Australian Horseracing in the 1970s Online Trivia | Sports

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What champion horse won the 1971 VRC Caulifield Cup?

Answer: Gay Icarus

Gay Icarus was a champion racehorse of the early 1970s. During 1970-71 season he won the inaugural running in 1971 of the AJC Spring Championship Stakes;as well as the Australian Cup, Blamey Stakes, the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes (with her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in attendance) and the St George Stakes.

Sobar won the 1972 Caulifield Cup, Beer Street won the 1970 Caulifield Cup & Big Philou won the 1969 Caulifield Cup.

2. What horse fell and suffered servious injury in the 1973 Golden Slipper but returned to racing and won both the 1973 AJC Derby and the 1973 VRC Sires Produce Stakes?

Answer: Imagele

Tontonan won the 1973 Golden Slipper after the horrific three-horse fall which included Imagele, who was the odds on favourite. Grand Cidium was a champion racehorse during the same era and was the younger full brother to Dayana. Authentic Heir raced with success but never attained championship status.

3. What horse won the Caulfield Cup twice (1977 & 1980) and the VRC Australian Cup twice and, upon retirement, became a clerk of the course horse for many years afterwards?

Answer: Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty was a grand old racehorse, a true champion who raced over many seasons with success. Taksan was a good performer and won a Melbourne Cup.
Big Philou was a headline horse winning many top races, but is more remembered for his doping when found scouring in his stall only a short time before the start of the 1969 Melbourne Cup, for which he was race favourite. Leilani was one of the Queens of the Australian Turf during the early to mid 1970s.

4. Bart Cummings, the "Cup King", trained how many Melbourne Cup winners during the 1970s?

Answer: 4

During the 1970s he managed to win it 4 times, beginning with Think Big who won in 1974 and 1975 -- Think Big became only the third horse to win the great race twice in a row. Next there was Gold & Black in 1977. The last win for Bart in the 1970s was in 1979 with Hyperno.

His win in 1977 was his 6th, which broke the record number of wins (five) by a trainer, set by Etienne de Mestre in 1878 when he won his 5th Melbourne Cup. Bart won the Melbourne Cup with Viewed in 2008 for the 12th time -- a record for training the most winners of the "Race That Stops A Nation" which will stand for many decades.

5. Which champion won the two year old Triple Crown in 1977 (STC Golden Slipper, AJC Sires Produce Stake and AJC Champagne Stakes)?

Answer: Luskin Star

Luskin Star raced 17 times for 13 wins three 2nds and a 9th. Always racing in top company, and mostly sprint distances (1000m to 1600m), his only failure outside the first 3 placings was in the WS Cox Plate of 2050m. Blazing Saddles raced at the same time as Luskin Star; both went on to be sires of distinction. Baguette, another champion racehorse, also won the 2yr old Triple Crown but in 1970. Lloyd Boy was a prominent racehorse who also raced in the same era as Luskin Star and Blazing Saddles.

6. What champion 'crowd drawing' racehorse won both the 1972 and 1973 VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes?

Answer: Gunsynd

Gunsynd was a crowd puller, and a champion miler. On his retirement he went to stud and is known more as a sire of broodmares. His daughter Ammo Girl foaled Emancipation who herself was a champion racehorse and went on to foal several quality racehorses.
Tails, was a champion stayer during the late 1960s to early 1970s. Dual Choice - nicknamed Julie by the rank and file- was also a top class racehorse who raced in the same era as Gunsynd. Gay Icarus was past his best, but was still a hardy and handy horse who raced in the later stages of his career against Gunsynd.

7. The 1984 Melbourne Cup was won by Black Knight. His sire, Silver Knight, won the Melbourne Cup in which year?

Answer: 1971

1970 Cup was won by the grey Baghdad Note was a handy horse from New Zealand
1972 was Gala Supreme was an above average racehorse with quite a few good wins to his credit and 1975 was won by Think Big (who never won a race between his two back-to-back Melbourne Cup wins of 1974 and 1975).

8. What Champion racehorse trained by T. J. Smith began his amazing race career on the 12th March 1979 in the STC Alfalfa Handicap and ran last?

Answer: Kingston Town

Kingston Town raced 41 times for 30 wins, two 2nds, two 3rds, one 4th and only twice unplaced. He raced for 6 seasons, before finally retiring. As he was a gelding he did not produce any offspring. Denise's Joy, Hartshill and Toy Show were all fillies trained by TJ Smith. Both Toy Show & Hartshill won the STC Golden Slipper, Denise's Joy ran 2nd to Toy Show.

9. What Australian jockey began his race riding career in 1974 at Cessnock and n 2008 became Australia's most winningest jockey?

Answer: Robert Thompson

Robert rode 3323 race winners and broke Jack Thompson's (no relation) race riding record of 3322 on 28th July 2008, 34 years after he started riding. Jack Thompson's career was ending as Roberts began and the two did meet. Robert was presented with a pair of Jack's riding boots to commemorate the occasion. Peter Cook (retired in 1994) and Malcohm Johnson (retired in 1997 to beocme a trainer) were champion jockeys of the same era.

10. The AJC Spring Champion Stakes was first run in what year?

Answer: 1971

This is a race over 2000 meters at set weights for 3 year old stayers. Gay Icarus won the inaugural running, Latin Knight won in 1972 and 1973 was won by Gold Brick.

Source: Author mirrabook

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Australian Horseracing in the 1970s Quiz

I love horse racing and this quiz is primarily about the horses/jockeys and races of the 1970s was a great era for Australian horsracing, memorable horses and races all around the country. A walk down memory lane for some.

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