SPORT
HARPO’ s MARKS
The greatest race on the Australian thoroughbred calendar?
Many would plump for the race that stops a nation the Melbourne Cup. Others might lean towards the W. S. Cox Plate or the Caulfield Cup, while plenty of younger readers would nominate the Golden Slipper.
But for mine, the GOAT of Australian horse racing is the Doncaster Handicap
NEESON is a lightly raced 3YO out of the Danielle Seib yard in Canberra. Brought up to Hawkesbury to trial over 1000m on April 20 and looked terrific in coasting to 100m trial win. Ready to resume.
TENENBAUM is an exciting colt out of the Widdup stable and absolutely blitzed rivals over 1000m trial at Hawkesbury on April 20. This bloke is obviously heading up to Brisbane for the big winter races.
AURORA EFFECT is still a maiden but that should go the wayside going on slashing second to Bold Resources in 1000m trial H’ bury April 20. Winner went OK as well.
the latest edition of which was won in scintillating style last month by three-yearold filly, Sheza Alibi.
Sheza Alibi was most impressive in victory, although the time-honoured handicap arguably attracted one of the weakest fields I’ ve seen in my 58 years as a sporting journalist. Still, she could only beat what was put in front of her and she did that with authority.
Barrier with RiseTONY BRASSEL
ROSE OF FENWAY showed some ability in two maiden race placing last time in but has come back bigger and stronger and ready to tock going on powerful finish to win H’ bury 800m trial on April 20.
SAUVITUDE is an unraced 3YO I Am Invincible colt trained by Edward Cummings. Showed pace and was very strong at the finish in all the way 800m trial at Hawkesbury on April 20.
ANDERS DIAMOND wound up close-up third in 860m trial at Dubbo on April 18. Unraced Anders 2Yo colt out of the Brett Robb stable. Showed good paced and not knocked about all the way down the straight.
She now joins an elite list of milers to have greeted the judge first in the Doncaster- a race that dates back to 1866, when Dundee took out the inaugural running.
Have a look at the honour roll and you’ ll see just how strong that history is: Briseis, Wakeful, Winooka, Chatham, Hall Mark, Fine and Dandy( twice), Tobin Bronze, Gunsynd, Analie, Tontonan, Emancipation, Sunline( twice), Sacred Falls( twice), Winx and Mr Brightside- also a dual winner. And that’ s just scratching the surface. But for me, the standout Doncaster winner of all time is the magnificent Super Impose, who claimed both of Australia’ s premier handicap mile races the Doncaster in autumn and the Epsom in spring in consecutive years, 1990 and 1991.
Across a stellar career from 1987 to 1993, Super Impose raced 74 times, almost exclusively in black-type company. He won 20 races, finished second 24 times and ran third on eight occasions- a remarkable level of consistency at the elite level.
His prizemoney tally stood at $ 5,659,358 at retirement, which equates to around $ 13.8 million in today’ s terms.
Among his many victories was the 1992 W. S. Cox Plate, where he defeated a starstudded field featuring 12 multiple Group 1 winners, including Naturalism, Let’ s Elope, Better Loosen Up and Rough Habit.
His final race came in that year’ s Melbourne Cup, where he finished down the track behind Subzero.
In retirement, Super Impose became a familiar and much-loved presence on major race days- particularly at Royal Randwick on Doncaster and Epsom days. He spent his later years at Glenlogan Park Stud in Queensland, where he took on the role of a gentle“ uncle” to younger horses.
The champion was humanely euthanised in 2007 at the age of 22 and laid to rest at the stud, with a tribute stone marking his grave. Later that same year, he was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
Now, back to those famous Doncaster wins.
In 1990, carrying topweight of 57kg in a high-quality field, Super Impose rounded the home turn a distant last of the 20 runners. Jockey Bruce Compton eased him to the outside before unleashing a sustained finishing burst to snatch victory by a whisker over another champion, Shaftesbury Avenue.
Interestingly, Compton only secured the ride after several top jockeys assumed the horse wouldn’ t start and committed to other mounts.
The following year, lumping 59.5kg against 19 rivals, Super Impose produced another barnstorming performance. This time, under champion hoop Darren Beadman, he again found himself near the tail of the field turning for home.
At 10 / 1, his chances looked slim with runners spread across the track. But ridden hands and heels, he stormed home, mowing down his rivals to get the bikkies right on the line.
Shaftesbury Avenue again looked the winner inside the final furlong- but once more had no answer to Super Impose’ s devastating finish. And finally … Rugby league great Harry“ Dealer” Wells celebrated his 94th birthday on May 8 making him the oldest surviving Kangaroo. Crikey, how times have changed. A powerful, blockbusting centre in his day, Wells stood at 178cm and 92kg dimensions that would see him lining up as a halfback in today’ s game!
He spent most of his NSWRL career with Western Suburbs( 1956 – 61), but also turned out for Wollongong, South Sydney, Goulburn Workers, Young, Longreach and Port Macquarie( 1970 – 72).
Wells represented NSW on 35 occasions, toured twice as a Kangaroo and played 37 matches for Australia, including 13 Tests.
Post-retirement, he received numerous honours, including selection in the 100 Greatest Players( 1908 – 2007) and inclusion in both the Western Suburbs and Illawarra Teams of the Century.
He is also an inductee into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for his contribution to the game.
Harry Wells- a true great of the Greatest Game of All.
HIGH MARKS: Happy birthday, Dealer- here’ s to many more!
30 ISSUE 131 // MAY 2026 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT