“What was the name of that chestnut horse from Bathurst, the one with the big white blaze who won the Cox Plate a few years ago,” was a question asked by a veteran racing fan at a recent function. He was quickly reminded that the chestnut horse with the blaze was called Rising Prince, and the Cox Plate in question was more than a few years ago. It was in fact thirty eight years ago - sandwiched in between Red Anchor’s defeat of fellow three year old Street Cafe in 1984, and Bonecrusher’s win after that epic struggle with Our Waverley Star in 1986. Mention of Rising Prince’s name and memories of his remarkable journey to racing’s biggest stage motivated me to take another look at his story.
The highest point of Rising Prince's distinguished career - the 1985 WS Cox Plate - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
My first phone call was to his former trainer Deirdre Stein who happily reminisced about her once in a lifetime horse. Hale and hearty at 86 Deirdre has disconnected from the racing world but remains dedicated to the welfare of retired thoroughbreds. She lives on a 110 acre (45 hectare) property at Eagleby between the Gold Coast and Brisbane where she accommodates and cares for some forty former racehorses. “We assess each horse’s characteristics on arrival before trying to find them a good home,” says Deirdre. “When people come to inspect a certain horse we get them to display their riding skills. We try to match riders with horses they can manage, and it doesn’t happen overnight.
This is the idyllic sight Deirdre sees from her verandah.
“Horses are actually leased to enthusiasts who have the option of leaving them on the property and visiting at a time suitable to them. Those who take their horses to local horse events are welcome to leave their trucks or trailers with us. You should see the place on weekends - cars in and out, people everywhere and horse floats left right and centre. I love sitting on my verandah and watching it all happen. It’s almost as good as winning the WS Cox Plate. I couldn’t do it without some wonderful voluntary help, and the services of a dedicated manager in Louise Mitchell. It’s a joy to see these horses enjoying life after racing.”
Every kid in this picture learned to ride on the old gelding known as BJ. This was BJ's retirement party.
Magic moments at Shintilla Lodge.
Even the big kids are smitten by the retired racehorses.
Deirdre, who spent most of her childhood in Sydney developed a passion for the show ring in her teen years. Her love of thoroughbreds surfaced when she acquired a former racehorse called Regal Forrest who’d won multiple races for the late Jack Denham. Deirdre and Regal Forrest became a well known duo on the show circuit, competing at the Sydney Royal on one occasion. “I never had any real coaching,” recalled Deirdre. “I just asked a lot of questions and spent every spare minute in the saddle. They were great days.”
Her wonderful rapport with Regal Forrest triggered a casual interest in racing. She started to read racing stories in the Sydney newspapers and became a regular listener to Saturday race broadcasts. She wondered about the prospect of becoming a trainer in her own right, but this was a time when the AJC Committee were steadfastly opposed to the registration of female trainers. “It was around the time Betty Lane launched a relentless push to be granted a licence,” said Deirdre. “Her first application had been quickly thrown out, but the AJC were put on the spot when that remarkable lady went to the country to win three western districts premierships. They finally relented and granted her a licence to train in Sydney in 1976. She went on to great success, and paved the way for people like me.”
Fast forward to Deirdre’s marriage to Bathurst dairy farmer Vince Stein who had never set foot on a racecourse. Vince was more than happy to support his wife’s continued fascination with the show ring, but not as enthusiastic about her unwavering resolve to train racehorses. Deirdre is still not quite sure how Vince happened to turn up at a Wellington race meeting one day in the early 70’s. Perhaps somebody told him there was to be an auction of tried thoroughbreds after the last race. Whether it was intentional or purely on a whim, Vince shelled out the tidy sum of one hundred pounds for a horse called Star Court who’d shown little in a handful of runs. The gelding was to be the best Christmas present Deirdre had ever received.
Vince was totally hooked on racing by the time Rising Prince won the 1985 Chipping Norton Stakes. Here he is at the presentation - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
“I got a bit of condition on him and started to work him around the paddock at home,” said Deirdre. Before long I was going into the Bathurst track two or three mornings a week. Finally, I entered him for a race on his hometrack and they accepted the nomination even though the paperwork for my trainer’s licence hadn’t come through. My licence was actually handed to me on the day by Chief Steward Jim Meehan. Star Court won, but then had to survive a protest. By this time Vince was starting to warm to this racing business. We had no way of knowing how his life was about to change.”
In the late 1960’s Vince Stein began the mammoth task of transforming his property “Rockleer” from a modest dairy farm into a commercial stud. By coincidence the Stein’s first stallion was Star Court’s sire Starveyor. He was followed shortly after by the fashionably bred Capricorno, a son of Epsom Derby winner Never Say Die. Capricorno would go on to produce winners at a consistent level with a healthy percentage of city performers. Subsequent Rockleer stallions included Round Top (Quadrangle) Lucky Monkey (Le Levanstall) and Shining Finish (Nijinsky). The latter actually carried the Stein colours in his last few runs in England. “By this stage Vince was a total convert, and it was no surprise when he later took out his own trainer’s licence,” said Deirdre.
By the time Rising Prince appeared in her life, Deirdre had consolidated her reputation as a very capable trainer. Around the same time she was having a great run with Top Of The Nap whose wins included a Gosford Guineas. She was the breeder, part owner and trainer of the talented Lady Capri whose twelve wins included the Storm Queen Stakes (then a Gr 2 but now the Gr 1 Vinery Stud Stakes.) “She should have gone very close to winning the AJC Oaks two weeks later,” said the former trainer. “She got way too far back before storming home for third to Lowan Star and Franconia.”
One of Lady Capri's twelve wins - the Scobie Breasley Stakes with Peter Molloy in the saddle.
Just after Rising Prince’s glory days Deirdre would enjoy great success with Our Webster who posted 17 wins and an amazing 25 placings. She rates Shinatilla second only to Rising Prince as the best horse to come through the stable. The homebred son of Shining Finish recorded 16 wins and 14 placings for almost $250,000. Four of those wins were on the Rosehill track. Shinatilla survived to the remarkable age of 31, and lays at rest on Deirdre’s Eagleby property.
The Rising Prince story began when Deirdre shelled out 200 guineas for a mare called Helene Ketch at a Scone sale on behalf of her father-in-law Harold Stein. Mated with Capricorno the Jack Ketch mare produced a filly to be named Bonlene with whom Deirdre won several races including one at Canterbury. Bonlene’s 1980 chestnut colt was by Round Top, and a favourite with all at Rockleer Stud from the moment he took his first step. His owner Harold Stein offered him for sale on several occasions, but for whatever reason the chestnut failed to arouse a ripple of interest. It’s now history that Harold leased him to a group of mates who were all regulars at the Exchange Hotel in Lithgow. The majority were miners, the rest were from varied walks of life. A fantastic journey awaited them.
The “Lithgow dozen” may have been left a little flat when their new horse finished only fourth on debut in a Bathurst 2YO on March 12th, 1983. They were somewhat relieved when he improved significantly to finish a close second at Warren two weeks later. Deirdre waited a month before producing him again in a Bathurst 2YO over the slightly longer trip of 1100m. With Bill Aspros on board the chestnut strolled home by a massive 7 lengths. That margin justified a trip to Sydney where Kevin Langby took over from Bill Aspros in a 1400m event at Rosehill. He wasn’t spectacular but far from disgraced in finishing a close third. He stayed home next start to win the Bathurst Gold Nugget by a space, but was out of a place two weeks later at Canterbury.
So well was he doing in the stable that Deirdre elected to keep him going. Her judgment was vindicated ten days later when he easily defeated 16 others to win the Round Table Hcp at Rosehill with Kevin Langby doing the honours. Taken to Brisbane he registered a third and a seventh at Doomben and that brought his first campaign to a close - more than satisfactory but a Cox Plate seemed light years away.
Deirdre with a young Matthew Cahill late 1980s - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
He had furnished magnificently by the time he reappeared in early 1984. He won at his fourth run back in the Pharamond Stakes at Warwick Farm defeating Blue Regent by a narrow margin. His capacity to get better with racing prompted Deirdre to press on with the traditional path to the Derby. He finished 4th to Beechcraft in the Canterbury Guineas, and 3rd to Alibhai in the Rosehill Guineas before being unplaced but not disgraced in both the Tulloch Stakes and the AJC Derby both of which were won by the Bart Cummings trained Prolific. He’d almost certainly had enough when he was unplaced in a Bathurst feature three weeks after the Derby. The paddock beckoned.
The Prince was carrying plenty of condition when he resumed as a spring four year old in 1984. From his first nine runs he posted three wins - one at Forbes with Bill Aspros, one at Bathurst for Dale Jeffries and a demolition job on a restricted field over 2000m at Rosehill with Kevin Langby up. He was having his tenth run of the preparation when Deirdre opted for the Gr 3 Villiers over the Randwick mile (now The Ingham worth $2 million dollars). With Langby committed to Jack Denham’s Red God the in-form Jim Cassidy gained the ride on the Bathurst gelding. Although coming back from 2000m at his previous two starts, Rising Prince led comfortably before kicking clear to score an emphatic win over Sabr Tayeb.
First leg of the 1984 Christmas double. Jim Cassidy wins The Villiers on the emerging top liner - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
His toughness and versatility were highlighted just four days later, when he stepped up to 2400m to score a gutsy win over Miss Clicquot in the Summer Cup. Kevin Langby was back on board, and the chestnut had emulated the deeds of Dear John who’d won the Xmas double six years earlier. The four year old went for a break, but not a very lengthy one. It was around this time the original lease held by the Exchange syndicate reached its expiry date, and although under no legal constraints Harold Stein very graciously agreed to grant the Lithgow syndicate an extension.
Just four days after his Villiers win Rising Prince showed amazing versatility to step up to 2400m in the Summer Cup with Kevin Langby back on board - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Rising Prince’s autumn campaign of 1985 was one of his shortest to date. He resumed with a 6th to Pete’s Gold in the listed Frederick Clissold (1200m) at Canterbury before stepping up to the Warwick Farm mile in the Chipping Norton Stakes which was still a year away from being upgraded to Gr 1 status. He took the lead before the turn and just held out Eastern Bay to score narrowly with La Caissiere third.
The first "Bathurst Bulldog" Hondo Grattan with trainer/driver Tony Turnbull - courtesy Club Menangle.
Then followed a close fourth to Alibhai in the Rawson Stakes and a very creditable sixth in the Doncaster only 4 lengths from winner Row Of Waves after being checked in running. Rising Prince concluded his autumn preparation with his first Gr 1 win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. With Langby at his best he outgunned regular rival Alibhai by a long head with Hayai a couple of lengths away third. By now racing scribes were beginning to call him another Bathurst Bulldog, a name previously reserved for the champion pacer Hondo Grattan whose career had concluded exactly nine years earlier. Hondo Grattan was the first horse to win consecutive Inter Dominion titles, and the first to win an Inter Dominion Final and a Miracle Mile in the same season. By an amazing coincidence he was trained at The Lagoon just a few kilometres from Rockleer Stud.
It was to be more than four months before Rising Prince returned to the track. He was destined not to win at his first six attempts, but his form was faultless at a very high level - second to Castanillia in the Warwick Stakes, third to Lord Of Camelot in the Chelmsford, fourth to Greatness in the Hill Stakes, fourth to Roman Artist in the George Main, and a cracking fourth to Magnitude in the Epsom beaten just over a length. Deirdre knew he was just nearing peak fitness and made arrangements to take him to Melbourne. She was delighted when champion western districts jockey Bill Aspros agreed to go with the horse and ride him in all of his trackwork.
His first southern mission was the Caulfield Cup. Going straight from the mile of the Epsom he led at the winning post the first time, but wanted to overdo things. He continued to overrace and started to lay out on the turn out of the straight. “He wasn’t the first Sydney horse to get on the wrong leg around Caulfield,” recalled Langby. “He was on one rein all the way and to make matters worse Fil De Roi and Riverdale started to annoy him at the 1000m. He was still in front on straightening up and hung on well to finish fifth only 3.5 lengths from the winner Tristarc. All things considered his Caulfield Cup run was very good. We also knew he’d take great benefit from it.”
One week later Rising Prince went to the gates as an $8.00 “pop” in the W.S. Cox Plate and quickly led from an inside gate. It was obvious on the first turn that he was much more comfortable on the Moonee Valley track than he’d been at Caulfield. “The difference was amazing,” recalls Langby. “He raced generously all the way, and it worked out perfectly when he was able to tuck in behind Roman Artist. He dashed to the lead on straightening for home and charged to the line to win by a good margin from Roman Artist, Drawn and The Filbert. To win the Cox Plate at that stage of my career was a huge thrill. Deirdre was super confident before the race, even though he was unproven around the Valley. Her judgement was spot on.”
Deirdre and Kevin Langby share one of racing's greatest moments at the Cox Plate presentation - courtesy Martin King Sportpix.
The pride of Bathurst turned up again at historic Flemington one week later amid the pomp and pageantry of Derby day. His mission was the Gr 1 LKS McKinnon Stakes and he was every bit as good as he’d been at Moonee Valley. Starting favourite at $3.00 he strolled straight to the lead in the famous WFA contest and easily accounted for So Vague and The Filbert. He carried the number 1 saddle cloth in the Melbourne Cup three days later, but was clearly out of his comfort zone at 3200m, and beat only one of 23 runners to the judge. It had been a magnificent campaign highlighted by two Gr 1 victories.
He began his autumn preparation in early February 1986 with a very pleasing third to Drawn and Heat Of The Moment in the 1400m Apollo Stakes at Randwick, beaten less than three lengths. Deirdre gave him three weeks before his next run in the Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm, a race he’d won exactly a year earlier. After trailing the leader to the turn, Rising Prince failed to finish off and finished a well beaten sixth more than five lengths from the winner Heat of the Moment. A post race inspection revealed noticeable filling in the near fore tendon. The vets were of the opinion Rising Prince would race again if rested for a considerable period of time.
He was a notable absentee from Sydney tracks for a full ten months. It’s not hard to imagine how much condition he was carrying when he resumed in the 1000m listed Carrington Stakes at Randwick on New Year’s Day 1987. He wasn’t disgraced in finishing sixth of nine runners 5 lengths behind the talented At Sea. Happily, he pulled up unscathed and Deirdre proceeded with his summer programme.
Trivia buffs should make note that the Carrington Stakes of 1987 would bring down the curtain on the distinguished career of Kevin Langby - a career that brought him four Sydney jockey’s premierships, three Golden Slippers, two AJC Derbies, the Cox Plate and several other Gr 1 races. He rode some of the best horses of his era including the legendary duo Imagele and Gunsynd. A nagging back problem had been troubling the great rider for many months, and he knew on returning to scale after the Carrington that he’d come to the end of the trail. The announcement of his retirement came just a few days later.
Kevin in retirement with granddaughter Tiffany Jeffries at a Cessnock race meeting - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Deirdre opted to take her pride and joy to the other side of the nation for a three race tilt over the Perth carnival, and the six year old lost no admirers. Veteran John Miller had the ride when Rising Prince ran second in the A.J. Scahill Stakes at Ascot and retained the mount for another second in a race called the Dynamo Stakes at Bunbury beaten just over a length by the hugely talented Jungle Dawn. Then came Perth’s first $1 million dollar race The Australasian over 1600m at Ascot. Jim Cassidy was over for the carnival, and very happy to ride the chestnut for the first time since the Villiers win more than two years earlier. Cassidy led on Rising Prince as he had in the Villiers, but this time the Bathurst legend was found wanting but far from disgraced in finishing 5th just 2 lengths behind a smart horse in Fair Sir.
Back in NSW Rising Prince would have four more runs, the best of which was a close second to Rajahmah in the Frank Underwood Cup at Rosehill. He pulled up badly after an unplaced run in the Canterbury Cup on March 21st 1987. Vets reported his near front tendon injury had recurred, and it was with heavy heart that Deirdre announced the retirement of a very special racehorse.
With his faultless temperament and unwavering desire to please, Rising Prince settled into a wonderful life after racing. He became quite a celebrity in the show ring around the Gold Coast and very few weekends went by when he didn’t collect a ribbon or two. He later landed a new job when Tracey Wolfgram began her training career at Toowoomba. “Tracey used him to lead all of her young horses onto the training track,” said Deirdre. “He just loved it and knew exactly what he had to do. Right through his racing career he was a push button horse. He would literally go to sleep in the horse stalls, with his head almost on the ground. When it was time for the bridle to go on, he’d drop his head to make it a little easier for you. He was such a lovable horse.”
The Prince enjoyed every moment of his life after racing.
Deirdre and Vince were in retirement at Tamworth in 2001 when son Warwick called with the news they hoped would never come. At the time Warwick was managing the property at Eagleby where Deirdre lives today. “Warwick found him dead in the paddock one morning with a catastrophic leg injury,” said Deirdre. “To this day we’re not sure of the exact circumstances. We can only hope he didn’t suffer too much. It was a massive wrench for both of us, and we were a long time getting over it. I can feel his presence here to this day.”
Rising Prince won’t make the annals of the all time Cox Plate winners and perhaps the 1985 edition was a shade inferior to other editions. The fact is you’ve still got to win. He carted the field up to the leader Roman Artist before clearing out to score by an emphatic two and a half lengths. He spent much of his career in elite company and managed to post three Gr 1 wins. It would have been four, had the Chipping Norton Stakes been elevated to Gr 1 status just one year earlier. His complete record stood at 53 starts for 13 wins and 14 placings for $680,000, a mammoth sum forty years ago.
Deirdre was widowed three years ago when Vince slipped away peacefully at home. She likes to think he’s still sitting by her side on that verandah at Eagleby, taking in the magical sight of people giving those retired thoroughbreds a purpose in life. Let me finish by sharing an excerpt from an email I received from Deirdre during the course of preparing this story.
“I don’t think you’ll find happier “off the track” horses anywhere, or people who love them more. I’ll bet horses on other properties don’t get the hugs and kisses our horses get. I’m in seventh heaven sitting on my verandah watching all of this happiness knowing I made it happen.”
Thank you Deirdre, thank you Rising Prince and thanks to the veteran racing fan at the recent Sydney function who couldn’t remember the name of the chestnut horse from Bathurst with the big white blaze who won the Cox Plate. He inspired me to take a pleasant trip down memory lane.
(Banner image - Rising Prince and Kevin Langby dominated the 1985 Cox Plate - courtesy Martin King Sportpix.)