5 Favourite Horses

[Raw Instinct]

Hey guys just wanted to see what everyones fav horses were regardless of class I am sure we have all had horses which we have almost claimed as our own.

1. Raw Instinct: Surprise surprise I know but I have followed this horse from a very early time in his career infact I think it may have even have been his first run of his career in town. It was that run in town that had me hooked he had set a fairly decent speed in front and the Brisbane boom horse at that time Cumbria ran upto him and passed him but Raw fought back only to have Cumbria come in on top of him and eventually got the race on protest I was hooked after that.

2. Starcraft: I loved this horse from the day I first saw him race the big flashy chestnut accomplished some amazing things on the track and then went on to Europe for a very successful campaign which saw him become the highest rated miler in the world not a bad effort at all.

3. Lad of the Manor: With the retirement or close to it of the top 2 on the list this guy is probably my favourite horse running around these days, This horse IMO is all heart he just keeps fighting in all his races doesn't know how to run a bad one.

4. Half Hennessy: I really loved this horse unfortunately he was an unsound horse aswell having quite a few health issues throughout his career eventually leading to his early retirement but I will never forget his QLD derby win even if it was aginst weak opposition we never got to see the best of this fella.

5. Delago Brom: One of the first horses I started following after Raw and around the sametime that I actually started to watch races alot more frequently his Guineas win where he captured the scalp of Thorn Park and Innovation Girl (I believe) was very good unfotunately he would never been seen on the track again following that.

I know these are all fairly recent horses for the main reason that I haven't followed racing for that long but these are the horses which I have liked the most. Just missing the list was Railings and Makybe Diva.

[Svenvlad]

G'day Raw,

Mine are -

1. Lachlan River - Spotted this horse at his 3rd start at EF when he travelled wide over 1400m and still won breaking 82. Have followed him ever since. Mind you, there were a few times when i was doubting my judgement (runs prior to the Derby). But it all worked out OK in the end :).

2. Black Ink - Just love the way this bloke races. You don't often see a back marker who wins so regularly. Great finishing burst, highlighted for me when at EF in '04 in a 0MW race he came from virtually last in a strung out field to win, and break 69.

3. Saintly - Gave me my first Melbourne Cup win, so this bloke has to make the field. They don't go from a Cox Plate to a Melbourne Cup very often now.

4. Machtig Mihi Panis - Somewhat of a cult horse around Brissy a couple of years back (because of the name obviously). Which was why i liked him :), just couldn't believe that someone could name a horse like that!. Had some good times when he was going around and it was a shame when he retired.

5. Starcraft - Went off him somewhat towards the end of his career in Aus, but i loved this horse early on. Theres just something about these fast finishing back markers :p. Hes a pretty maligned horse, but some of those wins (particularly the Debonair) were breaktaking.

[Sportz]

(1) Vo Rogue - My all time favourite. Not quite up to the standard of a couple of the others on my list, but there was just something about him. I just loved the way he raced and his guts and his class. The 1990 Australian Cup was one of my highlights in racing. They often replay that on Radiotab up here and it's just incredible if you get a chance to listen to it. Unfortunately, they also often replay that Australian Cup where he was beaten by Dandy Andy. What a travesty that was!

(eq 2) Makybe Diva - Well, what do you say? As I've mentioned previously, I saw this mare win the Queen Elizabeth Stks at the Melbourne Cup carnival in 2002, and I clearly remember saying at that time "that horse is going to win the Melbourne Cup next year". Well, I didn't expect it to be 3 in a row. I backed her in all 3 Cups and what happened last year was just brilliant!

(eq 2) Kingston Town - Again, what can you say. A champion and one of the main reasons I became a racing fan. His 3 Cox Plates will live in my memory forever, especially the 3rd one when he fooled Bill Collins. I'm still mad that he couldn't win that Melbourne Cup in 82 as that would have just topped off an incredible career.

(4) Let's Elope - Another real favourite of mine. Backed her when she won the Caulfield Cup at nice odds and then had a good bet on her in the Melbourne Cup when I thought she a good thing. And she was! Even counting Sunline, I had always regarded Let's Elope as my favourite mare..... until last year!

(5) Dulcify - Like Kingston Town, one of the main reasons I followed racing early on. Wasn't lucky enough to back him when he won at humungous odds, but I followed him right through after that. I still think he could have won the Melbourne Cup in 79 if he hadn't been injured in the run by the eventual winner. Finding out that he had to be put down that day was probably the saddest moment for me in racing.

[BORDI]

1. makybe diva

2.makybe diva
3. makybe diva
4.makybe diva
5.makybe diva

LOL such a beautiful mare... although i did fancy lonhro and grand armee etc...

[Real Deal]

(1) Starcraft- I have this horse to thank for my interest in racing! Watching him last round the turn and win in the debonair?? was something special!

(2) Takeover Target - My favourite currently racing by a mile. Would have been #2 regardless of weekends result.

(3) Makybe Diva - Never felt anything like what i felt the last 100m of the cup. Hair on back of the neck was standing up. Just love seeing the champions win!

(4) Might and Power - Some of the stuff he did will never be matched. If asked this question 5 years ago i guarantee he would have been my favourite. I even have a soft spott for anything these days in the moraitis colours. You will always find them in my multiples. Pizza next big thing!

(5) Juene. The 94 cup saw me a as a youngster land my first official winner, and from memory 20+/1. One of those firsts you find hard to forget.

[maverick1993]

*Super Impose
What a horse was this one...i remember drinking in a rough bikie pub down the gold coast jumping up and down drunk and screaming him home when he won the Cox from last as a 8yo...just loved the way this horse used to come back from injury..had dodgy tendons and he also bled a couple of times...
Epsom and Doncaster 2 years running..
great horse and showed his class by almost grabbing a mc behind Tawriffic.
*Mahogany
Another horse that was good to me on the punt..always thereabouts and raced only against the best .. his record speaks for itself..
*Mr innocent
How underated was this horse..always put in ..won a stack on his 10,000 win ..will always remember him and Adam fighting it out teeth barred ears back all the way down the straight in the George Main...Adam won by a flared nostril..but it was fantastic to watch..
*Bomber Bill
How good is the old boy...just keeps on winning...has shocking feet but doesnt let that bother him..won me a stack of cash the old fella..made a pact to keep backing this horse when he changed trainers as i thought each race would be his last...how lucky has that been for me :)
* Merlot Now
Had to include this horse....one of the main reasons i have money in my Ias account...all though dissapointing last prep this horse is to good to discount and will be back better than ever next prep..

hard to leave out,,Might and Power, Tinys Finito, Rough Habit , Falvelon

[umrum]

Northerly

Umrum

Exit Lane

Sunline

Testa Rossa would be top 5
but have too many to name. Patezza and court's in session are current favourites but not sure could put on all time list. Horses such as lonhro, occy, grand armee etc were all favourites. Used to love a couple of hawkesy's in Sports, Crawl and Flavour. Just too many.

[Real Deal]

Interesting Umrum. Majority of people i come accross are sunline and hate northerly, or are northerly and hate sunline.

Very rarely have i seen both in a persons Favourite 5 horses. You see it in peoples best 5 horses but not fav 5 horses.

Me personally are a sunline man and didn't have a whole lot of time for northerly

[Stix]

Phar Lap - started my interest in racing - had to watch the movie 5 times in school !! Had him on my bedroom window (sad I know!... and yes it explains a lot !!! :D )

Mahogany - re-ignited my interest later in life together with the Captain of the my cricket team (later to be Brother-in-laws) betting activity

Might & Power - Simply Awsome

Sunline - Moonee Valley is my local track, so got to see her many times slay them

Makybe Diva - 3 Cups - NEVER to be bettered.....

[umrum]

Dont get me wrong Real I am a massive Northerly man


Real Deal I was a massive sunline fan, she was the best i had ever seen until Northerly came and conquered her. I am a little biased as I know a couple of connections in Northerly and have followed him since his second start. I have said many times that I love sunline but the Champ Northerly beat her 3 from 3 along with his dual aus cups and massive CC win and is my favourite of all time. I doubt a gutsier horse has existed than Northerly.

cheers

[Raw Instinct]

Good to read some of the responses here I always liked both Sunline and Northerly and Umrum Crawl was so close to my list aswell backed him nearly every start when I started following racing.

Sven Machtig was a horse I followed aswell when I saw him racing the name was just so crazy you had to back him he wasn't a bad horse either. Another I used to like was a horse named Mr. Eurostar ran 4th in Ethereals melbourne cup I think i remember i had 1st, 3rd, 4th & 5th in my trifecta would have paid pretty well to off memory but hey thats the way things go.

[Mr ed]

Diva- Didn't back her all the time but should have, watched her from the track all three cups, Aust Cup, Cox Plate sad to see her retire.

Lohnro - They kept offering half decent prices and you knew you could load up and he wouldn't let you down, Australia cup win was awesome.

Zazzman and Zanna - The two Z's must go together as they made 2003 the biggest spring carnival of my life along with the diva and.

Regal Roller, backed him when he won on Guineas day in 2003 then won a fortune on him as he rose through the ranks.

Alinghi - Her acceleration was unbelieveable, could turn defeat into easy victory in a bound. Backed her at every start of her career (except the 2004 Dubai Duty free as the Roller had more in favour) Cost me plenty on Derby day but made up tenfold in the Newmarket.

[Shaun]

Silk Ali - I backed him at his first Gosford start and was impressed i never got off him....i hated it when that show pony Dye used to ride him i think Kennedy could ride him just as well.

Slight Chance - I think if she had not got a bad track in the leadup to the 92 slipper i think she would have won if she had got a run...i have to admit Burst was a fantastic 2yo but that was it she never realy made it past that.

On Kylie's Run - i tried to do a form search for this one but can't find it listed....i remember the horse as an average runner that used to love leading in 1600m races it would get to the front and just hold on.....won some good money from the horse

Might and Power - I remember before the Caulfield cup win they were bagging him a bit....i kept saying just wait till he hits the distances he likes he is a champ in the making, he was ok under 2000m but once he got over that he was fantastic

Grand Armee - won a packet when he beat Lonhro i just licked the way he raced.

[luv2bet]

Grand Armee - won a packet when he beat Lonhro i just licked the way he raced

Hey shaun,

Im interested to know how you licked the way he raced.......

[Chuck]

Grand Armee - won a packet when he beat Lonhro i just licked......Im interested to know how you licked

reading between the lines i think luv2bet is trying to tell you something shaun :D

BTW was that "liked" :)

[Tubby]

In no particular order..

Subzero...The first horse which I backed in a Melbourne cup which won. Nice to see him still guiding the youngsters around as the CotC's horse.

Regal Roller...I just loved the way he would get out there and say "catch me". A bit of a track/distance specialist but he would always have a go.

Sunline...struck me as an angry bitch of a horse but gee she was good. Couldn't help but cheer her on when she rounded the turn at the Valley.

Makybe Diva...she did things that no other horse has ever done. Need I say more.

Rogan Josh...Another horse I successfully backed in the cup. Went and visited him in Capel in WA on one of my holidays. He and the little pony that lived with him appeared to be gay...but there is obviously nothing wrong with that.(Seinfeld)

[Shaun]

you got it Chuck

[Raw Instinct]

on another note guys who was the 1st horse you backed which won a race mine would have been Kiwi in the Melbourne Cup at a very young age around 6 or 7 not sure now I just know it was a damn long time ago after that there was Silver Knight and At Talaq I have no idea what made me back these horses probably name more than anything.

[Svenvlad]

First horse ever to win for me was Saintly in the '96 cup.

First one to win while i was at the track was called Umpire.

Good times,

Sven

[Sportz]

You guys are makin' me feel old!

[rabbitz]

Lonhro-even though he ****ed up at the valley twice and the doncaster,i still loved watching him race

Octagonal-another one who gave his all,was there at rosehill when he got up on line to beat arkady,the crowd went nuts.

Mahogany-Had a huge go $100WIN at 9/10 in the Derby in Sydney

Naturalism-shame about that Cox plate when he fell,Jockey Mick Dittman said he was jogging on the turn.

Burst-won the triple crown


Others include Rough Habit,Schillaci,Paint(5 length blue diamond),tenthill Doll,Top region, and Classy spider(GREYHOUNDS but were still good) and that master of trotters Courage under fire

Cheers

[Raw Instinct]

Since we bought up Pacers my fav there would be a toss up between Mont Denver Gold & Safe and Sound both could real off some dynamic sprints the Hunter Cup that Safe and Sound won was my biggest ever collect on a win bet had $100 win on him at 8-1 I think but hell it was a close finish.

[Real Deal]

I was 10 when i picked Juene in the 94' Melb Cup, That was my first winner.

Don't worry sportz, you can't buy experience.

[Shaun]

My fist bet would have been the late 1980s back then i used to bet $5 e/w and i planned on visiting all the major tracks in Australia....i still plan on doing that one day....so far have been to 4 Sydney tracks and both perth tracks plus a few provincial tracks.....i was also at the first night meeting at Canterbury Park.