Three days after landing in Australia, Beechcraft would take on the very best 3YOs

A son of the Irish stallion SEA ANCHOR, victor of the 1976 Doncaster Cup in England, BEECHCRAFT had won the Wanganui Guineas and Hawkes Bay Guineas at his two previous starts, and the owners had forfeited a $78,000 triple bonus by quitting New Zealand for Australia. The ever-diplomatic Colin Hayes paid full tribute to Beechcraft’s former Takanini trainer, Kevin Crampton in the wake of the Caulfield Guineas victory in his first run on the Australian turf. His dam by CREST OF THE WAVE was SKY whose dam as by STAR KINGDOM.

Beechcraft represented just one of a trio of expensive New Zealand three-year-olds into which Sangster had bought. At the same time as acquiring an interest in Beechcraft, he had also bought a half-share in FINE OFFER, who had run Beechcraft to a couple of close seconds in New Zealand, but whose spring campaign would be disrupted after contracting a virus upon landing in Australia. Previously, Sangster had also bought a half-share in MAPPERLEY HEIGHTS, after the giant filly, out of a full sister to Battle Heights, had been knocked down for $150,000 as a yearling at Trentham to Matamata stud master Mark Davison. Indeed, Mapperley Heights was the first of the many gallopers to carry the famous emerald and blue Sangster colours on New Zealand racecourses.

Colin Hayes-trained BEECHCRAFT, carrying the famous colours of Robert Sangster won the Caulfield Guinea by a length from star Australian three-year-old SIR DAPPER, halting his formidable run of form, with HANDSOME SEATTLE a further one-and-three-quarter length away third. Jockey Brent Thomson had Beechcraft fair throttling along when he came up beside Sir Dapper but still had something in reserve despite the colt only having crossed the ditch three days earlier.

From the late 70’s to the mid 80’s Brent "The Babe" Thomson was almost certainly Australia’s most high-profile jockey as number one rider for the powerful Lindsay Park training operation. Settling in Melbourne, Thomson became the stable rider for Colin Hayes, winning three jockey's premierships during his six-year association with the trainer, which included wins in the Cox Plate on SO CALLED, and the AJC Derby, Victoria Derby, Rosehill Guineas, and Cox Plate on DULCIFY. He also won many major races riding for other trainers, including two more Cox Plates (on FURY'S ORDER and FAMILY OF MAN), and the Caulfield Cup on GURNER'S LANE.

Confronted by the failure of his now three-year-old home-breds and yearling purchases, Sangster had faced the prospect of not having a representative in the 1983 Victoria Derby. It was for this reason that Colin Hayes had made a hurried trip to New Zealand and paid $400,000 to motel owner John Stubbs for a half-share in Beechcraft less than a fortnight before the Guineas.

After winning four in New Zealand at both two and three years of age; firstly, at Te Rapa over 1200m in July 1983, then at Levin two weeks later, he would then go on to defeat FINE OFFER twice over the mile at Wanganui and in the Hawkes Bay Guineas with Tony Williams aboard. Only 17 days later he was on the Caulfield track at a high level of fitness.

Beechcraft, the Colin Hayes-trained colt and winner of both the Caulfield and Canterbury Guineas was the public’s second elect at in the AJC Derby. Englishman Robert Sangster was hoping to see his colours carried to victory in the classic for the second time in four years, following his 1981 success with OUR PADDY BOY. Beechcraft’s form since arriving in Sydney had been first class and apart from his win at Canterbury, included impressive placings in both the Rosehill Guineas and Tancred Stakes. This followed a 3rd in the George Ryder to PENNY EDITION and GURNER'S LANE and 3rd in the Hobartville behind BOUNTY HAWK and SIR DAPPER.

Brent Thomson had been controversially given a stay of proceedings to enable him to accept the mount on Beechcraft, despite pleading guilty to a charge of careless riding. BEECHCRAFT would go down to the Bart Cummings trained PROLIFIC and Tommy Smith's ALIBHAI in the AJC Derby, but it was a spirited third position and he certainly didn't look out of place against the brightest three-year-old stars in Australia. A 6th place would follow in the WFA Liston on a disastrous heavy Caulfield track before a bold 2nd to PROLIFIC in the Craiglee Stakes over the 1600m at Flemington. Injury and illness would see his career end after 30 starts. His three-year-old encounters with SIR DAPPER and PROLIFIC resulted in truly exceptional and memorable races and highlighted a strong decade for New Zealand horses in Australia, such as WAVERLEY STAR, BONECRUSHER, MCGINTY, KIWI and HORLICKS.

RACE RECORD - 30: 8-13

STAKE EARNINGS - NZ$34,535 / AU$242,100

Wanganui Guineas

Hawkes Bay Guineas

Caulfield Guineas

Canterbury Guineas

2nd Rosehill Guineas

3rd 1984 AJC Derby