Singapore horse racing, an equestrian sport with roots dating back to ancient times, boasts a rich betting history. Originating from chariot races in 648 BC and featuring rough tracks and obstacles like the steeplechases during medieval times, its deep heritage has evolved into a modern horse racing splendour, focusing on speed and endurance on flat surfaces.
Amidst this dynamic progression, seven renowned horses uniquely carve out a memorable space in the Singaporean horse racing wagering narrative.
Man o’ War
Man o’ War, originally known as “My Man o’ War”, obtained his name due to his birth coinciding with World War 1 (WW1). This American Thoroughbred, also widely known as Big Red, is recognised for his charismatic presence, sheer power, and remarkable speed.
Big Red is a multi-champion boasting 20 wins out of all his 21 races, solidified his status as one of the greatest sires in history during his racing career from 1919 to 1920. Notable among these races are two Triple Crown race events in 1920, where he showcased his dominance by:
· Holding off a late charge by Upset to win the Preakness Stakes on the 18th of May 1920 with a track record of 1 min, 51 s, including a quarter-mile interval completed in 3/5 of a second.
· Settling a world record for running away to a 20-length victory at Belmont Stakes on the 12th of June 1920 with a track record of 2 min and 14 s with a quarter-mile interval finished in 1/5 of a second.
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit, one of the legendary horses that is an undersized Thoroughbred with a light bay colour, left a lasting impression in horse racing history by defying all odds. While he only finished fourth in his first race at Hialeah Park in Florida on the 10th of January 1933, his owners and supporters recognised his potential, leading to unwavering support. Despite being entered in a $6,000 claiming race after 40 uninspired races spanning over two years, Seabiscuit’s racing career persevered beyond this abrupt hurdle.
Under Charles Howard’s ownership, Tom Smith’s training, together with Red Pollard’s grand partnership as his jockey, Seabiscuit won 33 wins out of all his 89 races until he retired in 1940. Some of the most captivating races he had are:
· The American horserace legend won the Massachusetts Handicap on the 7th of August 1937 with a track record time of 1 min, 49 s for 1 1/8 miles.
· He defeated War Admiral, a 1937 Triple Crown winner, and won head-to-head the Pimlico Special Match on the 1st of November 1938. It is one of the most memorable moments of Seabiscuit that got everyone off their seats with a racing statistic of 1 min, 56 s for the 1 3/16 mile race distance.
· Seabiscuit won the richest race in America, which was held in Santa Anita Handicap on the 2nd of March 1940. It was his last race, wherein he overcame a serious injury and a long layoff to win the 1 1/4 mile race with a track record of 1 min, 56 s.
His magnificent comeback propelled him to become an all-time money winner and an enduring symbol of American strength post-1938 Great Depression.
Secretariat
One of the most significant American racehorses that left a remarkable mark is Secretariat, affectionately known by the moniker of Man o’ War’s successor, Big Red. This chestnut Thoroughbred displayed great speed and dedication in his racing career, winning 16 out of all his 22 races in 1973. However, what truly elevated his legacy was the groundbreaking and fastest time record he set by winning all three constituent races in different racetracks, including:
· He made history in the Kentucky Derby with a course benchmark of 1 min, 59 s for a 2/5 of a second quarter-mile interval race,
· Preakness Stakes, with a track record of 1 min, 53 s by 2 1/2 quarter-mile stretch, and
· Belmont Stakes has a track record of 2 min, 24 s for a 1 1/2 quarter-mile race.
These extraordinary achievements made Secretariat the 9th champion of the U.S. Triple Crown after 25 years.
Red Rum
Alongside Secretariat, Red Rum is an Irish Thoroughbred steeplechaser who earned the hearts of his supporters by achieving an impressive record in his 100 races – securing 24 victories, placing second in 15 races, and making third placements in 23 races. Among all his outstanding competitions, the most well-known that elevated his fame was when he won the Grand National at Aintree, England three times:
· 1973, wherein he beat Crisp by 3/4 of a length and a record time of 9 min, 1.9 s;
· 1974, he won the race a second time around, defying 11-to-1 odds against his repeating victory by seven lengths against L’Escargot, and,
· 1977, where he achieved a groundbreaking third victory ever recorded in the historic race by 25 lengths ahead of 10 other race finishers.
The Grand National in England is distinguished as a difficult race that ultimately tests a horse’s courage. Hence, Red Rum’s comeback after three years and still winning the championship made him earn his monicker as the Greatest Grand National Horse.
Winx
One of the most famous horses in racing betting history is Winx. She is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won 37 of her 43 races during her racing career spanning from May 2015 until April 2019. Recognised by the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2017, Winx co-ranked as the best horse worldwide in 2018, a rare honourable distinction for a mare still in training.
Some of her major wins include the Group One (G1) William Samual (W.S.) Cox Plate victory races, including:
· The 2015 championship, wherein Winx had set a new racetrack record of 2 min, 2.98 s by a quarter-mile distance of 4.75 seconds over Criterion;
· Her second achievement with a performance data of 2 min, 2.94 s by eight lengths in 2016, breaking her own 2015 race record;
· She had set a new course record after winning the 2017 G1 W.S Cox Plate race with 2 min, 2.18 s by 0.4 lengths over Humidor and,
· Won the fourth G1 W.S Cox Plate in 2018 by two lengths over Benbati, making her the first horse to win four Cox Plates for four years straight.
Black Caviar
Black Caviar, the brown Australian wonder mare, claimed her debut victory at Flemington Racecourse with a five-length lead in a two-year-old race on the 18th of April 2009. She is an equine icon known as a ballerina star built like a bulldozer that became a cover star of Vogue magazine in her native country, Australia.
Black Caviar became well-known because she was undefeated in all her 25 races. These achievements include the 15 G1 races she won and even becoming the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) World Champion Sprinter for four consecutive years from 2010 to 2013. She was highly regarded as the greatest sprinter and the Australian Racehorse of the Year before she retired on the 17th of April 2013.
Frankel
Frankel is a bay horse named after the American trainer Bobby Frankel. He has a sheer presence that defeated 102 rivals in his unbeaten fourteen-race career, making him a British Thoroughbred champion and highest-rated racehorse from May 2011.
He was known as the wonder horse akin to Usain Bolt, a true Jamaican athlete who obtained gold medals in the 100 m and 200 m races in the Olympic Games for three consecutive years. Holding a top speed that reached 43 mph and finishing a 100 m race in 5.2 seconds, the British Thoroughbred won multiple Group 1 and Classic championships. Frankel also held the record for being the fastest sire to reach 40 Group winners in history before he retired in 2012.
Conclusion
All the racehorses mentioned above showcase each of their uniqueness, highlighting their determination, agility, speed, strength, and stamina, which are well-developed through disciplined horse training. The legacy of these legendary horses becomes evident in how their footsteps can serve as a valuable source of inspiration for today’s bettors in the Singapore Pool’s horse racing betting landscape. Furthermore, punters could leverage these iconic horses’ track records for valuable insights, refining their betting strategies with historical performance analysis.
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