The Big Book of Australian Racing Stories

by Jim Haynes

  There was one thing Tulloch and Kingston Town had in common—they were both rejects.

  Tulloch ‘took Tommy’s eye’ at the New Zealand sales and he bought him, in spite of his ‘sway-back’, thinking he would easily find an owner for him. T.J. Smith was by then a top trainer and owners lined up to buy horses he chose.

  However, no one wanted a sway-backed racehorse and Tommy was resigned to racing the colt himself when a chance meeting with Mr Evelyn Angus (‘Lyn’) Haley changed everything. It seems Tommy had completely forgotten a conversation in which Haley had asked him to look for a yearling in New Zealand. Lyn Haley bought the horse and named him Tulloch after his mother’s hometown in Scotland.

  Kingston Town was bred by wealthy owner David Hains at his property on the Mornington Peninsula. Like Tulloch, he was an unimpressive yearling, being spindly and awkward where Tulloch was small and sway-backed. Hains decided to sell the colt but the best offer was $5000, well below the $8000 reserve price. Hains was annoyed but unwilling to accept the paltry offer. He reluctantly decided to keep the horse and sent him up to Sydney to see if the great T.J. Smith could make anything of him.

  Tulloch and Kingston Town were both bad-tempered and hard to handle.

  Tulloch, whose stable name was the prosaic ‘Bobby’, was a biter and kicker who would lash out when annoyed and nip anyone he could. His strapper, Neville Johnson, was usually wearing a bandage somewhere when ‘Bobby’ was in the stable.

  Kingston Town, known as ‘Sam’ in the stable, was also a biter and was so badly behaved as a two-year-old that he was gelded. At his first start at Canterbury he refused to race when the gates opened, then tried to throw Malcolm Johnson and finally tailed the field to the post, finishing last.

  At two years of age Kingston Town won at his only two other starts after being gelded, whereas Tulloch started thirteen times aged two for six wins and seven seconds. He won the Sire’s Produce Stakes in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and defeated the champion two-year-old Todman easily when winning the AJC version of the race.

  As three-year-olds the two horses both became true champions. Tulloch started sixteen times for fourteen wins and two placings, while Kingston Town’s record was fifteen starts for twelve wins, a second, a third and a fourth.

  In Tulloch’s case T.J. Smith himself admitted the two placings, in the St George Stakes and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the autumn of 1958, were a result of him not having the horse fit enough when he resumed after a three-month spell. It was a different matter with Kingston Town; his second in the VRC Derby was due to him tearing a lump off his hoof when he lost a plate. His third in the Caulfield Guineas and fourth in the Caulfield Cup were a result of the horse getting on his wrong foot around the Caulfield track.

  Kingston Town always preferred to race clockwise. His record in Melbourne was four wins from fourteen starts. In Sydney he won 22 from 25 starts, and in Brisbane it was two from two.

  Both horses won the AJC and QTC Derbies among their many classic wins at three. Tulloch added the VRC Derby; Kingston Town won the Sydney Cup.

  Each horse had ‘one that got away’ in their stellar three-year-old seasons, races they never started in but would probably have won easily. For Tulloch it was the Melbourne Cup, and for Kingston Town the Cox Plate.

  The fuss over Tulloch running or not running in the Cup has been well documented. It is true he was given a record weight for a three-year-old, but it is hard to see how he could have lost the Cup at the height of his powers, even with 52.5 kilograms, after his spectacular and effortless victory in the Caulfield Cup. Nevertheless, Haley decided to scratch him and ‘Haley’s Comet’ was not given the chance to blaze a path to glory in the Cup.

  In the case of Kingston Town it is a little more complex. He did not seem to handle the Melbourne way of going and T.J., on the strength of the colt’s inability to handle Caulfield, decided the VRC Derby on Flemington’s roomier track would suit him better than the Cox Plate on the tight Moonee Valley track.

  In hindsight this seems a tragic assumption. Kingstown Town started three times at Moonee Valley for three wins, in three Cox Plates. As it was, at three he raced at Flemington instead, damaged a hoof, changed legs all down the straight and missed winning the derby by half a head. We can only imagine what would have happened had he won his first Cox Plate at three, instead of four.

  Tulloch missed almost two years of racing with a life-threatening scouring illness and returned triumphantly to win five races from five starts at age five; he then took the Cox Plate, Craven Plate, Mackinnon Stakes, C.B. Fisher Plate, AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Autumn Stakes at six, and just missed winning the Sydney Cup with 63 kilograms after being boxed in until the last furlong. He lumped 64 kilograms in the only unplaced run of his career in the 1960 Melbourne Cup and went out in a blaze of glory by winning the Brisbane Cup over 3200 metres, carrying 62.5 kilograms.

  Kingston Town won four from six at four, including the Cox Plate; seven from nine at five, including the Cox Plate; and five from eight at six, including the Cox Plate. He was narrowly defeated in the Melbourne Cup of 1982, carrying 59 kilograms, but his effort to win his third Cox Plate, after legendary race-caller Bill Collins had famously broadcast ‘Kingston Town can’t win’, will live forever in the memory of everyone who heard the call or saw the race.

  Tulloch failed dismally at stud and Kingston Town retired to David Hains’s property at Mornington, where he was bred.

  Kingston Town was euthanised, aged fourteen, after a kick from another horse damaged a knee, which failed to heal. Tulloch died relatively young also, at fifteen. An autopsy revealed that Tulloch’s heart weighed more than 6 kilograms, almost the equal of Phar Lap’s, which weighed 6.3 kilograms. The average racehorse has a heart weighing about 3 kilograms.

  ‘Bobby’ and ‘Sam’ are long gone, but they are immortals in the rich history of Australian racing, as is Tommy Smith, who sure had an eye for a horse.

  OH, PADDY BOY

  TONY KNEEBONE

  This is the story of how an Australian racing dynasty began. It is the story of the horse that brought the Payne family to Australia. Pat Payne’s family of ten kids produced eight professional jockeys, including the six pioneering sisters Brigid, Therese, Maree, Bernadette, Catherine and Michelle, and jockeys now turned successful trainers Paddy and Andrew.

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  In 1978 Pat Payne struck equine gold, although he wasn’t to know the precise value of the booty until two and half years later. With son Paddy, a rising three-year-old, for company, Pat made the four-hour trip to Hamilton for the Waikato weanling sales.

  Any stock related to the grandsire Hermes demanded Pat’s attention. He reckoned they made good jumpers. Pat had noted in the catalogue that a five-month-old son old Blarney Kiss out of a Hermes mare was to go under the hammer.

  Blarney Kiss was a tough American galloper who had won two derbies in the United States before going to stud and producing several stakes-winning horses in that country. He was sent to New Zealand in 1974 and was yet to make an impression in the southern hemisphere but surely, Pat thought, he would pass on some staying power.

  The weanling’s mother, Grecian Jade, a daughter of Hermes, was the key attraction to Pat. He made up his mind to bid for the colt the moment he caught sight of him in his stall before the sale began. A punt would have to be taken that Blarney Kiss would complement the obvious strength on the maternal side to produce a useful jumper. He was further encouraged after a brief chat with fellow trainer Snowy Lupton during the sale. Lupton told Pat in passing that his luck had been out recently. His best young horse, by Blarney Kiss, broke his leg in a track gallop before getting the chance to show his ability.

  Pat secured his young colt for just $1300. Toddler Paddy was more excited than anyone about the family’s latest acquisition. Any visitor to the Payne property in the ensuing weeks was physically tackled by the young boy and ordered to ‘Come and look at my new horse.’

  Pat was highly amu
sed by Paddy’s fervent behaviour and when the time came for naming the colt the obvious leapt straight to mind. He was by Blarney Kiss so the Irish connotation could link perfectly with Paddy’s enthusiastic involvement. Pat submitted the name Paddy Boy to the New Zealand racing conference and it was approved. He sold a half share in the horse, for $650, to a fellow Kiwi and former schoolmate Peter Moran.

  It didn’t take Pat long to see that his potential jumper was very special. Paddy Boy thrived in the Payne paddocks and, as he approached his two-year-old season, it was apparent this colt would be going to the races much earlier than originally intended. Pat could feel the youngster, with such a magnificent action and handling his workload with ease, was above average.

  In December 1979, Paddy Boy was sufficiently educated and fit enough to have his first race. Pat decided to give him his debut run at nearby Awapuni racecourse over 1000 metres. At such a short distance Paddy Boy wasn’t expected to win, as he had clearly shown in his early development that he had inherited the family’s good staying genes. Pat was more than satisfied when the colt, after getting a long way back in the field early, ran home strongly to finish second.

  The training program had to be halted after just one run, however, for Paddy Boy was suffering from shin-soreness, a common complaint in young racehorses. The remedy was four weeks in a paddock. He resumed with an encouraging effort at Trentham. Although unplaced he made up good ground in the home straight and the performance was duly noted by many onlookers.

  They sent him out a warm favourite when he lined up for his third outing, over 1600 metres at Waverly, situated close to Taranaki in the Wanganui district. Paddy Boy didn’t disappoint his army of supporters, winning by 3½ lengths.

  Pat was excited, but certainly not getting carried away yet. He was aware the field at Waverly contained a moderate bunch of horses and he fully expected Paddy Boy to win as easily as he did.

  Pat’s plan next was to run the colt in a slightly tougher event at Tauherenikau, a place near Masterton, not far from Wellington and best known for the informality of its race meetings. It would be akin to a picnic program in Australia. The idea had to be scrubbed, though, when Mary Payne, who was in charge of all administrative duties, made a rare oversight and forgot to nominate Paddy Boy for the intended race.

  However, the Auckland Racing Club was calling for entries for its Group 3 Champagne Stakes, over 1200 metres, to be run a day later at Ellerslie, a six-hour drive from Taranaki. The race distance was perfect, Pat thought, and even though he would be the subject of ridicule for nominating a maiden winner for such a feature, there was prizemoney allocated for fifth placegetter and the race looked like attracting a very small field.

  Pat phoned up-and-coming rider Greg Childs, who agreed to take the mount. On race day the trainer hadn’t gained much confidence. The field had held up in numbers and was very strong, with Gold Hope, a subsequent AJC Doncaster Handicap winner, claiming favouritism. He had won his only two previous starts.

  Pat told Childs he thought his colt could run fourth or fifth, providing he was allowed to settle well back early and grind home late.

  The young jockey followed those instructions, permitting his horse to drop out to the tail of the field. Approaching the home turn Paddy Boy was travelling far better than any other runner in the elite field. In the long run home he easily overpowered his rivals and treated them to a galloping lesson.

  Childs had the cheek to ease down the colt 100 metres before the winning post in a Group 3 race. The official winning margin was identical to his maiden win—3½ lengths—and the New Zealand racing media trumpeted the arrival of a potential champion.

  The authoritative manner in which Paddy Boy scored had his trainer scanning the racing calendar in search of greater targets and better prizemoney. The Auckland Racing Club’s Sires’ Produce Stakes, a Group 1 race over 1400 metres and the most coveted two-year-old event in the country, was ideal. A small late entry fee was required for Paddy Boy to compete because he was not among the original nominations.

  Pat and his co-owner, Peter Moran, took little convincing that the horse had earned his place in the field. They despatched the necessary payment and Paddy Boy didn’t let them down. He reproduced the same finishing power that was seen in the Champagne Stakes, but on this occasion the company was stronger and the brilliant galloper Yir Tiz refused to let him past.

  The pair drew clear of the rest to fight out a mighty finish and on the line they couldn’t be separated. A dead heat, and the result Pat declares is his greatest thrill in racing, outside of seeing his children ride winners.

  It was time to look abroad. Prizemoney in Australia was most enticing and coming up in the Brisbane winter was a suitable race, the $40,000 dollar Marlboro Stakes over 1600 metres.

  Paddy Boy had established himself as the smartest two-year-old in New Zealand. He had earned the right to challenge the best in Australia. Importantly, he had also earned his own $2500 airline ticket across the Tasman.

  In the process of confirming arrangements for the Brisbane mission, Pat and Mary discussed the idea of leaving New Zealand and setting up a future in Australia. Both were quite keen on the possibility, but rather than rush into a decision they agreed to turn the Paddy Boy trip into their first family holiday and stay a few months to assess the viability of a permanent move. The couple had seven children at this time and the oldest, Brigid, was heavily involved in helping out with the horses. She and her dad shared the trackwork riding duties. Pat had another handy horse, Gentle Joker, to complete the team for the Aussie adventure.

  Peter Moran, the co-owner of Paddy Boy, was living in Melbourne and working as an accountant. It was Moran’s job to organise the purchase of a horse float and vehicle, and to tee up an overnight stop-off stable so the family could be on their way to Brisbane as soon as they landed.

  To his horror on arrival in Sydney, Pat found neither a float nor a car waiting for him and, after a heated exchange with his partner, he also learned that no accommodation had been organised.

  This disaster was the beginning of the end for the two mates and never again after Paddy Boy would they race a horse in partnership. Pat found himself behind schedule by the time he reached Brisbane. Because of the change in itinerary, the horse missed a vital track gallop.

  In the week leading up to the big event, the visiting party was subjected to intense media coverage and Pat warned the public that, although certain Paddy Boy would put up a mighty fight, he was worried that the colt was a little behind in his preparation. Pat knew his horse, as usual, would give all he had.

  And so he did, but it was not quite enough to snare the major purse in the Marlboro Stakes. Unfortunately for the visiting Kiwi clan, Paddy Boy, now renamed Our Paddy Boy for Australian racing, had to settle for a close second behind Royal Paree. Still the family was ecstatic that its champion had proved he could mix it with the finest in Australia and, after a short break, he could be prepared for the big spring races in Melbourne.

  The Payne holiday plan, after a brief spell in the Queensland sun, involved a journey to Victoria where they hoped to establish a base. After the spring the family was to return to New Zealand.

  Pat warmed to the idea of setting up camp in Ballarat, 100 kilometres from Melbourne. During his time in Brisbane he struck up a friendship with Robert Smerdon, who convinced the visiting Kiwis that Ballarat was the ideal location for them. It was similar in size to Taranaki with a population of 73,000 and the reports of its training facilities were glowing.

  Smerdon may have been a little biased. He was from a racing family famous in the area. The stables he managed were passed on to him from his father, Bob, and before that his uncle, Arthur, ran the show. He convinced Pat and Mary Payne that the country town was the spot for them and even threw in a generous offer to accommodate the entire visiting contingent, horses included. They accepted gratefully.

  The trip from Queensland was an uncomfortable one and not without its problems. The car Pat and Mary
had hastily purchased in Sydney could only accommodate its nine occupants with a tight squeeze and after a few hundred kilometres of travel it began to protest about having to haul the two equine passengers at the back.

  With tyres almost flattened under the weight and the engine crying out for respite, it was a crawl to Victoria. At one point, on a fairly steep hill near Melbourne, the task was too great for the vehicle and the children were forced to jump out and help push it to the top.

  Our Paddy Boy must have felt he was entitled to more luxurious travel! In fact, there was an occasion on the three-day trip when he did indicate he’d like to go his own way.

  During a roadside stop at Berrigan, the colt was allowed a pick of grass and he managed to break free from Brigid, who was leading him. Panic followed as the family watched helplessly while their priceless steed disappeared into unfamiliar bushland.

  A search party was quickly assembled but after two hours no one could report a positive sighting. As the concerned bunch met up at the car to consider their next move, Our Paddy Boy casually wandered out of the scrub and back to his family. His brief show of independence was not appreciated.

  The Payne horses settled well in the new environment at Robert Smerdon’s complex and it didn’t take long for them to find the next commission for Our Paddy Boy. It involved more travel but, by this time, the horse took this task in his stride. It was August 1980, and the $10,000 Adelaide Guineas, run under set weights over 1600 metres at Victoria Park, was beckoning. With a home straight of 637 metres, the longest in Australia, Victoria Park was a highly suitable venue for the colt’s racing style.