sales,...
. The two horses came into the race with outstanding form. Bonecrusher was a New Zealand Champion - with a cult-like following - having won most of the three-year-old classics, including 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...
. His form continued in Australia winning the Tancred Stakes, the AJC Derby, the Underwood Stakes, and the Caulfield Stakes. In turn, Our Waverley Star had being winning almost all his races in New Zealand in the lead-up to the Cox Plate. Given this, the race was highly anticipated, especially as it was the first time the two horses had been in race together. It was, in essence, a race to decide which was the best horse.
The race was run at a good pace, in good weather and track conditions, neither favouring or disadvantaging either horse. Our Waverley Star settled wide, in mid-field, while Bonecrusher - as usual - was towards the back of the field. At the 800 metres mark, Bonecrusher (ridden by Gary Stewart
Gary Stewart
Gary Stewart may refer to:* Gary Stewart , country musician* Gary L. Stewart, imperator of AMORC from 1987 to 1990* Gary Stewart , politician in Ontario...
) moved around the field to be immediately shadowed by Our Waverley Star (ridden by Lance O'Sullivan
Lance O'Sullivan
Lance Anthony O'Sullivan was one of New Zealand's best-known jockeys, now retired.He won a record number of races totalling 2479, mainly in the 1980s including the 1989 Japan Cup on champion mare Horlicks, which broke the world record over 2400m...
). Quickly, the two horses cleared out from the rest of the field. Race caller Bill Collins - giving what is considered to be one of the finest ever race calls - questioned whether the horses had gone to early: "Here come the New Zealanders . . . have they gone too early...?".
From this point it was in essentially a two-horse race. At first, Our Waverley Star built up a length lead, which was countered by Bonecrusher. As they entered wide into the short home straight at the Moonee Valley Racecourse, Bonecrusher had a slender lead. Quickly, Our Waverley Star gathered in Bonecrusher and it seemed he would pull away - but with the determination that Bonecrusher would turn into legend - he fought back down the straight to win by a neck at the post...to which race caller Bill Collins added "...and Bonecrusher races into equine immortality..."
Subsequently, the 1986 W.S. Cox Plate has become folk-lore - both inside and outside of horse racing. It is one of the most replayed versions of the race and one of the most remembered horse races in Australia and New Zealand of all time. This was largely due to the build-up and expectation being fulfilled in such a compelling outcome. "This was one of those races where the hype in the lead-up was matched, surpassed even, by the race"
Of note, the 3rd place-getter was The Filbert, another well performed New Zealand horse. This gave New Zealand the trifecta in the race.