BALMERINO
Balmerino
was a champion racehorse in the 1970s who won many races,
not only here in Australia and New Zealand, but was also
successful in Europe.
He
was sired by Trictrac from the unraced Dulcie and bred
by Ralph Stuart, a dairy farmer from the Waikato district
in New Zealand in 1972.
He
first shot to notice by winning the New Zealand 2000 Guineas
and Derby as a three year old. He won the Brisbane Cup
in 1976 as well as the Ranvet Stakes in the same year.
Balmerino
won 14 of his 18 starts as a three year old and won at
least one race every month for 11 straight months culminating
in the Brisbane Cup.
His
career encompassed 46 starts in Australia, New Zealand,
Italy, France and the USA for 22 wins and 11 seconds and
2 thirds winning $486,202 in prize money.
He
was voted Australian 3YO for the 1975-76 season before
heading for Europe, where, in what was rated his best
performance, he ran an unlucky second to the champion
Alleged in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after winning
the Group 1 Coppa d'Ora in Italy.
In
his European campaign he was trained by John Dunlop.
Retired
to stud in New Zealand in 1979 he enjoyed just moderate
success
He
died in 1996
