A brilliant galloper with both speed and stamina, Cadiz would be successful in NZ and Australia before carving out a fine record in California

Farmer, racehorse owner and breeder, Alex Newman of Nelson, son of Newman Bros coach services co-founder Thomas Newman, bred CADIZ from the mare INFINITY, bred and raced by his father. He was purchased for 600 guineas by J. C. Tomkinson for A. N. Smith, President of the Dunedin Jockey Club. At the time you were hard pressed to identify a better Riccarton trainer than the master Jim Tomkinson who was a quick speaker and also had the successful HUSH MONEY, SHIPMATE, LOOSE METAL and HINT in his care over the years. The yearling who seemed short-backed and strong, developed into one on New Zealand's best sprinter-milers of his time and later achieved even greater fame after being sold to the United States.

CADIZ was foaled in 1958 by the French bred sire TARGUI (Djebel). Imported to New Zealand's Sasanof Stud in the mid-1950s, he became an influential sire in the region, producing 21 Group 1 winners in three countries. One of his greatest sons was the brilliant LORD, winner of 22 Group races. Targui's sire was the immortal DJEBEL (FR-1937). This great horse managed to beat everything as World War Il was raging about him, including the 1940 Great Britain 2000 Guineas and the 1940 The Poule d'Essai des Poulains in France. It conjures up images of getting him across the English Channel in war time and then, in 1942 when the war was at its worst, he was to win the French Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe. His dam Infinity would go on to win the 1962 Broodmare of the Year title.

CADIZ won three out of his four starts as a two-year-old which included the Listed Champagne Stakes at Riccarton. His 3YO season began with two easy Listed wins including a fine victory in the John Griggs Stakes at Ashburton and a second to LORD SASANOF in the WRC Wellington Guineas. He then won Riccarton’s CJC Stewards Handicap by four lengths followed by a WFA win in the Ohinemuri JC Shaw Stakes. Beaten by the flying filly and his nemesis KARINA in both the 1959 ARC Newmarket Hcp and 1960 ARC Railway Handicap, the Southern chestnut then defeated her in the WRC Wellington Stakes. In February, he had a three-length win in the WFA Wanganui JC Jackson Stakes then back at Trentham for the WRC North Island Challenge Stakes, again losing to Karina by a short head. His brilliant 3YO season record was 11 starts for 6 wins, 4 seconds and 1 third placing.

In Victoria at four, he had five starts for two wins including the £2,500 prestigious 1960 VRC Linlithgow Stakes at odds of 10/1 carrying 9st (57kg). He led all the way to win by 3 lengths to MY PEAK with MINTAWAY a further 6 lengths behind. Cadiz covered the mile in 1:38.5 sec. Excessive wet weather left the track Heavy and after LORD was slow away, he had no chance of picking up CADIZ. Lord's jockey Geoff Lane received a hostile reception as he returned to scale, with the demonstration reaching it height as he approached the middle of the mounting yard. Cadiz was too good for a strong field of sprinters in the Dundonald Handicap at Moonee Valley covering the six furlongs in 1:10.1 sec - the best time since COMIC COURT set the track record in 1951.

Returning to New Zealand, Cadiz placed 3rd behind Karina in the ARC Newmarket Hcp, Gr.2 ARC King’s Plate and then won the Railway Handicap at Trentham. He ended the season with placings under big weights in the CJC Great Easter Handicap and Challenge Stakes at Riccarton. American inquiries were made while Cadiz was in Auckland, but no business was done.

Shortly afterwards, CADIZ was sold to Californian jeweller Victor Graber for US$24,000. Arriving in the USA after a grueling journey that should have been fourteen days, he suffered a month-long ordeal when the freighter’s engine broke down twice as it struggled in high seas for over a fortnight and needed ro be towed into port. Amazingly, Cadiz got rid of his sea legs to score first up at Santa Anita a few weeks after his arrival. At Del Mar in the San Diego Handicap, Cadiz finished third to WINDY SANDS (another fine horse who would later become 6-time Champion Sire in California) who set a new track record for the 8 1/2 furlongs event. Two weeks later the Bing Crosby Handicap (6 furlongs on dirt) at Del Mar, Cadiz came second after leading to CRAZY KID who set a World Record for the distance at 1:07.45 by a margin 1/3/4 lengths after tiring late.

He added three more wins including the $100,000 Gr.1 California Handicap at Hollywood Park and the Christopher J Fitzgerald Handicap at Santa Anita. He enjoyed no success in his comeback after being laid up unwell for eight months. The following year as a seven-year-old now in the hands of veteran trainer Bob Wheeler, he scored a boliover victory the Gr.1 Hollywood Gold Cup in 1:59.3 for 1¼ mile with Eddie Burns riding. Cadiz paid $53 that day to win the richest race in the west. He then ran third in the Gr.1 Sunset Handicap. It is worth noting that the 1963 Hollywood Gold Cup was worth $162,100 and the Melbourne Cup of the same year was only worth $53,000. Considered the "upstart from down under" by U.S racing scripes, Cadiz proved to the Americans just how good he was even at the ripe age of seven.

As an older horse he won twice more. Cadiz won only once at Santa Anita in 15 attempts the next year and in 1965 he did not win at all. Back in training in 1966, Cadiz was now on the fair circuit and won one last race at Pleasanton, offered for $3,200 for anyone willing to buy him. Cadiz joined the ranks of the forgotten horses and one more comback bid at Sacramento was thwarted when he failed to go to the post. He realised a career total of 22 wins and 24 placings before his retirement at ten years-of-age. The future looked dismal before the General Manager of Hollywood Park Jim Stewart heard about Cadiz and bought him. On Gold Cup Day he led the parade to the post, then after the season closed, Wally Wolf took him to his farm to prepare for a 50-mile trail race. As a 16-year-old in 1972, he teamed up with Wally to ride the Calico Trail, the historic Calico endurance ride in the Mojave Desert near Barstow, California started in 1971, with his comeback as a champion complete.

Interestingly enough, the 1958 Linlithgow winner WIGGLE went to the US, so did the 1959 winner NOHOLME before CADIZ. The Linlithgow was a bogey race for Victoria's best WFA horse LORD. He contested three Linlithgows and each time he was beaten out of a place by Wiggle, Noholme and Cadiz.

TOTAL RACE RECORD - 22 wins - 24 placings

STAKES EARNINGS - $236,182

Champagne Stakes

John Griggs Stakes

Shaw Stakes

Wellington Stakes

Wanganui Jackson Stakes

VRC Linlithgow Stakes

Railway Handicap

California Handicap

Hollywood Gold Cup