Grey Way, the ''Washdyke Wonder'' 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 ...

racehorse. He was foaled in

Washdyke Washdyke is an industrial suburb in the north of Timaru, in south Canterbury, New Zealand. State Highway 1 passes through Washdyke on the way north out of the city. The northern terminus of State Highway 8 is in Washdyke. Washdyke is home of ...

in 1970 near

Timaru Timaru (; mi, Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to ...

by Grey William out of Waybrooke who won the 'Broodmare of the Year' title in the 1977-78 season. Another famous racehorse foaled in this area was

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 u ...

Achievements

He was horse of the year in 1973. He was grey in colour and pure white in the later stages. Grey Way was successful mainly at distances from 6 furlongs to a mile, i.e., a sprinter-miler, but he did win at longer distances. He had a record of ''51 wins and 27 seconds and 21 thirds from 164 starts''.Grey Way's record
/ref> He raced from 2 to 10 years old, beating nearly every champion that

had to offer, including

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 rec ...

. He also broke the Australasian record over 7 furlongs as a seven-year-old while carrying 60.5 kg. The rider in many of his races was Robert (Bob) Skelton. He was the New Zealand equivalent to another great grey,

Gunsynd Gunsynd (4 October 1967 – 29 April 1983) was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won 29 races and A$280,455 in prize money. In his seven starts over one mile (1,600 metres) he was only once defeated, by half-a-head in the Epsom ...

. He was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall OF Fame in 2010.

Racing career

Originally thought of as a jumping prospect, Grey Way won four races as a two-year-old and added seven minor placings. He won a further seven races as a 3yo, also setting a track record for 1400m at

Trentham Racecourse Trentham Racecourse is the main thoroughbred horse racecourse for the Wellington city area in New Zealand. It is located in the suburb of Trentham in Upper Hutt, next to Trentham Military Camp. The races are conducted by the Wellington Racing Cl ...

. Early on as a four-year-old, he won two races, including another track record, set at Ashburton. He then went to Victoria, Australia where he struck unsuitable wet tracks, which he detested, but won the Chirnside Stakes at Caulfield in soft conditions. His final start there in the George Adams yielded a close fifth on a firm track, where rider Noel Harris lost his whip. Back in New Zealand, Grey Way ran a number of minor placings and looked awkward on right-handed tracks. He ended the season with three further wins, including a course-record at Riccarton. GreyWayEaster

As a five-year-old, he won 13 races including the Awapuni Gold Cup over 2000m, where he beat Oopik in track-record time. Other top gallopers he defeated that season included Copper Belt, Kiwi Can, Sind, Black Rod, Ajanta, Blue Blood, and Chrisarda. Going white with age, Grey Way won a number of races as a six-year-old. Among these were the defeat of mare

in the Stewards Hcp carrying 60 kg. He had several meetings with Copper Belt, and they beat each other on a number of occasions. At Ellerslie, he won the 1977 Easter Hcp over 1600m carrying 60.5 kg. He had a wall of horses in front of him and bulled through for rider Bob Skelton. Behind him were Tudor Light, Vice Regal, Kiwi Can, Verax, Patronize, and Shifnals Pride. His first win right-handed, and the Ellerslie crowd gave him a standing ovation. Grey Way had lost some of his zip as a 7yo and 8yo. However, he won a South Island sprint under 62.5 kg and set an Australasian record for 1400m clocking 1:21.75 at Trenham, aged 7. More wins brought him up to 45 career victories. At 10, he brought up win numbers 50 and 51, and retired after knocking a leg at Trentham. His coat ended up almost snowy white.

Notable races

* December 1979 - Timaru Cup (Washdyke) beating Tuis Lass and Napiat * April 1977 - Easter Handicap beating Vice Regal and Kiwi Can * March 1977 - North Island Challenge Stakes beating Shahbanou and March Legend * January 1977 - George Adams Handicap (Trentham) beating Fraxi and Caruba * November 1976 - Levin Gold Cup Stakes beating Copper Belt and Black Rod * November 1976 - Steward’s Handicap (Riccarton) beating

and The Swagger * March 1976 -

Awapuni Gold Cup The Awapuni Gold Cup is held annually in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It is a set weight and penalties race over 2,000 metres for a total stake of $100,000. History First held in 1915, the race has been won by many of New Zealand's most famous ...

beating Oopik and Prepak * December 1975 - Manawatu Challenge Stakes beating Kiwi Can and Cream Puff * November 1975 - Levin Cup (1600 WFA) beating Sind and Black Rod * October 1974 - Chirnside Stakes (Caulfield) beating Coolalinga and Aurealis

Reference list

{{reflist 1970 racehorse births Racehorses bred in New Zealand Racehorses trained in New Zealand New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame horses Thoroughbred family 2-d

Achievements

Racing career

Notable races

See also

Reference list