Rain Lover
Encyclopedia
Rain Lover was a champion
Australia
n Thoroughbred
racehorse
. He was one of the very few horses to win the Melbourne Cup
more than once. Rain Lover was sired by the good racehorse, Latin Lover (GB) (a son of the unbeaten Ribot
) his dam Rain Spot was by Valognes (GB).
He was owned and bred by Clifford A. Reid, who won the 1945 Melbourne Cup
with Rainbird. Trainer Mick Robins, a former coal miner from Broken Hill, New South Wales
had obtained his trainer's licence just three months before he took over Rain Lover's conditioning. He and the horse are best remembered for their back-to-back wins in the 1968 and 1969 VRC
Melbourne Cup. In his first Melbourne Cup triumph, under jockey Jim Johnson
, Rain Lover won by a record eight-length margin and in a record time of 3:19.1.
Controversy surround his second win as the hot favourite and heavily backed Big Philou
trained by Bart Cummings
was the victim of a doping scandal and was withdrawn from the race 39 minutes before the start. Burdened with 9 st. 7 lbs. Rain Lover still went on the win the race from Alsop and created history as the first back-to-back winner since Archer
in 1861 and 1862.
Amongst his other major wins were the SAJC Adelaide Cup
, VATC St George Stakes
(twice) and the AJC
Chipping Norton Stakes
.
Retired to stud
in 1970, Rain Lover enjoyed moderate success as a sire before his death in 1989. One of his best winners being Princess Veronica (VATC Easter Cup).
Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year
The Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year is awarded to the Thoroughbred horse who is voted to be the champion horse within an Australian racing season. This award is open to all racehorses racing within Australia, regardless of age and sex, and includes overseas performances.This award...
Australia
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...
racehorse
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...
. He was one of the very few horses to win 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...
more than once. Rain Lover was sired by the good racehorse, Latin Lover (GB) (a son of the unbeaten Ribot
Ribot (horse)
Ribot was an Italian bay Thoroughbred racehorse, considered the strongest horse of all time.Undefeated in 16 races, he won over distances ranging from 5 furlongs to 1m 7f , in three different countries and in all types of track conditions...
) his dam Rain Spot was by Valognes (GB).
He was owned and bred by Clifford A. Reid, who won the 1945 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...
with Rainbird. Trainer Mick Robins, a former coal miner from Broken Hill, New South Wales
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
had obtained his trainer's licence just three months before he took over Rain Lover's conditioning. He and the horse are best remembered for their back-to-back wins in the 1968 and 1969 VRC
Victoria Racing Club
The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual “race that stops a nation”, the Melbourne Cup, which was first contested in 1861.From its...
Melbourne Cup. In his first Melbourne Cup triumph, under jockey Jim Johnson
Jim Johnson (jockey)
Jim Johnson is remembered primarily for winning the Melbourne Cup on Gatum Gatum and twice on Rain Lover. He was also noted for his unusual riding style of virtually standing up. He also rode in a strange, jerky way...
, Rain Lover won by a record eight-length margin and in a record time of 3:19.1.
Controversy surround his second win as the hot favourite and heavily backed Big Philou
Big Philou
Big Philou was a notable New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse. He was by the good sire Le Filou from Pink Lady by Contact and he was trained by Bart Cummings....
trained by Bart Cummings
Bart Cummings
James Bartholomew 'Bart' Cummings, AM is one of the most successful Australian racehorse trainers. He is known as the Cups King, referring to the Melbourne Cup, as the he has won the 'race that stops a nation' a record 12 times....
was the victim of a doping scandal and was withdrawn from the race 39 minutes before the start. Burdened with 9 st. 7 lbs. Rain Lover still went on the win the race from Alsop and created history as the first back-to-back winner since Archer
Archer (horse)
Archer was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won the first and the second Melbourne Cups in 1861 and 1862. He won both Cups easily, and is one of only five horses to win the Melbourne Cup twice or more; he is one of only four horses to win two successive Cups.-Breeding:Archer was sired by...
in 1861 and 1862.
Amongst his other major wins were the SAJC Adelaide Cup
Adelaide Cup
The Adelaide Cup is a SAJC Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race held in South Australia. It is handicap race run over 3,200 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide Australia. Total prize money for the race is A$400,000....
, VATC St George Stakes
St George Stakes
The St George Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held under weight for age conditions, for horses aged two years old and upwards, over a distance of 1800 metres. It is held at Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne every February. Total prize money is A$200,000.-Distance:1900 -...
(twice) and 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...
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...
.
Retired to stud
Stud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
in 1970, Rain Lover enjoyed moderate success as a sire before his death in 1989. One of his best winners being Princess Veronica (VATC Easter Cup).