Bonecrusher (17 September 1982 – 10 June 2015) was a champion
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 was widely admired in both
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and New Zealand.
Bred by Bill Punch, by the sire Pag-Asa, his dam's sire was a son of a French champion,
Tantieme
Tantième (1947–1966) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing champion and prominent sire who twice won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, France's most prestigious horse race. He also won several other important conditions races including the Gran ...
.
Bonecrusher was purchased by Peter Mitchell for just NZ$3,250 at the Waikato Yearling Sales, and was trained by Frank Ritchie. Peter also bought Bonecrusher's full brother. A
chestnut
The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.
The unrelat ...
, Bonecrusher was nicknamed ''Big Red'' - the same name as the champions
Man o' War
Man o' War (March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time. Several sports publications, including ''The Blood-Horse'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ESPN, and ...
,
Secretariat
Secretariat may refer to:
* Secretariat (administrative office)
* Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ame ...
and
Phar Lap
Phar Lap (4 October 1926 – 5 April 1932) was a champion New Zealand–bred Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as New Zealand's greatest racehorse ever. Achieving incredible success during his distinguished career, his initial ...
.
Racing career
Bonecrusher was the 'People's Champion,' loved by everyone who saw the fiery big chestnut in action.
His trainer was Frank Ritchie, and his strapper was Frank Ritchie's son Shaune Ritchie. Frank was trying to establish himself in the top echelon of trainers, while Shaune was only sixteen-years-old and straight out of high school, determined to find his own path in the thoroughbred racing industry. "I was battling away, and although I had trained a Group winner in Australia, it was when he arrived that it really changed my life," Frank Ritchie said.
All up, Bonechrusher raced 44 times for 18 wins, 5 second places, and 12 third places. His races ranged from 880m to 2400m. He won 9
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...
races, 3
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
* Group 2 (racing), an FIA classification for cars in ...
races, and 2
Group 3 Group 3 may refer to:
*Group 3 element, chemical element classification
*Group 3 (racing), FIA classification for auto racing
* Group 3, the third tier of races in worldwide Thoroughbred horse racing
* Group 3 image format, Group 3 & Group 4 are ...
races, and earned prize money of NZ$674,225 and Au$1,679,495.
He was the first New Zealand racehorse to win over NZ$1 million in prize money,
and his combined New Zealand and Australia career earnings were approximately 3 million dollars. Bonecrusher won four
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...
races in New Zealand, including the
New Zealand Derby
The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day o ...
, and six Group One races in Australia, including the
Tancred Stakes
H E Tancred Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, run over 2,400 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. The prize money for the event is A$1,5 ...
, the
Australian Derby
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
, the
Underwood Stakes
The Underwood Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race, run over 1800 metres under weight-for-age conditions, held at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in late September each year. Total prize money for the ra ...
, the
Caulfield Stakes
The Might and Power, registered as the Caulfield Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group One, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under weight-for-age conditions, for three-year-olds and upwards, run over a distance of 2,000 metres at Caulfield R ...
, the
Cox Plate
The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club at Moo ...
, and the
Australian Cup.
Bonecrusher first hit the track in August 1984 where he won three of his first five starts as a juvenile including one at
Group Three) level at Ellerslie before embarking on an ill-fated three race campaign in Australia.
Brought home after three lacklustre runs he commenced his three-year-old campaign with four consecutive placings including finishing third behind Random Chance and Field Dancer in the 1985
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...
New Zealand 2000 Guineas
The 2000 Guineas is a Group One set-weight Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 metres at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Christchurch New Zealand cup week
The New Zealand 2000 Guineas is he ...
run at 1600m at Riccarton. Ritchie was convinced that trip away was the making of the horse. "He had hurt himself in an incident on the truck before he went to Christchurch and missed a lot of work," he said. "He went into the 2000 Guineas underdone and I thought at the time the race would either flatten him or bring him on and thankfully it was the latter."
Bonecrusher won his next seven starts straight including the
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...
Bayer Classic (1600m) and the Group 1
New Zealand Derby
The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day o ...
(2400m), before defeating the older horses in the Group 1
Air New Zealand Stakes
The New Zealand Stakes currently run as the Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes is a Group One thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand.
It is run at Ellerslie racecourse on the final day of the Auckland Cup Week Carnival in March for a stake of $200, ...
(2000m) at
Ellerslie Racecourse
Ellerslie Racecourse is the main racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand, for thoroughbred racehorses. It is an undulating, grass circuit in the suburb of Ellerslie, with a circumference of just under 1,900 metres. Racing is conducted in a clockwi ...
in
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
.
Then he went to
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and he won the Group 1
H E Tancred Stakes
H E Tancred Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, run over 2,400 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. The prize money for the event is A$1,500 ...
(2400m) and finished off with a win in the Group 1
Australian Derby
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
(2400m).
Bonecrusher scaled his greatest heights in the spring of 1986 in the
Cox Plate
The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club at Moo ...
, where the athletic chestnut prevailed in the '
Race of the Century' with another New Zealand champion,
Waverley Star
Waverley Star (foaled 1982) was a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who is best remembered for finishing second to Bonecrusher in the 1986 Cox Plate – widely referred to as the 'race of the century'. Waverley Star, who was known as Our Wav ...
. The two great horses went to war from the 600m mark and separated themselves from the rest of the field, with Bonecrusher narrowly prevailing in a titanic head-to-head struggle that caller Bill Collins summed up with the famous line "Bonecrusher races into equine immortality." Amongst the enthralled onlookers was strapper and now successful trainer in his own right, Shaune Ritchie, who struggled to take in the wild scenes in the aftermath that followed. "I was sixteen and left school to go and look after the horse in Melbourne for that campaign," Shaune Ritchie said. "It was a pretty big thing as back then an OE (overseas experience) wasn’t a normal thing so just to go to Australia was a big trip. After the race it was just amazing and I still remember the way the crowd stayed on to greet him and watch the presentation after the race. Australians are punters and normally when a race is finished, they are off to the bookies to bet on the next race coming up."
Later that year, Bonecrusher was the pre-post favourite against some of the world's best racehorses in the
Japan Cup
The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...
but contracted a virus in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, nearly lost his life, and had to withdraw from the race.
The next year Bonecrusher had recovered from his illness and won the 1987
Australian Cup, beating
At Talaq, and was named Horse of the Year in New Zealand and Australia for the 1986–1987 season. He was the first horse to be awarded both titles.
He was also a Government appointed 'Equine Ambassador' for New Zealand in 1986.
Bonecrusher continued to campaign at five, six, and seven years of age. He won three races in New Zealand, including a second
Air New Zealand Stakes
The New Zealand Stakes currently run as the Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes is a Group One thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand.
It is run at Ellerslie racecourse on the final day of the Auckland Cup Week Carnival in March for a stake of $200, ...
in 1988, but was unable to reach his previous heights in Australia.
Bonecrusher's racing career included the following:
Retirement
After retirement Bonecrusher was cared for by his owner, Peter Mitchell, on a property in
Takanini
Takanini is a southern suburb of Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on the shores of the Pahurehure Inlet, 28 kilometres southeast of the Auckland CBD.
The suburb is home to a Fonterra Brands milk plant (part of the dairy compan ...
.
In retirement, he was a guest of the
Moonee Valley Racing Club
The Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) was founded by William Samuel (W.S.) Cox), in 1883 is located at The Valley Racecourse on McPherson Street, Moonee Ponds (a suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'' ...
. His last public appearance was Derby Day in 2003.
In 2010, he was inducted into the
New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame recognises and honours those whose achievements have enriched the New Zealand thoroughbred horse racing industry.
History
The Hall of Fame's first group of honorees were inducted in 2006, and inductions are he ...
. Bonecrusher was
euthanised
Animal euthanasia ( euthanasia from el, εὐθανασία; "good death") is the act of killing an animal or allowing it to die by withholding extreme medical measures. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditi ...
in June 2015 after contracting
laminitis
Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates and is found mostly in horses and cattle. Clinical signs include foot tenderness progressing to inability to walk, increased digital pulses, and increased temperature in the hooves. Sever ...
.
Bonecrusher was buried beside the saddling paddock at
Ellerslie Racecourse
Ellerslie Racecourse is the main racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand, for thoroughbred racehorses. It is an undulating, grass circuit in the suburb of Ellerslie, with a circumference of just under 1,900 metres. Racing is conducted in a clockwi ...
, as he won his first race, his first
Group race
Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as, in Europe, the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l'A ...
, and all three of his New Zealand
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...
races at Ellerslie. A bronze statue was set above him.
The life-sized replica is of the champion racehorse in action and includes his famous shoulder scar and unique protruding tongue. At the end of the plaque below the statue, it says 'Bonecrusher: The Pride of Ellerslie'
"To see Bonecrusher immortalised like this stirs a lot of emotion and brings back a lot of great memories," his trainer Frank Ritchie said.
"People still want to talk about him to this day and in a radio interview I did recently I think I spent three minutes talking about my runners in the
Auckland Cup
The Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckland Racing Club (ARC). It is an Open Handicap for thoroughbred racehorses competed on the flat turf over 3200 metres (two miles) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand.
The race was ...
and the
New Zealand Oaks
The New Zealand Oaks is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run at set weights over a distance of 2400 metres ( miles) on the third Saturday of March every year at Trentham Racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand.
It was r ...
, and another 17 minutes on Bonecrusher, a horse that retired 30 years ago."
"He didn’t have the brilliance of
Black Caviar
Black Caviar (foaled 18 August 2006) is a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was undefeated in 25 races, including 15 Group Ones, an Australian record. She was the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 WTRR World Champion Sprinter. Black C ...
or the dominance of
Winx, but why people loved him so much was his courage, and when it looked like he couldn’t win, he would win. I doubt that there has been a story written about Dad or I that hasn’t included Bonecrusher somewhere in it and I have no problem with that as who doesn’t want to be associated with such a wonderful animal."
"The fact that every day you go to Ellerslie you see the magnificent statue there of him, that he is buried underneath, is very special and it is very nice to have."
Bonecrusher's strapper, trainer Frank Ritchie's son Shaune Ritchie, is now a trainer based in Cambridge who trained 2010
New Zealand Derby
The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day o ...
winner
Military Move
Military Move (Chinese:軍事行動) is a New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse. On March 6, 2010, he won the 135th running of the New Zealand Derby.
The gelding is trained by Shaune Ritchie, who was the strapper for the hugely successful and popu ...
, and 2006
New Zealand 2000 Guineas
The 2000 Guineas is a Group One set-weight Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 metres at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Christchurch New Zealand cup week
The New Zealand 2000 Guineas is he ...
winner and runner-up in the 2007
Kelt Capital Stakes
The Livamol Classic is a Weight-for-age Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay and was at one stage New Zealand's richest horse race. It is run at a distance of 2040m.
The race is run in October. The weather in the Ha ...
, Magic Cape.
Bonecrusher song
In October 1986, Bonecrusher's achievements on the track became the inspiration for a song released by fellow Ellerslie locals, Wayne Cann, Gordon Evans and John Scull. Titled "Tribute to a Champion", the song promoted Bonecrusher as a New Zealand Sports Ambassador, and featured lyrics which stated that he could be "the greatest since Phar Lap" and named him as the "pride of Ellerslie".
While not available in stores, fans were asked to send orders through the "Bonecrusher Song Child Cancer Appeal", which donated NZ$1 from each sale to the child cancer foundation.
See also
*
List of millionaire racehorses in Australia
Top prize money earners – Australian and New Zealand horses
* denotes still racing
The criteria for inclusion in the above list are as follows. The purpose of these criteria is to include only horses that should be recognised as being Austr ...
*
Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand
The racing of Thoroughbred horses (or gallopers, as they are also known) is a popular gaming and spectator sport and industry in New Zealand.
History
Thoroughbred horse racing commenced soon after European settlement. The first totalisator machi ...
*
The Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes - Bonecrusher won this race in 1986 and 1988 when it was known as the Air New Zealand Stakes.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Bonecrusher's Scrapbook (official site)Youtube video - the "Race of the Century"Youtube video - tribute to Champion Bonecrusher* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1990 (19th edition)''. Dillon, Mike, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1987 (16th edition)''. Dillon, Mike, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1986 (15th edition)''. Dillon, Mike, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand.
* ''New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual 1985 (14th edition)''. Costello, John, Editor. Moa Publications, Auckland, New Zealand.
1982 racehorse births
2015 racehorse deaths
Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year
Cox Plate winners
Racehorses bred in New Zealand
Racehorses trained in New Zealand
Thoroughbred family 22-b
New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame horses