Kindergarten (horse)
Encyclopedia
Kindergarten was a New Zealand
bred Thoroughbred
racehorse that raced during the early 1940s. He won many of the premier events in New Zealand including the Wellington Cup
and Auckland Cup
for more than £16,000 in stake money, which was a large amount during the War
.
, Dunedin Cup and Canterbury Cup etc.
he was allocated a prohibitive weight of 9 stone (57 kilograms), and came third in the Warwick Stakes
to High Caste
and Freckles, two great Australian champions. After the race he was unsettled, and rather than risk damage, he was returned to New Zealand.
Three times he was assessed as top weight in the Melbourne Cup
, a race in which he would never partake, sometimes at a greater handicap than the mighty Phar Lap
.
As a three year-old, Kindergarten won ten of 13 races, with those ten coming in a row after starting the season with three minor placings. Among his victories as a three year-old were the Great Northern Derby
, Wellington Cup and the first of his two victories in the Easter Handicap
, in which he carried , the highest weight ever carried to victory in the race by a three year-old.
His Auckland Cup victory in 1943 is regarded as his greatest performance. He carried ( Weight for Age
) in a high-quality field and beat them by five lengths in a then track record time of 3 minutes 22 seconds.
Overall he raced 35 times for 25 wins and 6 placings and is regarded by many who saw him race as possibly the greatest horse to have ever raced in New Zealand.
He was one of five inaugural inductees into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
, alongside the other four turf immortals Carbine
, Gloaming
, Phar Lap
and Sunline
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
bred 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...
racehorse that raced during the early 1940s. He won many of the premier events in New Zealand including the Wellington Cup
Wellington Cup
The Wellington Cup is a Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand held annually in late January at Trentham Racecourse in Trentham by the Wellington Racing Club....
and Auckland Cup
Auckland Cup
The Stella Artois Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckland Racing Club . It is an Open Handicap for thoroughbred racehorses competed on the flat turf over 3200 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. The race is graded as a Group One and was first contested in 1874...
for more than £16,000 in stake money, which was a large amount during the War
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...
.
Breeding
He was a bay colt by the good racehorse and sire, Kincardine (GB), his dam Valadore (by Valkyrian) had 19 starts for two wins. Valadore was the dam of 10 foals, of which 7 were named and raced to produce 5 winners, including a half-brother to Kindergarten, Golden Souvenir. This horse was by Lang Bian (FR) and he was the winner of 10½ races including the Wellington Cup, New Zealand CupNew Zealand Cup
The New Zealand Cup is a thoroughbred horse race held at Riccarton Park racecourse in Christchurch, held on the final Saturday of New Zealand Cup week in November. The week also features the New Zealand 1000 and 2000 Guineas, with the New Zealand Trotting Cup on the Tuesday at Addington being the...
, Dunedin Cup and Canterbury Cup etc.
Racing record
In his one trip to AustraliaAustralia
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...
he was allocated a prohibitive weight of 9 stone (57 kilograms), and came third in the Warwick Stakes
Warwick Stakes
The Warwick Stakes is a Group 2 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age that was traditionally run over a distance of 1400 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse, Sydney in August...
to High Caste
High Caste
High Caste was a Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion that was bred in New Zealand and was considered the best two-year-old in New Zealand after winning three of his four race starts. He was a good racehorse under handicap and weight for age conditions and combined this with wins in good races from...
and Freckles, two great Australian champions. After the race he was unsettled, and rather than risk damage, he was returned to New Zealand.
Three times he was assessed as top weight in the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
, a race in which he would never partake, sometimes at a greater handicap than the mighty Phar Lap
Phar Lap
Phar Lap was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression. Foaled in New Zealand, he was trained and raced in Australia. Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne...
.
As a three year-old, Kindergarten won ten of 13 races, with those ten coming in a row after starting the season with three minor placings. Among his victories as a three year-old were the Great Northern Derby
New Zealand Derby
The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horserace for three-year-old, run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day of Auckland Cup Week. From 2009, it was run for a purse of $2.2...
, Wellington Cup and the first of his two victories in the Easter Handicap
Easter Handicap
The Easter Handicap is a major horse race held at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is raced over a distance of 1,600 metres by three-year-old and upwards thoroughbreds....
, in which he carried , the highest weight ever carried to victory in the race by a three year-old.
His Auckland Cup victory in 1943 is regarded as his greatest performance. He carried ( Weight for Age
Weight for Age
Weight for Age is a term in Thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. It means that a horse will carry a set weight in accordance with the Weight for Age Scale. This weight varies depending on the horse’s age, its sex, the race distance and the month of the year...
) in a high-quality field and beat them by five lengths in a then track record time of 3 minutes 22 seconds.
Overall he raced 35 times for 25 wins and 6 placings and is regarded by many who saw him race as possibly the greatest horse to have ever raced in New Zealand.
He was one of five inaugural inductees into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame is an organization created to recognise and honour those whose achievements have enriched the New Zealand Horse racing industry...
, alongside the other four turf immortals Carbine
Carbine (horse)
Carbine , was an outstanding New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse, who competed in New Zealand and later Australia. During his racing career he won 30 stakes or principal races...
, Gloaming
Gloaming (horse)
Gloaming was an outstanding Thoroughbred racehorse, owned, trained, and based in New Zealand. He set many records which includes the Australasian record of 19 successive wins, many in Principal Races. Gloaming was unusual that he was a champion who won many major races in both Australia and New...
, Phar Lap
Phar Lap
Phar Lap was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression. Foaled in New Zealand, he was trained and raced in Australia. Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne...
and Sunline
Sunline
Sunline was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was the world's highest earning racemare of her time, competing on 48 occasions for 32 wins, 9 seconds and 3 thirds to earn A$11,351,607. She won races in three different countries, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. She won successive...
.