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Wingatui
Wingatui is a small settlement almost 15 kilometres west of Dunedin, and two kilometres east of Mosgiel. It has become a suburb of Mosgiel, but continues to maintain its own unique identity and heritage. Known primarily for the historic Wingatui railway station and for the Wingatui Racecourse, Wingatui is home to a population of as of Wingatui is one of the principal stops on the Taieri Gorge Railway, and is also the entrance point to the currently defunct Chain Hills Tunnel single track rail tunnel, which links Wingatui with the Dunedin suburb of Abbotsford to the east. Construction of the railway at Wingatui began in 1879. Local action groups are working with the Dunedin City Council in assessing the possibility of refurbishing and re-opening the disused tunnel to cycle and pedestrian traffic. Wingatui is home to several lifestyle blocks, the owners of many of which keep horses and are associated with the horse racing industry. On race days, trains from Dunedin are know ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wingatui Racecourse
Wingatui is a small settlement almost 15 kilometres west of Dunedin, and two kilometres east of Mosgiel. It has become a suburb of Mosgiel, but continues to maintain its own unique identity and heritage. Known primarily for the historic Wingatui railway station and for the Wingatui Racecourse, Wingatui is home to a population of as of Wingatui is one of the principal stops on the Taieri Gorge Railway, and is also the entrance point to the currently defunct Chain Hills Tunnel single track rail tunnel, which links Wingatui with the Dunedin suburb of Abbotsford to the east. Construction of the railway at Wingatui began in 1879. Local action groups are working with the Dunedin City Council in assessing the possibility of refurbishing and re-opening the disused tunnel to cycle and pedestrian traffic. Wingatui is home to several lifestyle blocks, the owners of many of which keep horses and are associated with the horse racing industry. On race days, trains from Dunedin are know ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wingatui Railway Station
The Wingatui railway station, sometimes known as the ''Wingatui Junction railway station'', is a former station between Dunedin and Mosgiel in Otago, New Zealand. On the Main South Line, it is the junction for the Otago Central Railway (now the ''Taieri Gorge Railway'' run by ''Dunedin Railways'') It served the settlement of Wingatui. It has an island platform, and used to have a platform for the racecourse at Wingatui. The present building erected in 1914 was designed by the notable architect George Troup George McIntosh Troup (September 8, 1780 – April 26, 1856) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. He served in the Georgia General Assembly, U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Senate before becoming the 32nd Governor .... The station and signal box are listed by the Rail Heritage Trust. Both the railway station and the signal box have a New Zealand Historic Places Trust Category II classification (No 2360 & No 2359). The station was open ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taieri Gorge Railway
Dunedin Railways (formerly the Taieri Gorge Railway) is the trading name of Dunedin Railways Limited, an operator of a railway line and tourist trains based at Dunedin Railway Station in the South Island of New Zealand. The company is a council-controlled organisation, council-controlled trading organisation wholly owned by Dunedin City Council through its holding company Dunedin City Holdings Limited. History Formation The Otago Excursion Train Trust was formed in 1978 to operate excursions on the Otago Central Railway line, running its first train in October 1979. The services grew in popularity and the Trust realised by the 1980s that it had great tourist potential. New carriages were acquired with the "Taieri Gorge Limited" launching in February 1987. On 19 December 1989, the New Zealand Railways Corporation announced the closure of the Otago Central railway line beyond Taieri owing to a lack of freight traffic following the completion of the Clyde Dam. Dunedin City Council ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mosgiel
Mosgiel (Māori: ''Te Konika o te Matamata'') is an urban satellite of Dunedin in Otago, New Zealand, fifteen kilometres west of the city's centre. Since the re-organisation of New Zealand local government in 1989 it has been inside the Dunedin City Council area. Mosgiel has a population of approximately as of . The town celebrates its location, calling itself "The pearl of the plain". Its low-lying nature does pose problems, making it prone to flooding after heavy rains. Mosgiel takes its name from Mossgiel Farm, Ayrshire, the farm of the poet Robert Burns, the uncle of the co-founder in 1848 of the Otago settlement, the Reverend Thomas Burns. A popular, though probably apocryphal, local theory is that the extra "s" was dropped at a time when the cost of telegrams was calculated by the number of characters. The name of the Dunedin suburb of Roslyn (named for Rosslyn in Scotland) is similarly truncated. These two places were sites of major woollen mills – as was the town of M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Midge Didham
Ernest John "Midge" Didham (born 1945 in Mosgiel, New Zealand) is a retired jockey and horse trainer. Midge's father, Arthur, was a top-class jockey and trained at Wingatui. Midge was the leading New Zealand jockey in the 1969–70 season with 99 wins. He shifted to Australia after he rode Igloo, trained by his father, to finish second to Silver Knight in the 1971 Melbourne Cup. Some of the major wins during Didham's career include: * 1965 Wellington Cup on Eiffel Tower * 1970 Melbourne Cup on Baghdad Note * 1971 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington and 1971 Coongy Handicap at Caulfield on Igloo * 1971 Auckland Cup on Artifice, trained by his brother Jim Didham at Otaki * 1977 Oakleigh Plate on Merger * 1980 Moonee Valley Gold Cup on Tai Salute * 1980 Caulfield Cup on Ming Dynasty * 1981 Caulfield Cup on Silver Bounty Didham retired from riding in 1985 and then trained in Melbourne for 20 years. Didham's sons, John and Paul Didham, were also jockeys. Paul went on to become a r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Sensation
Great Sensation (foaled 1952) was a champion New Zealand bred thoroughbred stayer. He was sired by Cassock and out of the mare, Speedy. Great Sensation began his racing career in 1956 at Wingatui Racecourse in Dunedin. Nicknamed ''Cracker,'' he was ridden by Bob Skelton, who rated him as the best stayer he had even ridden. Great Sensation won a number of important New Zealand races but is best remembered for his winning three consecutive Wellington Cups from 1961 through 1963. In winning his first Cup in 1961, Great Sensation posted an Australasian record time of 3:17.50 for two miles. See also * Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand * Repeat winners of horse races A list of racehorses which have won the same race on three or more occasions. Footnotes See also * List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses * List of historical horses * Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand * Harness racing in New Zealand Harne ... References Great Sensation's pedigree and partial racing stats ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baghdad Note
Baghdad Note (1965−1992) was a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse, who won the 1970 Melbourne Cup and was ridden by Midge Didham. Background He was sired by Kurdistan (GB), his dam Fair Note (NZ) was by Fairs Fair (GB). Racing career Given most of his previous wins in New Zealand had been on wet tracks Baghdad Note was dismissed before the 1970 Cup as a 'mud-lark'. Despite his solid dead-heat third in the Caulfield Cup and a fifth placing in the Mackinnon Stakes he was sent out by punters a 25/1 chance in the Cup. He duly won the race by ¾ of a length becoming just the third grey to win the race after Toryboy in 1865 and Hiraji in 1947. He was strapped by young New Zealander, David Newman. After a lengthy break from racing due to injury, Baghdad Note was leased by young trainer Terry Millard at Kilmore, who gradually returned the horse to race fitness. A stirring win at Sandown in 1973 was Baghdad Note's first metropolitan success since the Melbourne Cup. He also won the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world and one of the richest turf races. The event starts at 3:00 pm on the first Tuesday of November and is known locally as "the race that stops the nation". The Melbourne Cup has a long tradition, with the first race held in 1861. It was originally run over but was shortened to in 1972 when Australia adopted the metric system. This reduced the distance by , and Rain Lover's 1968 race record of 3:19.1 was accordingly adjusted to 3:17.9. The present record holder is the 1990 winner Kingston Rule with a time of 3:16.3. Qualifying and race conditions The race is a quality handicap for horses three years old and over, run over a distance of 3200 metres, on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grey Warbler
The grey warbler (''Gerygone igata''), also known by its Māori name or outside New Zealand as the grey gerygone, is an insectivorous bird in the family Acanthizidae endemic to New Zealand. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is sometimes known as the teetotum or rainbird.Grey warbler - New Zealand Birds Online http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/grey-warbler Description One of the smallest birds found in New Zealand, grey warblers are about 11 centimeters long, with a weight of up to 6.5 grams. It has grey-brown plumage (with a slight olive-green tint), with the face, throat and breast being pale-grey. The abdomen is off-white with a slight yellow tinge. The tail is white underneath and dark brown on top with white tips being visible in flight. They also have a distinctive ruby-red eye. Females are typically smaller than the male, but otherwise there is little sexual dimorphism. The young are paler with no hint of yellow and have brown eyes. Song The male's song ofte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Show Gate
Show Gate is a New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame champion thoroughbred racehorse sired by Gatekeeper out of Minglow, a Eulogy mare. Foaled in 1969, she was horse of the year in 1975 and 1977 and won races from 1200 metres up to 2400 metres in record time. She started in 51 races, winning 30, and was second 7 times, third twice and unplaced in 12 races. Show Gate was owned, bred and trained by Gordon Thomson of Mosgiel, Dunedin. Racing career A mare with an ability to carry big weights over all distances in record times, legendary New Zealand jockey Bob Skelton (jockey), Bob Skelton was quoted to say "She's A Machine" and the "Equal of modern day Hall of Fame mare Sunline" She won the Stewards, Canterbury Gold Cup and the Churchill Stakes over 1200m, 2000m and 1600m respectively over 7 days at the Canterbury Show week meetings at Riccarton Park. She went on to capture all three twice during her career. Show Gate suffered a fractured sesamoid bone in the spring of 1974 after winn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Zealand Horse Of The Year
There is a New Zealand horse of the year in each of the racing codes: - Standardbred or harness racing, either pacers or trotters, and - Thoroughbred racing or gallopers. Harness Horse of the Year The New Zealand Harness Horse of the Year award is awarded to the Standardbred horse who is voted to be the champion horse within a New Zealand racing season. This award is open to all racehorses racing within New Zealand, regardless of age and sex. Overseas performances are now included. Thoroughbred Racehorse of the Year The New Zealand Champion Racehorse of the Year is awarded to the Thoroughbred horse who is voted to be the best racehorse within a New Zealand racing season. This award is open to all racehorses racing within New Zealand, regardless of age and sex. Overseas performances are now included. See also * Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand * Harness racing in New Zealand * New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame * New Zealand Trotting Hall of Fame * List of leading Thoroughbr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Skelton (jockey)
Robert James Skelton (28 December 1934 – 19 August 2016) was a New Zealand jockey who competed from the 1950s through the 1980s. Among his many major race wins, Skelton rode Great Sensation to three victories in the Wellington Cup in 1961-63 and won the Auckland Cup on Rose Mellay in 1974 and again in 1977 on Royal Cadenza. In 1976, he rode Van der Hum to victory in Australia's most prestigious race, the Melbourne Cup, and ten years later rode Rising Fear into second place in the 1986 Cup. He was also successful in completing a double in the Perth Cup on Magistrate in 1980 and 1981. Overall winning 20 3200m and two mile races. In the 1978 Queen's Birthday Honours, Skelton was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to horse racing as a jockey. Overall he won 9 New Zealand Riding Premierships. Including the Melbourne & Perth Cups he also won numerous major races in Australia such as the Toorak Handicap, The George Adams, Feehan Stakes, Turnbull Stak ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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