TULLOCH
Tulloch
was a bay or brown colt by Khorassan out of Florida by
Salmagundi who was foaled in 1954 at Trelawney Stud, Cambridge,
New Zealand
Trainer Tommy J. Smith bought Tulloch as a yearling for
750 guineas in 1956 at the Trentham Yearling Sales. He
offered the colt to E A Haley who was impressed by the
horse's breeding, intelligence and presence despite having
what was referred to as a "swampy" back. Haley
named him Tulloch after the Scottish town where his mother
was born.
In the spring of 1956, a 2yo Tulloch had his first start
in the AJC Breeders Plate where although sent out favourite
he was beaten by Flying Kurana. Backing up the next week,
Tulloch won the Cannonbury Stakes. He was sent to Melbourne
where he contested 3 races, winning twice but beaten in
the VRC Maribyrnong Plate by Concert Star.
Resuming in the autumn, Tulloch was beaten
into second in his first two starts, a 2yo handicap in
Sydney and the VATC Merson Copper Stakes. He then won
the VRC Sires Produce Stakes over 7 furlongs, beating
Ace High. Next start, dropping back a furlong, Ace High
turned the tables on Tulloch, beating him in the Ascot
Vale Stakes (Until 1965 the Ascot Vale Stakes was run
in autumn for 2yos. From 1969 the Ascot Vale Stakes has
been run in the spring for 3yos).
Going back to Sydney, Tulloch won the Fairfield Handicap
at Warwick Farm Racecourse before meeting only 2 other
horses in the AJC Sires Produce Stakes. Todman and Prince
Darius were to prove themselves as worthy foes, however
were no match for Tulloch, who at this stage was unbeaten
over the 7 furlong distance.
Todman turned the tables in the Champagne Stakes (dropping
back to 6F) beating Tulloch by six lengths. Before heading
for a spell, Smith and Tulloch headed to Brisbane where
Tulloch won the QTC Sires Produce Stakes.
His record at the and of his 2yo season stood at 13:7-6-0.
Tulloch had won the VRC, AJC and QTC Sires Produce Stakes,
the Cannonbury Stakes as well as 2yo races at Caulfield,
Flemington and Warwick Farm Racecourse. He also ran second
in the Maribyrnong Plate, AJC Breeders Plate, Ascot Vale
Stakes and the Champagne Stakes.
Resuming in the Warwick Stakes in 1957 Tulloch took on
open age competition for the first time beating MacDougal
(winner of the AJC Queens Cup, Metropolitan Handicap,
Brisbane Cup and Melbourne Cup), Monte Carlo (AJC Derby
and VRC Derby, AJC St Leger, Metropolitan Handicap, STC
Cup, LKS Mackinnon Stakes and VRC Queens Plate) and Caranna
(AJC Derby, Caulfield Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and Craven
Plate). Next he went back to his own age group in the
Rosehill Guineas where he beat Prince Darius, then onto
the AJC Derby which Tulloch beat Prince Darius (again)
by 6 lengths and in the process breaking the track record
that had been held by Phar Lap since 1929.
Tulloch then made the trip down to Melbourne to win the
Caulfield Guineas and then took on the older horses again
in the Caulfield Cup. Tulloch started 6/4 favourite in
a field of 17, carrying 7 stone 8 pounds (approx 48 kg)
Tulloch won in 2:26.9, which at the time was the fastest
time in the world for a mile and a half on turf and the
third fastest overall. He won by two lengths from Mac's
Amber (Chipping Norton Stakes, Alister Clarke Stakes,Toorak
Handicap) and Sailor's Guide (AJC Derby, AJC St Leger
and VRC St Leger Stakes, LKS Mackinnon Stakes as well
as the Washington, D.C. International in the USA).
Tulloch was installed as favourite for the Melbourne Cup
- it was rumoured that Smith had a wager of 33,000 pounds
to a thousand that Tulloch would win the Cups double.
A Sydney newspaper ran a story on the Monday after the
Caulfield Cup that quoted the owner EA Haley as saying
that Tulloch would never run in the Melbourne Cup as he
did not fancy running 3yos over two miles, especially
with the 8 stone 5 pound burden he had been allotted.
The rest of the newspapers were full of Tommy Smith predicting
how far Tulloch would win the Cup by and the debate raged
leading up to the race if the great horse would run or
not. Whilst the controversy ensured an exciting lead up
to the Cup, Tulloch won the VRC Derby, beating Prince
Darius by 8 lengths.
Scratched from the Cup, punters were left to wonder what
might have been, as Straight Draw downed Prince Darius
by a neck with Pandie Sun a further 2 1/2 lengths further
back in third. The WFA CB Fisher Plate was next on the
agenda with Tulloch easily accounting for Sailors Guide,
before he was quickly shipped to Brisbane for the QTC
Derby, only 7 days later, which he won by 7 lengths.
Returning in the Autumn, Prince Darius got one back on
Tulloch, beating him in the St George Stakes over 9F ,
Prince Darius again beat Tulloch home in the VRC Queen
Elizabeth Stakes over 12F, but the winner was another
old adversary, Sailors Guide. Third up Tulloch won the
VRC St Leger, before heading to Sydney to win the Rawson
Stakes, Chipping Norton Stakes, AJC St Leger, All Aged
Stakes and the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
As a three year old. Tulloch had 16 starts for 14 wins,
one second and one third. His lifetime record now stood
at 29:21-7-1. Tulloch's fame had spread and Haley knocked
back massive overseas offers for his horse. Grand plans
were formulated to campaign Tulloch in the United States
and England, but in April 1958, Tulloch developed a mysterious
stomach disease that almost killed him. Over the next
2 years Tulloch suffered recurring infections and severe
weight loss
.
Amazingly, Tulloch returned to the track on the 12th of
March 1960 - almost 2 years after he first became sick.
First up in the VRC Queens Plate over 10 Furlongs, Tulloch
beat Lord, one of the best WFA horses of that era (Caulfield
Guineas, Caulfield Stakes x 3, Memsie Stakes x 4, St George
Stakes x 2, C F Orr Stakes x 2, Underwood Stakes x 2)
by a short head. He then won the Chipping Norton Stakes,
Craven Plate and the PJ O'Shea Stakes to finish off a
successful autumn return.
The 1960 Melbourne Cup was the aim in the spring, in his
lead up Tulloch won the Cox Plate, LKS Mackinnon Stakes
and VRC Queens Plate. Under 10 stone 1 pound (approx 64
kg) in the Melbourne Cup and starting 3/1 favourite, Tulloch
finished an unlucky seventh, the race being won by Hi
Jinx. This was to be Tulloch's only unplaced run in his
career. After the Cup Tulloch again took out the CB Fisher
Plate.
Returning for the autumn Tulloch won the AJC Autumn Stakes
and the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes before heading to Brisbane
where he again won the PJ O'Shea Stakes. His last race
was the 1961 Brisbane Cup which he won by 1 3/4 lengths.
After returning from his debilitating injury, Tulloch
had a record of 24:15-5-3 with 1 unplaced run. 13 of these
wins were at WFA in stakes races.
At the end of his amazing career, Tulloch had won 19 races
that are now classified as group one. He also twice won
the no longer contested AJC Autumn Stakes (with winners
such as Ming Dynasty, Balmerino, Gunsynd, Rain Lover,
Galilee, Beau Vite, Peter Pan, Nightmarch, Heroic and
Carbine), as well as the no longer contested VRC Queens
Plate (winners such as Leilani, Gunsynd, Rain Lover, Galilee,
Lord, Ajax, Phar Lap, Wallace and Carbine), both of which
would be categorised as group 1 races by today's standard.
Seven races that Tulloch won are now Group 2 races and
two are Group 3.
When you take into account that the VRC St Leger and AJC
St Leger were held in much higher regard in days gone
by the record becomes even more impressive.
Tulloch stood at Haleys Te Koona Stud where he did not
perform up to his racetrack standard. He sired two stakes
winners, in Dahma Star (1967 Christmas Cup) and Valide
(1968 SA Oaks). Tulloch died at Old Gowang Stud near Coonabarabran
in 1969.
