Kiwi racing fans love good racehorses, but 3-time Wellington Cup winner Castletown was something extra special

A two-time winner as a 2-year-old, Castletown was placed in the Gr.1 2000 Guineas (1600m) at three before going on to claim the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie. While he didn't win again at three, he was twice placed in G1 weight-for-age races in New Zealand and finished fourth in the Canterbury Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and Australian Derby - plus a fine third in the Queensland Guineas and Queensland Derby, chasing home another Hall of Fame galloper, Rough Habit, in the latter Eagle Farm feature.

At four, he won the first of his three Gr.1 Wellington Cups (3200m), preceding that win with his first of three straight wins in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2400m). As a champion stayer, Castletown is the only New Zealand Derby winner in the modern era to go on to win either the Wellington Cup or Auckland Cup. As well as adding two more Wellington Cups, Castletown won the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) and the Gr.1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at elite level, and placed in the Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand Cups. He won 13 races over 3200m (two miles.) He was an iron horse, so tough and so genuine. Obviously his most memorable win was his third Wellington Cup in 1994 as an 8-year-old, because by then he was an older horse and past his peak, but he was just such a warrior over the two miles.

When he won his Auckland Cup, there was a tearaway leader and that was a spectacular performance to win, and his Caulfield Stakes was run on a bottomless track and the horse tailed off by 20 lengths behind the second last horse with 1000m to go. Noel Harris said he was going so badly he was almost going to pull him up, but he ended up coming down the outside and winning the race. Some of his best runs were in the big Cups in Australia. He was third in the 1992 VRC Melbourne Cup carrying 57kg behind Subzero and fellow Kiwi Veandercross, giving both three kilos. Castletown was second in the 1991 Sydney Cup giving Just A Dancer four kilos, then came back the next year and ran third under 59½. He was a great horse by any standard. The longevity reflected an ultra sound animal and the performances showed just how tough he was to get up and push some of the best horses in Australasia for the era.

By One Pound Sterling out of the Levmoss mare Mona Curragh, Castletown was bred by Barney McCahill, who raced him with Paddy Busuttin and Kevin Morris. Noel Harris rode Castletown for the vast majority of his career. Harris rode Castletown for the first time in the horse's final start as a three-year-old. Castletown had another 80 starts, spread over five seasons, and Harris was the rider in 72 of those races. Castletown was a much admired NZ stayer that fans loved to support, with big crowds turning out for his three Wellington Cup wins. The heroic New Zealand stayer was laid to rest after passing way at 31.

RACE RECORD - 103:16–9–11
EARNINGS  - $2,467,761

New Zealand Derby (1989)
Wellington Cup (1991, 1992, 1994)
Auckland Cup (1992)
Kelt Capital Stakes (1991)
Caulfield Stakes (1992)
Trentham Stakes (1991, 1992, 1993)

Notable races included:
3rd 1988 New Zealand 2000 Guineas
1st 1989 New Zealand Derby 
2nd 1990 Air NZ Stakes 
3rd 1990 DB Draught Classic
4th 1990 Canterbury Guineas
4th 1990 Rosehill Guineas
4th 1990 AJC Derby
3rd 1990 Queensland Guineas
3rd 1990 Queensland Derby behind Rough Habit
2nd 1990 Avondale Cup
1st 1990 Queen Elizabeth Handicap (Ellerslie)

4th 1991 Auckland Cup won by Star Harvest
1st 1991 Trentham Stakes 
1st 1991 Wellington Cup 
3rd 1991 The BMW
2nd 1991 Sydney Cup 
1st 1991 AJC St Leger Stakes 
2nd 1991 Kelt Capital behind Surfers Paradise
1st 1992 Auckland Cup 
1st 1992 Trentham Stakes
1st 1992 Wellington
3rd 1992 Sydney Cup behind Our Eagle Eye
1st 1992 Caulfield Stakes (2000m)
3rd 1992 Melbourne Cup  Subzero, Veandercross 2nd    

1st 1993 Trentham Stakes
3rd 1993 Kelt Capital behind Calm Harbour, Solvit.
3rd 1993 New Zealand Cup 
1st 1994 Wellington Cup 

New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame (2014)