Tontonan - Australian champion race horse

Tontonan was an unsound horse at the best of times but managed to put together an impressive list of victories in his injury plagued career.

He was trained by Bart Cummings and ridden in most of his starts by Roy Higgins.

As a two year old he had just 5 starts for 4 wins and a second. In this year he won the Golden Slipper, defeating the hot odds on favourite Imagele who fell, and the Sires Produce but broke down before he could try to win the "Triple Crown" in the Champagne Stakes.

After a spell he returned as a three year old first up to win the Oakleigh Plate from a field of 17 and then ran 5th to Coolalinga in the Newmarket and 6th in the 1975 Freeway on a very heavy track. In Sydney he won the STC Ajax Stakes from Kista and All Profit, the Doncaster by one and a half lengths from Toltrice and Coolalinga with a three year old weight carrying record performance and the AJC All Aged Stakes.

He raced in Queensland as a three year old winning the Doomben Delaney Quality Handicap by over two lengths from Donwana and Charlton Boy in a great performance. Injury unfortunately struck again and Tontonan did not re-appear until his fifth year as he didn't stand up to two attempts at training as a four year old.

As a five year old he resumed in the Freeway Stakes with a 6th to stable mate Lord Dudley but then went on to win the Craiglee Stakes followed by a 5 length win in the John F Feehan Stakes**.

In a thrilling record breaking Marlboro Cup he was beaten a half head by stable mate Cap dÁntibes in a great finish but kicked back to win the Chirnside Stakes by 3 lengths at his last appearance.

Several attempts were made to get the champion back to the track all the way up to his seven year old days but the legs were just too unsound and he was retired.

Tontonan finished his days as a police horse in Victoria.

 

** The John F Feehan Stakes is now called the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes in honour of the Malaysian racehorse owner since 2005.

 

 

 

 

 

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