PROLOGUE
I’ve always been a pushover for anybody seeking to find a new home for an ancient scrapbook, newspaper or photograph. One day I’ll have to do something about the pile of memorabilia at my place that Red Rum would have had trouble clearing. Quite by accident recently I stumbled upon an old coloured photo that immediately sent me scurrying to my copy of the fifth edition of a wonderful collection entitled “The Melbourne Cup”, jointly created decades ago by Maurice Cavanough and Meurig Davies. The first edition was entitled “Cup Day” and was launched to coincide with the running of the centenary Melbourne Cup in 1960. Another valuable source of reference was Tony Arrold’s respected journal “Champions” first published in 1980. I have absolutely no idea where this photograph came from. It’s obviously not of pristine quality, but sharp enough to inspire this little trip down memory lane.
This is the photo that stirred reflections of Spearfelt. Here he is in D.C. Grant's black and white diamonds hanging on to win the 1926 Melbourne Cup from Naos with Pantheon third.
Mr D.C. Grant wasn’t the first potential racehorse owner to arrive at a yearling auction with little knowledge of bloodlines when he attended the 1922 Inglis Easter Sale. His good friend, trainer Vin O’Neill had assured him he would take a half share in anything he could find with the blood of nineteenth century champion Carbine. Mr Grant was oblivious to the lack of size and development of the Spearhead colt that caught his eye in the pre-sale parade. The fact that Spearhead was a grandson of the mighty Carbine was good enough for Grant to put up his hand at 120 guineas. Other buyers had obviously noticed the colt’s glaring immaturity, and the bid was uncontested. Vin O’Neill, who was absent from the sale was predictably unimpressed when he first saw the yearling but remained true to his word and retained a half share.
It wasn’t long before Grant and his partner learned why their new acquisition was so backward. It came to light that his dam Lady Champion was at stud in Victoria, when sold to the Widden Stud in NSW with her Spearhead colt at foot. Lady Champion foundered and died on the steamer transporting her and the foal to Sydney. The little Spearhead colt was bottle fed from that point on. The fact that he survived the ordeal was an early pointer to his fighting qualities. His bad start in life explained his unimpressive appearance in the sale ring some sixteen months later.
The 1922 Inglis Easter Sale saw the immature Spearhead - Lady Champion colt knocked down to D.C. Grant for 120 guineas.
Rather than slow down the growing process Vin O’Neill decided to leave him a colt - a decision that would enable him to carve another piece of history a few years later. Named Spearfelt, the little bloke out of the ill fated Lady Champion raced five times as a two year old for wins in the VRC Gibson Carmichael Stakes in Melbourne and the AJC Easter Stakes at Randwick. He also recorded three placings. As a spring three year old he recorded two seconds in Melbourne before being sent to Sydney for a two race campaign. He was beaten narrowly into third place in the Rosehill Cup before finishing a courageous third to Heroic and Nigger Minstrel in the AJC Derby (Photo above).
The story began to take on fairy tale proportions in the spring of 1924. Following a fourth in the Caulfield Guineas, Spearfelt won the Victoria Derby by a widening six lengths. The dominance of the win prompted connections to back him up in the Melbourne Cup with lightweight E. O’Sullivan on board. After a luckless run Spearfelt finished a creditable third to English import Backwood and Stand By who’d been under an injury cloud for several days. Persistent rumours about Stand By’s alleged issues saw Spearfelt firm to favouritism at 9/4. Experienced observers of the day had no doubt Stand By was lame going to the start. If they were correct, his performance to give Backwood six pounds and run him to a head, was nothing short of phenomenal.
The now celebrated orphan Spearfelt was back in the autumn for wins in the VRC St Leger and King’s Plate but luck deserted him completely a month later when he fell heavily in Lilypond’s Sydney Cup. The stallion was barely over the effects of the tumble when he contracted pneumonia and hovered in the danger zone for several days. Under the dedicated care of his part owner and trainer O’Neill he appeared to regain full health, but obviously wasn’t himself in his spring preparation of 1925. He finished a distant third to Heroic in the Memsie Stakes after which he was out of a place in five starts including the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Following a spell he returned to run in the C.F. Orr Stakes the following February, but was put away again after a disappointing unplaced effort.
In the early spring of 1926 he was unplaced in three Melbourne runs before being shipped to Sydney. He ran third in the Hill Stakes before scoring an emphatic win over the topliner Windbag in the Randwick Spring Stakes. Then came a close up seventh of 23 runners in the Metropolitan, followed by a third to Pantheon and Rapine in the 2 miles Randwick Plate after missing the start by an estimated ten lengths. Back in Victoria he may have appeared disappointing when fourth to Manfred in the Melbourne Stakes on Derby Day, but O’Neill loudly voiced his disapproval of George Young’s ride and unhesitatingly announced his intention to replace him in the Cup. The stewards agreed to the request, but ruled that Young was to receive his losing fee or percentages if applicable. The mood of connections was tempered by the sudden availability of brilliant jockey Hughie Cairns whose mount Manfred had succumbed to filling in a leg and had to be scratched. Spearfelt’s prospects were further improved when Heroic was lame on race eve and had to join Manfred on the sidelines.
In front of a then record crowd of 118,000, the 1926 Cup was run at a furious pace. Trainer Cecil Godby had instructed the rider of Comus to set a strong speed for the benefit of stablemate The Banker. That jockey duly obliged. Comus led by 30 lengths at the halfway mark and was showing no signs of stopping at the half mile. Maurice McCarten on The Banker and Jim Pike on Pantheon felt compelled to start closing the gap and found themselves sharing the lead at the top of the straight. Spearfelt and Naos who’d raced handily throughout made their runs together. Spearfelt steadfastly clung to a narrow lead to beat Naos by half a length with Pantheon third just in front of Royal Charter. Thanks to the hectic speed set by Comus, Spearfelt equalled Windbag’s record set just twelve months earlier.
This lovely study of Spearfelt was captured at the O'Neill stables some weeks after his Melbourne Cup win. Hugh Cairns was happy to jump on board for the photo - courtesy Australian Racing Museum.
The Melbourne Cup win turned out to be a surprise windfall for Spearfelt’s original purchaser D.C. Grant. History has concealed Vin O’Neill’s reasons for selling his half share in the horse shortly before the running of the race. Hugh Cairns whose flawless ride paved the way for Spearfelt’s win, was one of the most versatile jockeys of the era, equally at home on the flat or over the jumps. Ten days before his Cup win Cairns won the W.S. Cox Plate on Heroic - the first jockey to win both races in the same season. On July 27th 1929 the legendary horseman lost his life in a sickening fall at the final jump in the Gellibrand Hurdle at Moonee Valley. His mount Quick Deal actually landed on top of his hapless rider. Hugh Cairns was an inductee into the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame as recently as 2013, while his bronze statue graces the memorial to fallen jockeys at Caulfield racecourse.
Hugh's amazing versatility saw him shine on the flat and over the jumps. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2013 while his bronze statue graces the Fallen Jockeys Memorial at Caulfield - courtesy State Library of Victoria.
In the Autumn of 1927 Spearfelt recorded his career best performance when he won the Australian Cup with a massive 9st 13lbs setting a national record. The race was then run over 18 furlongs, an entirely different proposition to the 2000m of the modern day Australian Cup. It’s fitting that Hugh Cairns was on board for that memorable win. The foal who lost his mother on a Sydney bound steamship in 1920, was destined not only to win the iconic Melbourne Cup but to become the sire of the 1943 Cup winner Dark Felt - made possible by the astute judgement of Vin O’Neill in leaving him an entire because of his early immaturity. Spearfelt raced 57 times from two to seven years of age for 9 wins and 16 placings. His prize money tally of $48,646 would equate to something like $850,000 in 2024.
Forgive me, I didn’t intend to ramble on for so long. It’s just that these old racing photos get me going every time.
A closer look at Spearfelt and Hugh Cairns as they hit the line in the Cup of '26 - no credit
(Banner image - Spearfelt (outside) was beaten just two heads by Heroic and Nigger Minstrel in the 1924 AJC Derby at Randwick.)