He was the racing warrior, a true warhorse of the mid 70's who just would never lay down

Battle Heights, a son of Battle-Waggon and Wuthering Heights, was born in 1967. Tim Douglas, who also bred and owned the horse, trained him throughout his career in Morrinsville, a small town in the Waikato region of New Zealand. The gelding was no glamorous juvenile and was rated as just another smart handicapper until his 6yo season. He finally broke through over 1600m at Ellerslie, but it wasn't until he got older that he started to display his true abilty, eventually blossoming into a serious force across the Tasman as a true racing warriors of the mid 1970's. After winning the Wellington Cup, Battle Heights went on to win the International invitation at Te Rapa before leaping the ravine to search out Australian riches. It really was a career of two halves with 60 races to win the equivalent of a group race, but ending his illustrious profession with record earning for an Australasian galloper.

Battle Heights grandsire, Never Say Die was an American-bred, British-trained racehorse of the highest cailbre. After winning only once from his first nine races, he demonstrated much improved form in the summer of 1954 to win the English Derby, becoming the very first American-bred colt to win the race in 73 years. Later that same year he added a second British Classic, when winning the St. Leger Stakes by a record margin of twelve lengths. The damsire of Never Say Die, War Admiral was also a champion Thoroughbred who is the fourth winner of the American Triple Crown. He was also the 1937 Horse of the Year and well known as the rival of Sea Biscuit in the "Match Race of the Century" in 1938. War Admiral won 21 of his 26 starts

Battle Heights started in 115 races and raced until he was 10 years old when he was forced into retirement after breaking down in the 1977 VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes. During his career, he raced and won in every season from the age of 3 until 10 and was successful over distances ranging from 1100m to 3200m. The hardy galloper journeyed to Australia on multiple occasions and won the 1974 Sydney Cup (3200m) - Queen Elizabeth II double with an incredible 58.5kg as a six-year-old. He ran 2nd to How Now in the Caulfield Cup with the same weight and finished 7th in the Melbourne Cup with burdensome weights of 58kg and 61kg that halted his powers in both attempts. Jockey Larry Olsen recalls an incident that may have cost Battle Heights a win in the big wet 1976 Melbourne Cup won by fellow Kiwi, Van Der Hum. The horse was balanced and relishing the heavy ground as they raced down the back, but suddenly lost his rhythm and got very rough in his action. Larry noticed that his hind fetlock bandages had unravelled in the mud and were trailing out behind him - an incident that could have caused serious consequences.

Battle Heights was well on the way to establishing himself as one of the all-time greats of the post war era and was voted NZ horse of the year in the 1973/74 season. He also won an Open sprint over 1100m at Waipa when days short of turning ten. He won the WS Cox Plate at seven, the Metropolitan at nine and Battle Heights at that grand old age won the 1976 Craven Plate in Sydney beating the well performed Taras Bulba. It took his earnings past that of Gunsynd who had been the highest previous earner in Australasia. The gelding was placed in the Hills Stakes and won the WFA Bardstown Stakes at Avondale. He was also second to Rose Mellay in the 1974 Auckland Cup over 3200m.

Battle Heights was later ridden in the Cullinan spelling paddock in the Western Districts of Queensland. Caryl described the horse as still having that zest for racing, and misbehaved quite often. On one occasion Battle Heights was heading for a fence, and Caryl had to take quick action of jumping off before colliding with a fence. Battle Heights passed away in June of 2000 at the age of 33, which equates to 100 in human years and only a month after his trainer Tim Douglas passed.

RACE RECORD - 115:23-14-15

EARNINGS - A$212,825

Wellington Cup (1974)

Trentham Stakes (1974)

Sydney Cup (1974)

Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1974)

W S Cox Plate (1974)

C B Cox Stakes (1974)

Craven Plate (1976)

Metropolitan Handicap (1976)