Tough and courageous, Hall Mark raced against some of the greatest champions of the 1930's

Hall Mark was a versatile chestnut Thoroughbred stallion. He was trained by Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jack Holt in the bayside Melbourne suburb of Mordialloc. He raced from a two-year-old to a five-year-old, recording 18 wins from 6 furlongs to 2 miles. Ridden mostly by champion jockeys Billy Duncan and Frank Dempsey, Hall Mark was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2019. Hall Mark was bred by his owner Charles Kellow at Tarwyn Park Stud Rylstone, New South Wales by Heroic (AUS) a leading sire and classic winner of major races in Australia and was purchased for 16,000 guineas. Dam Herowinkie (AUS) a failure on the racetrack was purchased for 800 guineas by Charles Brown Kellow. Breeder, Kellow born in Sutton Grange, Victoria in 1871, originally exploited the bicycle boom of the 1890s as a racing cyclist and salesman, and in 1910 began importing a range of expensive motor cars under Kellow Motor Co. In his forties he then diversified into sheep grazing and horse racing ownership, notables being  Heroic, Hall Mark and Nuffield, 1938 AJC Derby & VRC Derby winner

Hall Mark was small in statue, but an extremely courageous and powerful racehorse. Outstanding at two years, and Australian champion at three, he won the 1933 Australian Jockey Club Derby, Victoria Derby and Melbourne Cup. The colt first raced in spring 1932, narrowly beaten at Flemington at his second start. The following autumn, at his sixth start, he broke through for his first win, in the Orrong Handicap at Caulfield. In Sydney he won his next three races, including the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes, and carrying a 10 pound weight penalty, the Champagne Stakes. His Cup win was often described as ‘one of the gamest ever’ as he ran with an injured foot. The horse had cracked his heel which was bleeding profusely when he returned to scale, but he still managed to win in magnificent fashion. He was considered a lame horse for the Melbourne Cup only a few days later, with his owner casting some doubt over Hall Mark's ability to actually start on the Tuesday. Jack Holt advised Charlie Kellow not to start him but the horse passed a veterinary inspection as fit to run and Hall Mark had worked freely and pulled up well on the Monday morning.

In the Cup, Hall Mark was allowed to stride out freely. He was never further back than sixth from the mile and a quarter post, and until the straight entrance was reached he obtained an uninterupted run on the rails. For a while his rider waited for a run on the inside of the leaders, but this did not present itself and when Gaine Carrington rushed up on the out-side, Hall Mark appeared for a few strides to be hopelessly hemmed in. O'Sullivan, however took him to the outside, and a furlong from home Hall Mark was going so well that it was obvious that he would defeat Gaine Carrington who was slightly ahead. He went past just inside the furlong post, and for a while he seemed to be sure to score an easy win. But in the last 50 yards Shadow King, Gaine Carrington and Topical ran on again, and at the finish Hall Mark had only a head to spare from Shadow King, who in turn was a head in front of Gaine Carrington and Topical, who finished in a dead heat for third place. The result of the Cup was a triumph for the skill of Hall Mark's trainer Jack Holt, who scored his first Melbourne Cup. It was also a triumph for Heroic, the sire of Hall Mark. For a long time the suggestion was that the progeny of Heroic would never develop into true stayers.

Hall Mark raced between 1932 and 1935 over four seasons and is best known for winning the Melbourne Cup and as a dual classic winner of the Derby in the same year with successes in signature WFA and Handicap races in Sydney and Melbourne. Wins in the 1934 Caulfield Stakes, defeating Chatham and the 1935 Kings Plate, defeating Rogilla confirmed his ability in a vintage era of classy young gallopers. In recognition of past success each year the Hall Mark Stakes is run at Randwick Racecourse. Standing at stud his best horse was Hall Stand, 1942 AJC Sires Produce Stakes, 1942 Hobartville Stakes and 1942 Rosehill Guineas. On his owner Kellow's death in 1944, Hall Mark was sold to Burnside Stud in Ingham, Queensland. For the next nine years, he was predominantly used to sire working horses. In this capacity he had an enduring influence as a progenitor of the emerging specialist breed, the Australian Stock Horse. Hall Mark died in 1953 aged 23.


RACE RECORD - 52: 18-16-9
EARNINGS - £28,619

AJC Sires Produce Stakes (1933)
AJC Champagne Stakes (1933)
AJC Derby (1933)
VRC Derby (1933)
Melbourne Cup (1933)
Underwood Stakes (1933, 1934)
VRC October Stakes (1934)
Caulfield Stakes (1934)
VRC St Leger (1934)
VRC Kings Plate (1934, 1935)
WRC Williamstown Stakes (1935)
Doncaster Handicap (1935)
Memsie Stakes (1935)
C.B.Fisher Plate (1935)