15 Jun 2009
This year marks the 20
th anniversary of the famous victory of champion racemare Horlicks (NZ) in the 1989 Japan Cup at Tokyo. Her breeder, Graham de Gruchy, watched her carry his colours to victory in a blistering 2.22.2 for the 2400 metres while Lance O'Sullivan did the riding for his father, Dave, and brother, Paul, who trained the wonderful mare.
Twenty years on and Horlicks is still very much alive-and-kicking, enjoying a well-earned retirement at Cambridge Stud in the Waikato. Her last foal, a colt by One Cool Cat, was born in 2006.
The Japan Cup was the high point of an illustrious racing career for Horlicks (Three Legs ex Malt, by Moss Trooper). She won 17 races in all - six at Group One level. In New Zealand she won the ARC DB Draught Classic-Gr.1 twice and the ARC New Zealand Stakes-Gr.1 twice. In Australia she took out the L.K.S. MacKinnon Stakes-Gr.1 at Flemington.
Flemington provided the biggest progeny result for Horlicks with her 1994 son by Sir Tristram, Brew, taking the Melbourne Cup-Gr.1. She also left Bubble, by Sir Tristram, who won the Avondale Guineas-Gr.2. Three daughters of Horlicks have left Group winners. Latte, by Maroof, has left Fiumicino (dual Gr.1 winner); Fly the Flag, by Sir Tristram, has left Solo Flyer (Gr.2 & Gr.3 winner) and Stella Artois, by Star Way, has produced (My) Tusker (three Gr.2 wins).