Super Impose
Super Impose was a superb Australian racehorse of the late-1980s and early-1990s who won 20 of his 74 starts and a (then) Australasian record A$5,659,358 in prize money. Trained by Lee Freedman, and ridden by a variety of jockeys, including Darren Beadman, Darren Gauci, Shane Dye, Bruce Compton, Mick Dittman, and Greg Hall, 'Super' was best known for his finishing sprint from the tail of the field, and created history in winning the AJC Epsom and Doncaster Handicaps two years in a row. At his penultimate start, as an eight-year-old, he became the oldest winner of the Cox Plate in its first 72 runnings, and this record stood until the nine-year-old Fields Of Omagh won in 2006. His rivals on the track included Vo Rogue, Better Loosen Up, Sydeston, Shaftesbury Avenue, and Let's Elope, and he was tried in the Melbourne Cup on three occasions, with his best finish being a second to stablemate Tawrrific in 1989. 'Super' was a son of the smart racehorse Imposing (Todman-Hialeah), out of the unraced mare Pheroz Fancy (Taipan II-Pheroz Jewel), but was gelded before beginning his racing career, and spent the latter part of his life at a stud in Queensland—supervising some of its young horses.
The beginnings (1986–1987)
A descendant of Nearco, the chestnut colt by Imposing out of Pheroz Fancy, who would become Super Impose, was selected by trainer Lee Freedman Impat the 1986 Trentham yearling sales, in New Zealand, for a small syndicate who paid $40,000. Diagnosed with the beginnings of bowed tendons in both forelegs, Super Impose was gelded and spent 12 months roaming the hillside paddocks of Euroa, a small town north of Melbourne on the Hume Highway.
Early career (1987–1989)
Brought back into training in 1987, ‘Super’ made a winning debut in a maiden at nearby Seymour, where Freedman had stables at the time. Oddly, Super Impose won just one of his next 15 starts, and appeared to run along with other horses, rather than past other horses; a habit which some have speculated may have stemmed from his time roaming the hills of Euroa.
In any case, by the latter part of 1988, ‘Super’ was showing considerable promise, and closed the year with a sequence of wins in the Eclipse Stakes, a Rosehill welter, and the AJC Summer Cup. Returning in the new year, ‘Super’ ran second to the champion frontrunner Vo Rogue in the Orr Stakes, the St George Stakes, and the Australian Cup, and won the Carlyon Cup in record time in between.
The Cups campaigner (1989)
For the first of three attempts, Super ose was allotted 56 kilograms in the 1989 Melbourne Cup, but with the pedigree of a smart miler, rather than that of an out-an-out stayer, and some inconsistent lead-up form, ‘Super’ was sent out at 25/1.
Ridden by Darren Gauci, ‘Super’ burst to the front in the home straight, and looked a likely winner till his stablemate Tawrrific, ridden by Shane Dye, loomed up in the middle of the track. Carrying two kilograms less than Super Impose, Tawriffic took the lead over the closing stages, to give Freedman the first of five Cups. ‘Super’ held on for second, a nose in front of the imported galloper Kudz, and remained one of the country’s best Group One maidens.
The champion miler (1990–1991)
After a string of placings in the new year behind Street Ruffian, Princely Heart, Vo Rogue, Better Loosen Up, and Sydeston, ‘Super’ had further misfortune, or so it seemed, when heavy rain led to his scratching from Rosehill’s Mercedes Classic. But lining up a week later in Randwick’s Doncaster Handicap, and carrying topweight of 57 kilograms, Super Impose produced a stunning finishing burst from the tail of the field, which would become his trademark in the big Randwick ‘mile’ races over the next 18 months.
In a golden period, Super Impose won 10 of his 18 starts, and created history in becoming the only horse to win the AJC’s Epsom and Doncaster Handicaps two years in a row, in 1990 and 1991. In winning each of those races for the second time, he also set modern-day weight-carrying records of 61 and 59.5 kilograms respectively. Following these wins, Super Impose was named Australia’s greatest-ever ‘miler’ by racing author Warwick Hobson, and the club named a bar in his honour in the public grandstand at Royal Randwick.
The veteran (1991–1993)
Now a seven-year-old, and a veteran of 57 starts, Super Impose was sent to Melbourne for the 1991 spring carnival, but ran second to Shaftesbury Avenue, Surfers Paradise, and Let’s Elope in the Caulfield Stakes, the Cox Plate, and the Mackinnon Stakes, and wound up fourth in the Melbourne Cup under 60 kilograms. ‘Super’ showed glimpses of his best form in the new year, including a smart win in the Chipping Norton Stakes, but his winning run came to end in Randwick’s feature ‘miles’ when he finished sixth in the Doncaster Handicap, and, after finishing fourth in the spring’s Epsom Handicap, he had won just one of his last 14 starts. Now eight, but shrugging off the minor injuries and bad luck that had plagued him in Sydney, ‘Super’ scored with ridiculous ease in the Canberra Cup, on his way to Melbourne for the Cox Plate of 1992.
In what many regard as the greatest Cox Plate field of the modern era—featuring the multiple Group One winners Let’s Elope, Better Loosen Up, Sydeston, Mannerism, Rough Habit, Naturalism, Kinjite, Slight Chance, Coronation Day, Prince Salieri, and Burst – ‘Super’ started at 20/1, but produced a withering finishing sprint, under vigorous riding from Greg Hall, to take the lead from Let’s Elope close to home.
Amid the euphoria, there were plenty of hard luck stories. A three-horse fall at the 800 metres claimed the even-money favourite Naturalism, while Rough Habit lost all chance in the backwash, and Better Loosen Up was chopped out by Let's Elope in the straight. Super Impose finished his career splattered with mud in Subzero’s Melbourne Cup, 10 days later. Fans simply displayed the reverse-side of their giant banner, which read ‘Bad luck Super. We still love you’. He was officially retired in February 1993.
In retirement (1993–2007)
‘Super’ made guest appearances at various racetracks, including Royal Randwick for the Epsom and Doncaster Handicap parades, and Moonee Valley for a Night of Champions in 2005 with Subzero, Doriemus, Saintly, and Brew. Super Impose appeared small later in life, due to a sway back, common in old horses, but enjoyed running in the paddocks of Glenlogan Park with the stud’s young horses.
Due to some infirmities associated with old age Super Impose was humanely put down in 2007 at the age of 22. He has been buried at Glenlogan Park stud with a tribute stone and plaque erected in his memory.
References
See also
Millionaire Racehorses in Australia