Blue Spec was an Australian

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 ...

racehorse who established a new record in winning the

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 Melb ...

in 1905. He was a brown stallion bred by Augustus Hooke, jnr. and foaled in 1899 at his Tia River Station,

Tia TIA or Tia may refer to: Aviation * Tampa International Airport, US, IATA code TPA * Texas International Airlines, US, ICAO code * Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza, Albania, IATA code * Trans International Airlines, former U.S. airl ...

, near

Walcha, New South Wales Walcha () is a town at the south-eastern edge of the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The town serves as the seat of Walcha Shire. Walcha is located by road from Sydney at the intersection of the Oxley Highway and Thunderbol ...

.Binney, Keith R., ''Horsemen of the First Frontier (1788-1900) and the Serpents Legacy'', Volcanic Productions, Sydney, 2005,

Pedigree

His sire, True Blue (NZ) was a good racehorse, winning the Carrington Stakes and the Waverley Handicap carrying as a four-year-old. True Blue was purchased by Augustus Hooke in 1893 and sired 13 stakeswinners that won 19 principal races. Blue Spec's dam, Specula, was by Splendor (GB) who was a useful sire. Kennaquhair (won Sydney Cup and AJC

Metropolitan Handicap The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 fu ...

etc.) and Eric were from the same family and closely related to Blue Spec.Digby, John; ''Thoroughbred Families and Sires of Australian and New Zealand'', AJC & VRC, 2002

Racing record

Blue Spec was sold in Sydney during 1903 for 155 guineas to P.A. Connolly of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. He was then taken to Western Australia where he won the Kalgoorlie Cup and Perth Cup, the two most important races in that state. Blue Spec had carried Connolly's red and white colours to the start of an amazing five consecutive and two later wins in the Perth Cup, with different horses, for his owner.Barrie, Douglas M., ''The Australian Bloodhorse'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1956 Melbourne Cup Finish, Melbourne, Vic

The Melbourne Cup was the next target and Blue Spec was taken to trainer, Walter Hickenbotham's stables in Victoria in 1904 with this in mind. From this base he won the 1905 Moonee Valley Cup and then the 1905 Melbourne Cup in the record time of 3:27½. Blue Spec's victory in the Melbourne Cup was the trainer's fourth success in this important race.Cavanough, Maurice, ''The Melbourne Cup'', Jack Pollard P/L, North Sydney, 1976

Stud record

At stud Blue Spec sired two stakes winners, Blue Rain (WATC Easter Handicap) and Semi Blue (WATC Osborne Stakes) as well as other winners. Blue Spec was inducted into the West Australian Racing Industry Hall of Fame.West Australian Racing Industry Hall of Fame
Retrieved 2010-9-4

References

{{Reflist 1899 racehorse births Melbourne Cup winners Racehorses bred in Australia Racehorses trained in Australia Thoroughbred family 2-n