Flight (horse)
Encyclopedia
Flight was an Australia
n Thoroughbred
racemare
that was the highest stakes winning mare in Australasia. Her courageous efforts made her a crowd favourite during the post World War II
era and she had victories over some of the great horses of the time including Shannon
, Bernborough
, Royal Gem
and Russia
.
She was a bay
daughter of Royal Step her dam was the unplaced mare, Lambent (NZ) by Tractor (GB). A half-sister to Flight, Sparkle (NZ) by Colonel Cygnus (GB), won the 1940 Dunedin Cup. Flight was inbred
to Chelandry and also to St Simon
in the fourth and fifth (4x5) generations. She was purchased at the 1942 Sydney yearling sales by Brian Crowley (a future chairman of the AJC
) for 60 guineas
.
and the 1946 VRC
L.K.S. MacKinnon Stakes
. She also placed in such races as the Sydney Cup
, AJC Metropolitan Handicap and the AJC Chipping Norton Stakes
.
and the Victoria Park Juvenile Handicap (by 2½ lengths and carrying 9 stone 7 pounds). She was second, by a head to Mayfowl (who later won the A.J.C. St Leger), in the AJC Sires Produce Stakes
, and ran third in the A.J.C. Valicare Handicap.
, the Australia Day Handicap, and the Quality Handicap at Randwick Racecourse. She was second in the A.J.C. Derby, the Doncaster Handicap (defeated by half a head to Goose Boy) and the Weight-for-age (w.f.a.) A.J.C. All-Aged Stakes. Her two thirds were both at Rosehill—in the Rosehill Guineas and the (w.f.a.) Rawson Stakes.
and A.J.C. Plate, in which in the two latter races Craigie, Russia
and Flight finished in the same order on each occasion.
and Russia; carrying the top weight she won the A.J.C. Phar Lap Handicap by a margin of four lengths with three lengths back to the third place-getter. In Melbourne she won the W. S. Cox Plate, the C. F. Orr Stakes, V.A.T.C. St George Stakes, V.R.C. Essendon Stakes, and C. M. Lloyd Stakes. Retuning to Sydney, Flight won the A.J.C. Plate. Flight had defeated good horses such as Royal Gem
, Russia and Tranquil Star
. In the A.J.C. Chipping Norton Stakes, Bernborough
relegated Flight into second place, by a head, with Russia a distant third 10 lengths away. Flight's other second placings included those in the Tramway Handicap, the L. K. S. Mackinnon Stakes and A.J.C. Autumn Stakes. Flight had two starts in Brisbane, finishing unplaced in the Doomben Ten Thousand and second to Tea Cake in the Q.T.C. El Alamein Stakes.
Summary: Flight had 65 starts for 24 wins, 18 seconds and 9 thirds and earnings of £31,429.
Flight’s only daughter, Flight’s Daughter (by Helios) produced the top-class Skyline
, winner of the 1958 STC
Golden Slipper Stakes
and AJC Derby
. His full-brother Sky High
won the 1960 Golden Slipper Stakes and VRC Derby
. Both of these were by the leading sire, Star Kingdom
.
A race named in honour of Flight, the AJC Flight Stakes
is contested annually. The race is a Group One
event and is contested over 1,600 metres for three-year-old fillies at set weights.
In 2007, Flight was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racemare
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
that was the highest stakes winning mare in Australasia. Her courageous efforts made her a crowd favourite during the post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era and she had victories over some of the great horses of the time including Shannon
Shannon (horse)
Shannon , named Shannon II in America, was an outstanding Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He created new racecourse records in Australia before he was sold to an American buyer who exported him to California in 1948...
, Bernborough
Bernborough
Bernborough was an outstanding Australian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed from 1941 to 1946. He carried heavy weights to victory in a sequence of 15 consecutive wins that included the Doomben 10,000 carrying 10 stone 5 pounds....
, Royal Gem
Royal Gem
Royal Gem was a versatile Thoroughbred racehorse that won 23 races ranging from 5 furlongs to 12 furlongs...
and Russia
Russia (horse)
Russia was a hardy Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1946 Melbourne Cup and other staying races.-Breeding:He was a chestnut stallion foaled in 1940 by the unplaced, but good sire, Excitement from the unraced Lady March by the useful broodmare sire, Bonnement . Lady March also had...
.
She was a bay
Bay (color)
Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish brown body color with a black mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. Bay is one of the most common coat colors in many horse breeds....
daughter of Royal Step her dam was the unplaced mare, Lambent (NZ) by Tractor (GB). A half-sister to Flight, Sparkle (NZ) by Colonel Cygnus (GB), won the 1940 Dunedin Cup. Flight was inbred
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
to Chelandry and also to St Simon
St. Simon (horse)
St. Simon was an undefeated British Thoroughbred racehorse and one of the most successful sires in the history of the Thoroughbred. In May 1886 The Sporting Times carried out a poll of one hundred experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th Century. St...
in the fourth and fifth (4x5) generations. She was purchased at the 1942 Sydney yearling sales by Brian Crowley (a future chairman of the AJC
Australian Jockey Club
The Australian Jockey Club was founded in January 1842. It morphed from the former Australian Racing Committee set up in May 1840 to set the standards for racing in the colony...
) for 60 guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
.
Race record
A consistent performer, Flight raced at the highest level for five seasons until she was a six-year-old winning 24 races including the 1945 and 1946 MVRC W.S.Cox PlateCox Plate
The W.S. Cox Plate is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne every October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour W.S. Cox, the club's founder. For three-year-olds and over, the race is considered to be the Weight for Age championship of Australasia...
and the 1946 VRC
VRC
VRC is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:*Vaccine Research Center*Vancouver Rowing Club, formed in 1886*Vertical redundancy check*Veteran Reserve Corps*Victoria Racing Club...
L.K.S. MacKinnon Stakes
LKS MacKinnon Stakes
From 1869 to 1936 the LKS Mackinnon Stakes was known as the Melbourne Stakes.The LKS Mackinnon Stakes is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 2000 metre Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions. The race is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia on the Saturday before...
. She also placed in such races as the Sydney Cup
Sydney Cup
The Sydney Cup is an Australian horse race, held for Thoroughbred horses and run over 3200 metres. It is run every year at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales in April/May...
, AJC Metropolitan Handicap and the AJC Chipping Norton Stakes
Chipping Norton Stakes
The Chipping Norton Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race run at weight for age, over a distance of 1600 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse, Sydney in February or March.-Distance:* 1925 - 1972 held over 10 furlongs The Chipping Norton Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred...
.
At two years
Flight won her first race, the A.J.C. December Nursery. Later that season she won the A.J.C. Havilah Handicap, Rosehill Nursery Handicap, Champagne StakesChampagne Stakes (Australia)
The Champagne Stakes is a Group 1 horse race in Australia for two-year-old Thoroughbreds at set weights run at Randwick Racecourse over a distance of 1,600 metres during the Sydney Autumn Carnival...
and the Victoria Park Juvenile Handicap (by 2½ lengths and carrying 9 stone 7 pounds). She was second, by a head to Mayfowl (who later won the A.J.C. St Leger), in the AJC Sires Produce Stakes
AJC Sires Produce Stakes
The AJC Sires Produce Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horserace for two year olds at set weights run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April. The race was first run over one mile in 1867 and won by Glencoe...
, and ran third in the A.J.C. Valicare Handicap.
At three years
At three years Flight won the A.J.C. Hobartville Stakes, the Craven Plate, S.T.C. Lord Mayor's Cup, Adrian Knox StakesAJC Oaks
The AJC Oaks is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horserace for three-year-old fillies at set weights contested over 2,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April. The AJC Australian Oaks is the premier staying race for three-year-old fillies during the Sydney autumn racing carnival. Total...
, the Australia Day Handicap, and the Quality Handicap at Randwick Racecourse. She was second in the A.J.C. Derby, the Doncaster Handicap (defeated by half a head to Goose Boy) and the Weight-for-age (w.f.a.) A.J.C. All-Aged Stakes. Her two thirds were both at Rosehill—in the Rosehill Guineas and the (w.f.a.) Rawson Stakes.
At four years
Flight had 12 race starts for two victories in the A.J.C. Warwick Stakes and Colin Stephen Stakes, defeating Katanga on each occasion. Carrying 8 stone 10 pounds (55.5 kg) she was defeated by a length by Nightbeam (7.2) in the AJC Metropolitan Handicap, and was narrowly beaten by Katanga in both A.J.C. Chipping Norton Stakes and Autumn Stakes. Her third placings were in the Craven Plate and the Sydney CupSydney Cup
The Sydney Cup is an Australian horse race, held for Thoroughbred horses and run over 3200 metres. It is run every year at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales in April/May...
and A.J.C. Plate, in which in the two latter races Craigie, Russia
Russia (horse)
Russia was a hardy Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1946 Melbourne Cup and other staying races.-Breeding:He was a chestnut stallion foaled in 1940 by the unplaced, but good sire, Excitement from the unraced Lady March by the useful broodmare sire, Bonnement . Lady March also had...
and Flight finished in the same order on each occasion.
At five years
She started eighteen times for 8 wins, 6 seconds and 1 third placing. In the Craven Plate Flight defeated ShannonShannon (horse)
Shannon , named Shannon II in America, was an outstanding Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He created new racecourse records in Australia before he was sold to an American buyer who exported him to California in 1948...
and Russia; carrying the top weight she won the A.J.C. Phar Lap Handicap by a margin of four lengths with three lengths back to the third place-getter. In Melbourne she won the W. S. Cox Plate, the C. F. Orr Stakes, V.A.T.C. St George Stakes, V.R.C. Essendon Stakes, and C. M. Lloyd Stakes. Retuning to Sydney, Flight won the A.J.C. Plate. Flight had defeated good horses such as Royal Gem
Royal Gem
Royal Gem was a versatile Thoroughbred racehorse that won 23 races ranging from 5 furlongs to 12 furlongs...
, Russia and Tranquil Star
Tranquil Star
Tranquil Star was one of the hardiest and best performed Australian-bred Thoroughbred race-mares. She is the only mare to have won the double of the Caulfield Stakes, now known as the Yalumba Stakes, and the Cox Plate, which is the most prestigious weight-for-age race in Australia...
. In the A.J.C. Chipping Norton Stakes, Bernborough
Bernborough
Bernborough was an outstanding Australian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed from 1941 to 1946. He carried heavy weights to victory in a sequence of 15 consecutive wins that included the Doomben 10,000 carrying 10 stone 5 pounds....
relegated Flight into second place, by a head, with Russia a distant third 10 lengths away. Flight's other second placings included those in the Tramway Handicap, the L. K. S. Mackinnon Stakes and A.J.C. Autumn Stakes. Flight had two starts in Brisbane, finishing unplaced in the Doomben Ten Thousand and second to Tea Cake in the Q.T.C. El Alamein Stakes.
At six years
Flight had wins in the W. S. Cox Plate, L. K. S. Mackinnon Stakes and in the Essendon Stakes. She was second in the Rosehill Hill Stakes (to Bernborough), the Linlithgow Stakes, C. F. Orr Stakes and twice to Shannon (in the George Main Stakes and King's Cup).Summary: Flight had 65 starts for 24 wins, 18 seconds and 9 thirds and earnings of £31,429.
Stud record
Retired to stud as Australia’s highest stakes winning mare she produced only five foals before her death in September 1953, due to an internal haemorrhage.Flight’s only daughter, Flight’s Daughter (by Helios) produced the top-class Skyline
Skyline (horse)
Skyline was a notable Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was the best three-year-old of his year. He was a bay or brown stallion foaled in 1955 by the champion sire Star Kingdom from Flight’s Daughter by Helios from Flight by Royal Step...
, winner of the 1958 STC
STC
- Education :* S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia, a private school in Sri Lanka* South Texas College* South Thames College* Sha Tin College, Hong Kong* Saint Theresa's College, Philippines- Organizations :* Scarborough Town Centre* Space Transport Corporation...
Golden Slipper Stakes
Golden Slipper
The Golden Slipper Stakes is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race for two year old horses held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney run over 1,200 metres on turf at set weights. It is the premier two year old race in Australia and is the world's richest race for two-year-old Thoroughbreds....
and AJC Derby
AJC Derby
The Australian Derby also known as AJC Derby, is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run by the Australian Jockey Club at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. Open to three year olds, the race is held annually in the latter part of March or early April...
. His full-brother Sky High
Sky High (horse)
Sky High was an outstanding Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Some of his major race victories include the 1960 STC Golden Slipper Stakes, 1960 VRC Derby, 1961 and 1962 VRC Lightning Stakes and the 1961 AJC Epsom Handicap.-Breeding:...
won the 1960 Golden Slipper Stakes and VRC Derby
Victoria Derby
The Victoria Derby is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race held annually on the first day of Melbourne's annual Spring Racing Carnival, Victorian Derby Day, held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. A Group One race for three-year-old horses, it is raced on a left-handed turf course at a...
. Both of these were by the leading sire, Star Kingdom
Star Kingdom
Star Kingdom was a Thoroughbred race horse bred in Ireland in 1946. Exported to Australia he was an outstanding sire, being the leading sire for five seasons, the leading sire of two-year-olds seven times as well as heading the broodmare sires' list three times.Foaled on 30 April 1946, Star...
.
A race named in honour of Flight, the AJC Flight Stakes
Flight Stakes
The Flight Stakes is an AJC Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies, at set weights, run over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in October...
is contested annually. The race is a Group One
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
event and is contested over 1,600 metres for three-year-old fillies at set weights.
In 2007, Flight was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
Australian Racing Hall of Fame
The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000....
.