Just A Dash racehorse Melbourne Cup Winner

Racehorse Just A Dash was by the American sire Whiskey Road from the mare Native Lass and was foaled near Canberra in 1977 and was one of only two Melbourne Cup winners trained by the legendary T J Smith. (His other was Toparoa in 1955.)

Just A Dash won the 1981 Melbourne Cup defeating El Laurena and Flashing Light in the time of 3.21.2 ridden by Peter Cook whose father, Billy Cook, also won the Melbourne Cup in 1941 on Skipton and 1945 on Rainbird. In fact they are the only father-son combination to have won this great race.

Carrying 53.5 kgs and starting at 15/1, Just A Dash picked up what now seems like a modest $310,000 in prize money.

Prior to winning the great race, Just A Dash had run 2nd in the Underwood Stakes over 2000m, 4th in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m), 7th in the Herbert Power Handicap (2400m), 6th in the Caulfield Cup with 54 kgs and fifth in the Dalgety over 2500m with 56.5 kgs.

It was mega owner Lloyd Williams first Melbourne Cup, winning again in 1985 with What A Nuisance and also in 2007 with Efficient.

It was a big punting day for Williams in 1981 who later said: "I think we got between $600,000 and $700,000 but then I also cleaned up on the daily double as I owned the second leg winner That's The Time."

Williams had seen Just A Dash as a three year old in Sydney, bought him with business partners Tom Pettiona and George Frew and gave him to T J Smith with the mission to win the Adelaide Cup and Melbourne Cup. Just A Dash won the Adelaide Cup also in 1981.

 

 

 

 

Zabeel	Sir Tristram	Sir Ivor
		Isolt
	Lady Giselle	Nureyev
		Valderna
Passefleur	Vice Regal	Bismark
		Kind Regards
	Easter Parade	Imperialist
		Mirfin

 

 

 

  

 

Career Highlights

	AT 2
24-Nov-79	Won	13 ran		Canberra	1000m	2YO Maiden Hcp
8-Dec-79	Won	8 ran		Canberra	1000m	2YO Hcp
22-Mar-80	2nd	8 ran		Gundagai	1100m	2YO Hcp
5-Apr-80	2nd	11 ran		Canberra	1400m	Southern Foal Stakes
1-May-80	3rd	9 ran		Wagga	1260m	2YO Stakes
21-May-80	Won	14 ran		Randwick	1600m	Mosaic Hcp
	AT 3
27-Sep-80	Won	7 ran		Wagga	1600m	Cootamundra Cup
18-Oct-80	Won	7 ran		Wagga	1600m	Handicap
29-Oct-80	Won	8 ran		Randwick	2000m	Dee Why Stakes.
7-Feb-81	Won	13 ran		Wagga	1500m	Handicap
28-Feb-81	2nd	18 ran		Rosehill	1500m	Jubilee Welter
6-Apr-81	3rd	5 ran		Rosehill	2000m	Rawson Stakes	Hyperno	2:11.6
25-Apr-81	3rd	12 ran		Randwick	2000m	Frank Packer Plate	Shaybisc	2:03.1
2-May-81	3rd	8 ran		Randwick	2800m	St Leger Stakes	November Rain	3:02.4
9-May-81	Won	11 ran		Morphettville	2600m	St Leger Stakes	Rock Show	2:48.0
18-May-81	Won	20 ran		Morphettville	3200m	Adelaide Cup	Beau Noble	3:23.2
	AT 4
12-Sep-81	4th	9 ran		Flemington	1600m	Craiglee Stakes	Sovereign Red	1:36.5
24-Sep-81	2nd	5 ran		Caulfield	2000m	Underwood Stakes	Sovereign Red	2.02.3
3-Oct-81	4th	4 ran		Flemington	2000m	Turnbull Stakes	No Peer	2.03.9
3-Nov-81	Won	22 ran	53.5	Flemington	3200m	Melbourne Cup	El Laurena	3:21.2
6-Mar-82	3rd	7 ran	57	Randwick	1600m	Chipping Norton Stakes	Vivacite	1:39.5
20-Mar-82	2nd	8 ran	57	Rosehill	2000m	Rawson Stakes	Allez Bijou	2:02.7
	AT 5
23-Sep-82	4th	11 ran	59	Caulfield	2000m	Underwood Stakes	Fearless Pride	2:00.6
9-Oct-82	2nd	18 ran	59.5	Caulfield	2400m	Herbert Power Handicap	Carringbush	2:31.6
	AT 6
13-Aug-83	3rd	8 ran	57	Rosehill	1900m	Persian Link Hcp	Impulsor	1:58.6
3-Sep-83	2nd	8 ran	57	Warwick Farm	2400m	Tattersall's Plate	Gala Mascot	2:30.4
17-Sep-83	3rd	11 ran	57	Rosehill	2400m	STC Cup	Tulsa Knight	2:33.5
29-Oct-83	4th	12 ran	56	Flemington	2500m	Hotham Hcp	Chagemar	2:37.5
29-Feb-84	4th	13 ran	61.5	Pakenham	1400m	Welter	My Musskorade	1:25.0
7-Apr-84	4th	15 ran	57.5	Caulfield	1400m	Monash Welter Hcp	What A Nuisance	1:24.0
25-Apr-84	3rd	8 ran	56.5	Flemington	2500m	Shaggy Ridge Hcp	Special Khan	2:42.0

 

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