Baghdad Note (1965−1992) was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

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. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse, who won the 1970

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 Melbou ...

and was ridden by

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 ...

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 The Caulfield Cup is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under handicap conditions, although the Melbourne Racing Club is in the process of turning the race into weight for age (WFA) conditions. This is for all horses ...

and a fifth placing in the

Mackinnon Stakes The VRC Champions Stakes, registered as the ''LKS Mackinnon Stakes'', is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia on ...

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 Toryboy was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1865 Melbourne Cup. Toryboy was an eight-year-old grey gelding when winning the Cup. Overall, he ran in five Melbourne Cups, finishing fifth in 1861, sixth in 1862 and running ...

in 1865 and

Hiraji Hiraji (NZ), foaled in 1943, was a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the Melbourne Cup. Hiraji was a grey gelding sired by Nizami (Fr) out of Duvach by Foxbridge (GB). He was bred in 1943 at Duvach Lodge, Matamata ...

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 Sandown Cup soon afterwards. The horse featured in the 1973

Adelaide Cup The Adelaide Cup is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 2 Thoroughbred handicap horse race for three-year-olds and older, run over 3,200 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, Australia on the second Monday in March. Total prize mone ...

, running second to Tavel, and then went to Queensland where he won the O'Shea stakes. He then started in the

Brisbane Cup The Brisbane Cup is a Brisbane Racing Club Group 2 The term Group 2 may refer to: * Alkaline earth metal, a chemical element classification * Astronaut Group 2, also known as The New Nine, the second group of astronauts selected by NASA in 1962 ...

, when, despite breaking down again nearing the home turn, he still finished in third place.D.W.Green - former apprentice jockey and strapper of Baghdad Note 1973

Retirement

Retired from racing for good, Baghdad Note became a clerk of the course horse at Flemington, then later a police horse.

References

{{Reflist 1965 racehorse births 1992 racehorse deaths Thoroughbred family C26 Racehorses bred in New Zealand Racehorses trained in New Zealand Melbourne Cup winners

Background

Racing career

Retirement

See also

References