Ern McQuillan snapped this beauty of the handsome Tails in the early 1970’s. A son of Melbourne Cup winner Dalray, Tails won 23 races including two AJC Metropolitans, and a Doomben Cup.
He had three cracks at the Melbourne Cup, with his best effort being a third to Silver Knight in 1971. There’s little doubt he just couldn’t quite manage the two miles.
His jockey is Sammy Howard, a heavyweight rider of the era who didn’t begin his association with Tails, until the stallion was six years old. Howard won eight races on Tails including the Doomben Cup.
Tails’ racetrack performances were exceeded only by a bizarre exhibition he put on at Randwick in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen. The horse had blundered and fallen during the running of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, giving Neville Voigt a heavy tumble. He followed the field home, and was picked up by Clerk Of The Course Joe Buckman.
As Joe was about to lead Tails back into the enclosure, the entire suddenly stood on his hind legs, and did his best to mount Joe’s grey pony. According to trainer Pat Murray, Tails had a fetish for greys. Her Majesty turned a blind eye, and onlookers were shocked, but only half as much as the Clerk Of The Course.
