Secretariat, Sham and Forego in the 1973 Kentucky Derby was a pretty crack field also. And the first two set the still two fastest times ever in that race's long history.
That legendary line from Johnny Tapp when business is about to pick up "And here comes the Big O!" One of the greatest 3-year olds in Australian Equine History.
Over in Sydney from NZ on an end of season sports trip. Only racing fan in the team, I managed to convince 4 or 5 of my team mates to come to Randwick that day. 3 of them became racing fans for life, in fact I'm currently racing a Per Incanto filly with one of them. Says it all really.
The back page of the telegraph had a match race Filante V Saintly (it may have been Nothin Leica Dane) but my man was the big O. I was young and new to racing, a keen punter at my work had told me to watch him after a trial and I had backed him a few times already. I couldn't believe the bookies had him at 8-1. I went to Randwick that day full of confidence and was well rewarded by a performance from a horse that goes down as one of my champions of all time. When I watch him in this race it seems like he just keeps amping up the effort until he gets his head infront. His sustained run and such will to be first to get to that line was what stood out as this champion's best qualities. He is often left out of lists of the all time greats but he won't ever be forgotten by me.
He was never 8-1 to win this derby lol, he paid $2.50 lol i think you might have your hand on it. If he was paying $8, every bookie would be driving commodores still to this day lol.
Still the best 3yr old year ive seen in 30yrs, Occy was just unbeatable in his 3yr old year, still should have won the Vic Derby but what a crop of 3yr olds, Derby winners Cox Plate and Melb Cup winner, Cox Plate placing sorry 2 Cox Plate winners and a runner up in Filante, have never seen a better bunch of 3yr olds going head to head during all the classics. I wonder if the big O could have stayed 3200m , Everyone knows in his 4 yr old campaign he had other things on his mind ( women) but credit to Hawkes to get him back to his best again to win more G1s he just knew where the line was. Great memories.
Balmain Bucko - have to throw a poser or two - don't get me wrong The Big O was a beauty, but I can think of two 3yo's in my lifetime who need to be considered - Surround in 76 - 77 was exceptional - all she did was brain Family of Man (whom won and ran second in a Cox Plate in consecutive years) all spring in '76. She won the Cox in a track record - the only 3yo filly to win th race beating Unaware who would then go on to win the Derby. Won 10 straight from 1200m to 25oom - the other is Taj Rossi who won the Caulfield Guineas - Cox Plate - Derby - Emirates - the latter against open company over 4 successive weeks - a certain J b Cummings trained him.
What a field, this was the day Saintly was made, Occy had other things on his mind as a 4 yr old snd Saintly was coming into his own, I always wondered had Occy not lost form would he have stayed 3200m, you would have to say yes by breeding and the way he raced. But Filante, Nothin Leica Dane, Occy , Saintly all fighting out then 3 yr old classics.
It was the best Derby I've ever seen as well. Boy they were damn good horses back them. In today's derbies they would of only seen, those bums a long way in front. They certainly destroyed the staying bloodlines in today's racing.
Not sure how many times Darren used his whip on Octagonal in the last 300 metres but I'd say at least 80 times. He'd have to sell his house these days to pay the fine for that.
Aside from a total freak like Winx, it’s sad watching a race like this and realising how much damage money and the big breeders have done to the quality of our middle distance horses.
Mate im pretty sure Winx would have had them all covered over 2000m. No horse in this field won 33 straight and 25 G1s but this was Australia's greatest 3yr okd crop racing each other in all the classics
Amazingly, the Jockey aboard Octaganol didn't think he could win it at the 600 such was the courage of the horse?..the lead up runs and this win flattened the horse so much next time in he performed poor, but still came back the following season to give his fans one more final encore..he wont go down as the best horse ever..but next to Tulloch, he has to arguably be the best three year old we have ever seen here in Australia? look at the three horses behind him here?
