Rising Fast (1949 - 1978) 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 country ...
-bred
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 co ...
racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
who is the only horse to complete the
Spring Grand Slam, 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 Melbou ...
,
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 hors ...
, and
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 ...
in 1954. He also won the 1955
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 hors ...
and came second in the 1955
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 ...
.
Breeding
Rising Fast was bred by brothers Frank and Bruce Robertson at their Platform Lodge farm at
Greytown in the
Wairarapa
The Wairarapa (; ), a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service t ...
. He was a bay or brown gelding by Alonzo (GB) and from the mare Faster, by Mr. Standfast. Alonzo was a poorly performed racehorse having only won one race on the flat and one over the hurdles in England. Faster was unplaced at her only two starts, but produced seven winners from ten foals.
Rising Fast was purchased at the 1950 New Zealand National Sales for 325 guineas by first time racehorse owner, Leicester R. Spring.
1954 racebook
Image:1954 VRC Melbourne Cup Racebook P1.jpg, Front cover of the 1954 VRC Melbourne Cup racebook.
Image:1954 VRC Melbourne Cup Racebook P2.jpg, Starters of the 1954 Melbourne Cup showing the winner, Rising Fast.
Image:1954 VRC Melbourne Cup Racebook P3.jpg, 1954 VRC Melbourne Cup racebook.
Image:1954 VRC Melbourne Cup Racebook P4.jpg, 1954 VRC Melbourne Cup racebook.
Image:1954 VRC Melbourne Cup Racebook P5.jpg, Back cover showing Admission Fees & Railway Fares.
1954 racebook
File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P1.jpg, Front cover 1954 LKS Mackinnon Stakes racebook.
File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P2.jpg, 1954 LKS Mackinnon Stakes raceday officials.
File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P3.jpg, 1954 LKS Mackinnon Stakes starters and results
File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P4.jpg, 1954 LKS Mackinnon Stakes showing the winner, Rising Fast.
File:1954 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes Racebook P5.jpg, Back cover showing enclosure information for visitors.
Racing career
Raced by his owner Leicester Spring and trained by both Ivan Tucker and Fred Hoysted, Rising Fast's blue, gold and black colours soon became familiar on New Zealand race tracks.
He was a seasoned five-year-old when he made the sea voyage to
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metrop ...
in 1954 for the spring (
Southern Hemisphere) carnival. He was already well known in racing circles when he arrived, but his accomplishment of winning the
Spring Grand Slam put him on front pages of newspapers in Australia, New Zealand and internationally.
Although many people consider the Melbourne and Caulfield Cup handicaps to be the
blue ribbon
The blue ribbon is a symbol of high quality. The association comes from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners and, prior to that from Cordon Bleu, which referred to the blue ribbon wo ...
events of the carnival, racing aficionados generally agree the weight-for-age
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 ...
is the contest that establishes genuine champions.
Nowadays, the Melbourne Cup is internationally known and Rising Fast was aiming for his sixth successive win.
Race-goers still remember that the nine stone five pounds (59.5 kg) Rising Fast carried to win the cup in 1954, has only been exceeded by Rain Lover who carried nine stone seven pound (60.5 kg) in 1969. Nor has the race been won since by any top weighted horse, wearing number one saddle cloth, until
Makybe Diva did so in 2005. Rising Fast finished the 1954 season with wins which included the
Turnbull Stakes
The Turnbull Stakes is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race, for horses four years old and older, run under set weights with penalties conditions over a distance of 2,000 metres. The race is held at Flemington Racecourse, M ...
,
Caulfield Stakes
The Might and Power, registered as the Caulfield Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club 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 Racecours ...
,
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 hors ...
,
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 ...
, Melbourne Cup,
LKS 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 o ...
and
VRC C.B.Fisher Plate during a great spring campaign.
Rising Fast was ridden in the 1954 events by Melbourne jockey
Bill Williamson
William James Williamson (19 December 1922 – 28 January 1979) was an Australian jockey who enjoyed considerable success in Australia during the 1950s and in Europe during the 1960s. He was named after his father William James Williamson, a m ...
but when he was seriously injured prior to the Caulfield Cup he was replaced by
Arthur Ward. Melbourne jockey
Jack Purtell took over for his next races including the Melbourne Cup, but he was replaced by
Bill Williamson
William James Williamson (19 December 1922 – 28 January 1979) was an Australian jockey who enjoyed considerable success in Australia during the 1950s and in Europe during the 1960s. He was named after his father William James Williamson, a m ...
the following year 1955 he again won the Caulfield Cup, for the second time.
He was handicapped with the formidable top weight of ten stone in the 1955 Melbourne Cup. It was a very wet and heavy track, a holdup at the barrier caused a delay of some five minutes, Bill Williamson the jockey decided to remain in the saddle, together with the lead weights making a very heavy burden for Rising Fast. Rising Fast began well, but in the last 200 metres he was jostled offstride by Toporoa ridden by Neville Sellwood and came a close second. The crowd expected jockey Williamson to protest, but owner Leicester Spring philosophically declared it was a racing incident and the protest was not lodged.
However, Neville Sellwood, the rider of Toporoa, was subsequently suspended for two months for interfering with the run of Rising Fast. Had Rising Fast won his record would have been two Caulfield Cups, a Cox Plate and two Melbourne Cups, and those wins would have been in successive years.
When Rising Fast retired, the Moonee Valley Racing Club held a special farewell for the champion, who strode up the straight with a garland of flowers around his neck, while the band played "The Maori Farewell."
Rising Fast is recognised in both Australia and New Zealand. He was inducted into both the New Zealand and Australian Racing Halls of Fame.
In 1971 Rising Fast's owner, Leicester Russell Spring, had his book, "Racing with Rising Fast" published.
See also
*
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 machin ...
*
List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
The list of leading Thoroughbred racehorses contains the names of undefeated racehorses and other horses that had an outstanding race record in specific categories. Note though that many champions do not appear on the list as an unexpected defe ...
*
List of Melbourne Cup winners
References
{{Reflist
External links
Rising Fast's pedigree and partial racing statsAustralian Racing Hall of Fame
1949 racehorse births
Australian Racing Hall of Fame horses
New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame horses
Racehorses bred in New Zealand
Racehorses trained in New Zealand
Cox Plate winners
Melbourne Cup winners
Caulfield Cup winners
Greytown, New Zealand
Thoroughbred family 1-b