Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - George Moore coming back to scale on The Tempest.
There’s that man again!
George Moore was unstoppable at this stage of his great career. Bradley Photographers snapped this one at Randwick on 21/12/1963 as George came back to scale on The Tempest after winning a Highweight Hcp.
Seven months later The Tempest joined the Group 1 Club when he won the Doomben $10,000 with Bill Camer in the saddle. In winning the famous sprint he beat Cele’s Image who was coming off a win in the Stradbroke. Third place getter Rashlore had won the Newmarket a few months earlier.
The Tempest was well named, being by Wilkes out of Whistling Wind. His dam was a daughter of the great Ajax who won eighteen races straight at one stage.
He showed little as a two year old, but improved sharply to win three metropolitan races at three.
He struck his best form at four. Apart from the Doomben $10,000 success, he also won the Challenge Stakes.
He failed to win at five and six years of age and scored only one win at seven - the Aerodrome Flying Hcp at Hawkesbury.
The Tempest finished his career as an eight year old in Victoria where he battled to win two country races.
Spoke to Bob Thomsen this week and he remembered the horse clearly. “He was a lovely big chestnut with a white blaze, just like his sire Wilkes”, said Bob. “Tommy Smith got me to take him to Brisbane for the $10,000 in which he was ridden by Bill Camer. He beat two nice horses and thoroughly deserved his Group 1 win”.
How The Tempest got into my photo collection I’ll never know, but I’m pleased to give him a mention. After all he was a Group 1 winner.
Footnote. My thanks to Hannah Hibbert of the ATC Heritage Centre who kindly checked The Tempest’s racing record for me.