Almost thirty years ago, a little old horse with a big heart and an engine the size of a Kenworth truck wrote himself into the racing history books with one of the greatest front-running displays ever witnessed In a feature Cup race down under. The enduring popularity of this moment in racing serves as a testament to the exceptional qualities of the horse and the remarkable skill of its handlers in preparing him for such a prestigious Group One, two-mile event in New Zealand.

During an extensive racing career, the venerable Kotare Chief accumulated 100 lifetime starts exactly, resulting in 11 victories in total. Prior to the 1987 Auckland Cup the gelding had participated in 76 races and been ridden by more than 25 different jockeys. An old warhorse out of the sire Exceptional by the broodmare Kotare Lass, the veteran had covered a few miles on and off the track. He was trained by H & P Ryan but hadn't won in over a year or the 15 starts prior.

A quick glimpse at Kotare Chief's record will show he ran 2nd to Secured Deposit in the 1985 Auckland Cup who ran a Track Record time of 3:17.18, so the horse was an out-and-out two miler that could run well further then 2000m, and seemed to go around every few weeks in the Waikato region, venturing north from time-to-time to contest staying events. When Jock Caddigan rode Kotare Chief in the Nathans Memorial - the lead up race to the Auckland Cup - late in 1986, commentator Keith Haub was heard to say, "Caddigan is almost out of the saddle trying to restrain Kotare Chief."  The gelding achieved a third-place finish in the 2200m event held on December 29th, just three days prior to the 1987 Cup. This performance served as a commendable warm-up, demonstrating the horse's fitness edge and potential.

The Chief had also achieved 3rd place at Te Rapa in October and a 2nd at Pukekohe in November. Both of these races showcased his strong endurance capabilities. Nevertheless, he was paying $30 on New Year's Day, with few believing the eight-year-old had any chance at succeeding in the renowned race. A number of high class New Zealand gallopers had previously won the prestigious 3200m race, including, Beau Vite (1940), Cuddle, twice in (1935, 1936), Kindergarten (1942), IL Tempo (1969, 1970) and the mighty Castletown (1982), just to name a few. In the 1987 there where a few decent stayers starting, including, the favourite, The Filbert. The crowd were ready as the the horse's loaded up for the feature.

What they observed in the 1987 Auckland Cup was an audacious performance, potentially ranking as the most daring ride in a two-mile Australasian Group one race of the 20th century. As the field jumped on a hot sunny day in front of a big crowd at Ellerslie, Caddigan pushed Kotare Chief forward and into 3rd on the corner, then took over the lead coming into the straight for the first time. As the field passed the winning post, the Chief was in a hurry, scooting through and running at a solid clip. With a round to go Haub mentioned that Kotare Chief had quite significantly increased his efforts. The horse appeared to be moving at a rapid pace, with Jock seemingly unable to effectively restrain him with only 50.5kg on his back. By the time they reached the back straight Kotare Chief already had at least 8-10 lengths on the rest of the field; who didn't seem in too much of a hurry to chase the old horse. By the 1200m mark the veteran had extended that margin to 12-15 lengths and Caddigan never seemed to have had any opportunity to steady the gelding. Kotare Chief had decided that today he was going to run like the wind and no individual was going to rein him in.

By this stage the crowd at Ellerslie were humming; that typical, surprised buzz that pulsates through a crowd with laughter and tension as the little horse continued to push on. By the 800m mark Kotare Chief had stretched the lead to 25 lengths. A stunned Keith Haub was heard to remark, "this is the biggest lead I think I've ever seen in a Cup!!!"

On the turn and approaching the 600m mark Kotare Chief appeared well spent, however the lead was still significant. Jock flicked up the reins, dug in his heels and started to get busy on the back of the horse, and he responded well for a horse that had galloped full on for almost a mile and a half. At the 400m point Jock gave the horse a clip with the whip and remembers the horse being quite startled and beginning to wobble. Haub made the great statement, "he could almost lie down and have a sleep," in reference to the big lead of 15 lengths Kotare Chief still maintained - but by this stage the rest of the field were gathering up speed and biting into the little horses' lead. The crowd begun to roar, and even those that hadn't backed Kotare Chief were baracking for the underdog. Many thought this was it - Kotare would stop dead in his tracks and run last. But Caddigan leapt up and down enthusing the horse to continue running hard, and somehow he just kept those legs pumping over the final 200m. Kotare Chief almost fell in over the line to win by 7 lengths and duly stopped just 20m or so after the post, completely out of petrol. He was knackered beyond belief, but got there, and in a new track record time of 3:16.63. Incredulously, the horse ran the first half just as quick as the second half of the race, in 1:58. Twelve Gauge chased gallantly for 2nd and Threesome came in 3rd.

For those few that had backed the horse at big odds the feeling was extasy, with whooping and hollering around the grandstands. For the majority who hadn't, it was a case of not believing what they had just witnessed. I had placed a $5 E/W bet on Kotare Chief, which was alot of money back then for a young guy in his first job and only receiving a thin envelope at the end of working week. But it was the Auckland Cup and I liked the horse. Initially, I believed I had lost the opportunity when he took off in such a frantic manner. However, as Kotare Chief reached the 600-metre mark and he maintained a significant lead, my emotions shifted to a sense of optimism. The crowd erupted as he crossed the line, and in the bar afterwards the chatter was insatiable. The victorious individuals offered rounds of beer to their fellow mates while sharing hearty laughter over the astonishing events that transpired during the preceding three minutes at Ellerslie.

There was talk of special berries down on the farm, but this was just one of those unique moments in sport where the underdog prevails at long odds, defying what anyone things or believes. In my opinion it was just a matter of circumstance. The horse was in peak physical condition and at the limit of its abilities, despite his age. The Nathans run effectively enhanced the horse's overall strength and provided the necessary competitive advantage at his best distance. Also, the oppositions failure to adequately respond to the tearaway tactics were contributing factors to the result. The exceptional performance of the Kotare Chief resulted in an extraordinary and memorable event in the annals of New Zealand racing history.

The horse is often compared to Rocket Racer's win in the 1987 Gr.1 Perth Cup, where he ran away and smashed the field by 9 lengths with the jockey unable to pull up the horse for another lap, but the two are far very apart. Controversial owner, Laurie Connell had backed Rocket Racer, initially at long odds, down to a 2/1 favouritism, and was believed to have collected $500,000 from bookmakers, as well as the $210,000 prize money for the win. The horse's performance, and subsequent collapse and death from unknown causes a few weeks later was never fully investigated or explained, although it is generally assumed that it had been injected with etorphine ("elephant juice").

Notably, 10 months after his cup win as a 9-year-old, Kotare Chief won at Te Rapa fresh up over 1600m, running 1.34.25. Two months later in the Nathans Memorial Hcp Dec 29th at Ellerslie he won again carrying topweight and breaking the Track Record for 2100m 2.07.04. Maybe it wasn't such a fluke after all. Maybe he was just a unique character that loved to run.

RACE RECORD - 100: 11-8-8

EARNINGS - $315,260

1987 Auckland Cup

It was one of the greatest 3200m front running displays ever seen, and it wrote Kotare Chief into the annals of racing folklore