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CHAMPIONS OF THE AUSTRALIAN TURF
The, "Sport of Kings", was first launched in 1810 in its first meeting at Hyde Park in Sydney over a three-day meet with various "heats", but it wasn't until the 1860's that racing really took off and became a national sport and the senior clubs of the time realized the industry would have to be organized along professional lines. It was at this time that the Australian Racing Committee was formed, the weight-for-age scales introduced, jockey's colors were issued, riding fees paid and many of the great races that we now know emerged: The Melbourne and Sydney Cups, Darby, Doncaster, Metropolitan, etc. It was also at this time that the Turf Register was introduced to record accurately race results and as a basis for turf historians to correctly recite the performances of great horses of the past.
An exciting industry had been born and the champions and their stories would follow through the years: "THE BARB", CARBINE, PHAR LAP (see his 1929, 1930 and 1931 Melbourne Cup runnings and his final race and victory in the Agua Caliente Handicap of 1931 in Mexico a few weeks before his sad and untimely death), PETER PAN, CHATHAM, AJAX, BERNBOROUGH, TULLOCH, TODMAN - the son of the prolific sire STAR KINGDOM, MANIKATO, KINGSTON TOWN and BEAU ZAM.
It would be an impossible task to try and nominate all the greats of the past but the champions mentioned had several things in common: they were each a national idol, they took on all-comers, they overcame physical difficulties to record incredible winning performances under all types of conditions; they were the undisputed CHAMPIONS OF THE AUSTRALIAN TURF!
(73 Minutes)
Listing Info: | |
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Listing ID: | 252 |
Format(s) Available: | DVD And VHS |
Category: | Australian & New Zealand Flat Racing |