Russia (horse)
Encyclopedia
Russia was a hardy Australia
n bred Thoroughbred
racehorse
who won the 1946 Melbourne Cup
and other staying races.
stallion foaled in 1940 by the unplaced, but good sire, Excitement (IRE) from the unraced Lady March by the useful broodmare sire, Bonnement (GB). Lady March also had two sets of twins that died and Brazen March, a filly that did not race. Russia was bred at Trangie, New South Wales
by Mr J. G. Leeds and trained throughout his career by Ted Hush. During Russia's racing career Mr Leeds gave Ted Hush a half share in Russia prior to his Melbourne Cup win.
(w.f.a.) conditions he won 12½ races and defeated Shannon
and Flight
when they were at the peak of their racing careers.
His biggest win was the 1946 VRC
Melbourne Cup
which he won by five lengths in a time of 3 minutes 21.25 seconds that equalled the then race record set by Wotan ten years earlier.
Russia won a further 10 races following his Melbourne Cup win. He won ₤39,273 during his racing career.
interests after the conclusion of his racing career. Russia did not sire any principal race winners in Australia but did produce three stakes winners in the US, Carolas ($42,610), Georgie ($21,505) and Noredski ($72,410).
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 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
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...
who won the 1946 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...
and other staying races.
Breeding
He was a chestnutChestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
stallion foaled in 1940 by the unplaced, but good sire, Excitement (IRE) from the unraced Lady March by the useful broodmare sire, Bonnement (GB). Lady March also had two sets of twins that died and Brazen March, a filly that did not race. Russia was bred at Trangie, New South Wales
Trangie, New South Wales
Trangie is a small country town in regional New South Wales. It is part of Narromine Shire Local Government Area. At the 2006 census, Trangie had a population of 866....
by Mr J. G. Leeds and trained throughout his career by Ted Hush. During Russia's racing career Mr Leeds gave Ted Hush a half share in Russia prior to his Melbourne Cup win.
Racing record
A hardy competitor he competed for seven seasons over distances from 5 furlongs (1,000 metres) to 2¼ miles, starting 89 times for 22½ wins, which included victories in 19 principal races. Racing under weight for ageWeight 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...
(w.f.a.) conditions he won 12½ races and defeated 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...
and Flight
Flight (horse)
Flight was an Australian 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...
when they were at the peak of their racing careers.
His biggest win was 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...
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...
which he won by five lengths in a time of 3 minutes 21.25 seconds that equalled the then race record set by Wotan ten years earlier.
Russia won a further 10 races following his Melbourne Cup win. He won ₤39,273 during his racing career.
Stud record
Russia stood at stud in 1948 before he returned to racing in the autumn of 1949. He was sold to AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
interests after the conclusion of his racing career. Russia did not sire any principal race winners in Australia but did produce three stakes winners in the US, Carolas ($42,610), Georgie ($21,505) and Noredski ($72,410).