The Queensland filly was bred for speed, and she showed off her fleet-footed power in the Champagne Stakes

EYE LINER was a brown filly foaled in 1962 at Lyndhurst Stud Warwick by the resident stallion SMOKEY EYES (IRE) out of the NEWTOWN WONDER (GB) mare, New Venn. She was raced by the Stud's owners, brothers Percy and Ted Kruger. The filly was trained throughout her career by Jack Wilson; the uncle of the great race caller Wayne Wilson and she had arguably the best juvenile career of any horse in Queensland ever.

Over the first 70 years, Stallions of the calibre of LADURLAND, SYCE, SEREMOND and THE BUZZARD, stood with distinction at Lyndhurst Stud. The Buzzard’s achievements as a Sire warrants special mention. From his Queensland base at Lyndhurst, he produced 45 Stakes winners, including the Melbourne Cup winners, OLD ROWLEY and RAINBIRD, Caulfield Cup winners, BUZALONG and BASHA FELIKA and 1937 Auckland Cup winner, THE BUZZER.

STAR KINGDOM was a son of STARDUST (GB), but he wasn’t the only son of that horse to hit high notes. The other was SMOKEY EYES, and between them this pair set up the history-making Stardust dynasty of championship speed in Australia.

The Kruger family foundation Sire was the imported Stallion, SMOKEY EYES. Foaled in 1947 and being a grandson of the 1933 English Derby winner and world-famous Sire HYPERION, Smokey Eyes was, for almost a decade, the leading Sire of winners for the whole of Australia. He was Champion Broodmare Sire in 1970/71, and he was Queensland’s leading sire for 11 years on the reel, from 1963 to 1974. Whilst Smokey Eyes produced many great horses, he produced one filly - who then, and to this day - has left an indelible mark on the Queensland and indeed Australian Racing Industry.

EYE LINER made her debut in Queensland's first metropolitan 2YO Fillies race, the C.E McDougall Stakes - named after one of the early owners of Lyndhurst Stud - winning by seven lengths with Ron Wilton in the saddle. She would go on to win her next seven starts at Doomben, Eagle Farm and Ipswich, including a victory at Doomben carrying 10st 6lbs (66 kg) and the Daandine Handicap at Eagle Farm in April 1965 carrying 10st 12lbs (69 kg). It was the most weight ever carried by a two-year-old on Brisbane until MAYBE LAD equaled it the same year. The filly had won her first eight starts by a total of 48.75 lengths (an average winning margin of just over six lengths).

Just a week after her win in the Daandine, Jack Wilson, jockey John Harbutt and Eye Liner took on the best two-year-olds in the country in what was billed "The Race of the Century" the 1965 Champagne Stakes, then run over six furlongs (1200m) at Randwick. The race included Golden Slipper winner REISLING, the VRC Sires Produce winner CITIUS and the AJC Sires Produce winner PEACE COUNCIL.

The renowned Sydney race caller, Ken Howard, provided commentary for the race, which concluded with Eye Liner securing victory over Reisling, despite a strong late surge from CITIUS; ultimately, Eye Liner proving to be superior speed machine. Eye Liner set a new Race Record of 1.09.9, bettering TODMAN's time of 1:10.0 set in his win in 1957. The flying pencil had just beaten the best two-year-olds, in Sydney, and in record time.

Returning to Brisbane, Eye Liner finished fourth behind Maybe Lad in the T.M.Ahern Stakes after a tough campaign. Sent for a well-deserved spell, Eye Liner resumed in the Summer, winning her first three starts as a three-year-old in Open Company sprints before she lost form. As a four-year-old Eye Liner produced as s more mature mare, winning the Lightning Stakes at Eagle Farm and the 1967 J.T. Delaney Quality at Doomben, both ridden by Noel Doyle. Her last race would result in a 4th place in the Stradbroke Handicap won by MISTER HUSH.

Retired to Lyndhurst Stud, Eye Liner with a career record of 14 wins, 3 placings and 2 fourths from 25 starts, produced the Black Type winners PACIFIC RULER (Todman Slipper Trial and George Ryder Stakes) and PACIFIC PRINCE (Doomben Stakes) while her granddaughter MEAN EYES produced the VRC Oaks and AJC Oaks winner GRAND ARCHWAY. Annually, memories of EYE LINER are revived when the Ipswich Turf Club stage the Listed Eye Liner Stakes during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.

RACE RECORD - 25: 14-3-2

C.E McDougall Stakes

Piccaninny Stakes

Hall Stakes

Champagne Stakes

Lightning Handicap

J.T. Delaney Quality