Thoroughbred horse racing is an important spectator sport in Australia, and gambling on horse races is a very popular pastime with A$14.3 billion wagered in 2009/10 with bookmakers and the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB). The two forms of Thoroughbred horseracing in Australia are flat racing, and races over fences or hurdles in Victoria and South Australia. Thoroughbred racing is the third most attended spectator sport in Australia, behind Australian rules football and rugby league, with almost two million admissions to 360 registered racecourses throughout Australia in 2009/10. Horseracing commenced soon after European settlement, and is now well-appointed with automatic totalizators, starting gates and photo finish cameras on nearly all Australian racecourses.
Native Dancer, nicknamed the Grey Ghost, was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in history and was the first horse made famous through the medium of television. As a two-year-old, he was undefeated in his nine starts for earnings of $230,495, a record for a two-year-old. During his three years of racing, he won 21 of 22 starts.
Makybe Diva is a British-bred, Australian-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who became the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup on three occasions. In 2005, she also won the Cox Plate. Upon her retirement from racing in November 2005, Makybe Diva was the highest stakes-earner in Australian horse racing history, finishing with winnings of more than A$14 million. She is one of only five horses to have won the Cup more than once, and the only mare among the list of multiple winners. She is also one of only 14 female horses to have won the Cup.
Todman was one of the greatest Australian Thoroughbred racehorses and an important sire. He was perhaps best known as the winner of the inaugural STC Golden Slipper in 1957, being the first of Star Kingdom’s five successive winners of the race. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2005.
Gabriel Marie "Gai" Waterhouse is an Australian horse trainer and businesswoman. The daughter of Tommy J. Smith, a leading trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses, Waterhouse was born and raised in Sydney. After graduating from the University of New South Wales, she worked as an actor for a time, appearing in both Australian and English television series. Having worked under her father for a period of 15 years, Waterhouse was granted an Australian Jockey Club (AJC) licence in 1992, and trained her first Group One (G1) winner later that year.
Thunder Gulch was a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his wins in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in 1995, which earned him the title of U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt.
Sun Chariot was a Thoroughbred racehorse who achieved the English Fillies Triple Crown by winning the 1,000 Guineas, the Oaks, and the St. Leger in 1942.
Tulyar (1949–1972) was an Irish bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won The Derby, the St. Leger Stakes, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Ormonde Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes setting a record for a single season's earnings in England. He stood at stud in Ireland and America, but failed to live up to expectations as a sire.
Natalma was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the dam (mother) of the most important sire, and sire of sires, of the late 20th Century, Northern Dancer. She also established a highly influential female family, which has produced other leading sires Machiavellian and Danehill, plus numerous other stakes winners. Natalma was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2007.
Life Is Sweet is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who in early 2009 was thought to be a threat to her unbeaten stablemate, Zenyatta, after winning three straight stakes races. Though beaten by Zenyatta.
Black Caviar is a retired champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse undefeated in 25 races, including 15 Group One victories, eclipsing the previous mark set by Kingston Town. She was named WTRR World Champion Sprinter in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Black Caviar was trained by Melbourne-based trainer Peter Moody, and apart from her first two runs, in which Jarrad Noske rode her, was ridden by Luke Nolen in all her starts except for the 2010 Patinack Farm Classic, where Ben Melham rode her while Nolen was suspended. She was retired on 17 April 2013.
Algerine was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1876 Belmont Stakes and was the maternal grandsire of Rhoda B, the dam of the 1907 Epsom Derby winner Orby.
L'Abbesse de Jouarre was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1889 Epsom Oaks. The horse was owned by Lord Randolph Churchill and the Earl of Dunraven during her three-year racing career. She was nicknamed "Abscess on the Jaw" during her career due to the difficulty the public had pronouncing her name. A versatile racehorse, she was able to win major races at distances ranging from six furlongs to one and a half miles. Retired from racing in 1891, L'Abbesse was the dam of the influential German broodmare Festa and the leading stallion Desmond. L'Abbesse de Jouarre died 6 March 1897 during foaling.
Sweet Solera (1958–1978) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career lasting from June 1960 until June 1961, the unfashionably-bred filly ran eight times and won six races. As a two-year-old she was beaten in her first two races, but her five-lengths win in the Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse was enough to see her rated among the best juveniles of the year. Sweet Solera was unbeaten in four races including the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and Oaks at Epsom. She was then retired to stud, and had some success as a broodmare.
Jannette (1875–1905), was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won two British Classic Races in 1878. She was one of the leading British two-year-olds of 1877 when she was unbeaten in seven races including the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. On her first appearance as a three-year-old she was beaten by Pilgrimage in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket but reversed the form with that filly to win the Oaks at Epsom a month later. Later in the season she defeated some of the season's best colts to win the St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster and added a victory in the Champion Stakes against some of the leading older horses. She was less effective in 1879 but won the Jockey Club Cup on her final appearance. She was then retired to stud, where she had some success.
Waterloo was British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the classic 1000 Guineas in 1972. Waterloo was one of the leading British two-year-olds of 1971 when her wins included the Queen Mary Stakes and the Cheveley Park Stakes. In the following year she followed up her victory in the Guineas by winning the Falmouth Stakes. She was later sold and exported to the United States and had some success as a broodmare.
Imperatrix was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. She raced only twice, with her only win coming in the 1782 St. Leger Stakes. She was bred and owned by John Pratt. As a broodmare, Imperatrix produced nine foals.
Groupie Doll is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. A specialist sprinter, she is best known for winning the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2012 and 2013. Unraced as a two-year-old she showed good form as a three-year-old in 2011, winning three races including the Gardenia Stakes. In 2012, she emerged as a world-class sprinter, winning the Madison Stakes, Humana Distaff Handicap, Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes, and Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes before taking the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. In 2013 she repeated in the Masters Stakes and won a second Breeders' Cup. She was then sold as a prospective broodmare for $3.1 million. Her new owner chose to keep her in training into early 2014, running her against males in the Cigar Mile, and then in the Hurricane Bertie Stakes, where she won the final race of her career, to be retired and become a broodmare.
