9 May 2009
The grand racemare, Horlicks, was back in the limelight at the Doomben race meeting in Brisbane on Saturday through the win by Three Swallows (by Stravinsky) in the Brisbanetimes.com.au.
The start of the `350m race was delayed by 10 minutes as race offiials had to catch a black dog from the course before the event could start.
Three Swallows gave his rivals a galloping lesson in the finish defying his long odds (on the NZ TAB he was at odds of 46-to-one).
Three Swallows, who was formerly trained by John O'Shea in Sydney, held on to down Eire Of Magic by a half-neck.
The gelding is now trained in Toowoomba by John Thomas who has his sights set on the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1200m) at Ipswich on June 13 with Three Swallows.
Three Swallows is owned by Kilcoy-based contractor Graham Sue who owns an earthmoving business in central Queensland.
Sue purchased him in New Zealand. Three Swallows was bred by Hastings man Graham de Gruchy who also bred and raced the Japan Cup-winning mare Horlicks who was one of the highest stakes earning gallopers of all time in Australasia.
Three Swallows has won five of his 17 starts but still has a long way to go to emulate the deeds of his half-brother, Brew (by Sir Tristram), who won the 2000 Melbourne Cup.