Two champion brother's flew high in the 1950s, however one was the forgotton sibling, rarely ever mentioned

Perhaps the best horse to run and not win the Golden Slipper at Rosehill is also one of the most forgotten, despite his achievements on the turf and in the stud barn. Noholme (also known as Noholme II) was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1959 Australian Horse of the Year. He was bred and owned by Stanley Wootten along with champion sprinter Todman, and trained by Maurice McCarten in Sydney. Wootton lived in England, but extended his interests in Australia to include racehorse breeding. He purchased the horse Star King in 1950, following the horse’s success in the Gimcrack Stakes, Richmond Stakes, Jersey Stakes and Greenham Stakes. Star King was known as Star Kingdom in Australia due to a galloper with the same name.

Noholme lacked his brother's sheer brilliance but was sounder and a better stayer, and so good he took nearly a full second off the race record in winning the 1959 prestigious W.S Cox Plate ridden by Neville Sellwood. He was sired by Star Kingdom (IRE), the Leading sire in Australia on five occasions. Noholme's dam, Oceana, was a daughter of the brilliant miler Colombo (2000 Guineas Stakes) from the good mare Orama by Diophon (also won the 2000 Guineas). His breeding and lineage played a big role in his impressive career on the track. Noholme was a full brother to the stallions Todman, Faringdon and Shifnal - Todman being the inaugural winner of the Golden Slipper in 1957. These four stallions sired progeny that had earned over $12 million in stakes-money to the end of 1979.

The chestnut colt was a compact, muscular horse standing 15.2 hands, and beared a strong resemblance to his paternal great grandsire, Hyperion. At two years he was unplaced in the Golden Slipper Stakes, but followed with a win in the Champagne Stakes and was ranked sixth on the Two-year old Free Handicap. As a three-year-old Noholme defeated older horses in the Epsom Handicap, a listed Principal race until 1979, then a Group 1. In winning the WFA W. S. Cox Plate in a stunning front-running display over ten furlongs (2040 metres), he set a course-record time of 2:02. During 1959 he also won the STC Hill Stakes, VRC C.B Fisher Plate and VRC Linlithgow Stakes before he won the 1960 AJC All Aged Stakes. Noholme was voted Australian Horse of the Year in 1959 off the back of an incredible campaign.

In July 1960 he was purchased by an American horseman and Arkansas oilman Gene Goff for AUS$18,000, who exported him to the United States where he was trained by Arthur W. Beuzeville and raced as Noholme II until being retired to stud. Noholme II was part of a shipload of 41 Thoroughbreds bought by Goff in Australia where he spent time as a result of his investment in oil exploration in the Maryborough Basin of coastal Queensland. Noholme II had several race starts in the US but did not win, although he placed in the Orange Bowl, Chicago, Stars and Stripes, and Bougainvillea Turf Handicaps. He was never able to recapture the brilliance shown on the Australian Turf.

A successful stallion at Goff's Verna Lea Farm in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1967 he was syndicated for $1-million and moved to Robin's Nest Farm near Ocala, Florida, then in 1974 to the nearby stud farm owned by Dan Lasater (now Southland Farm) where he died on 17 May 1983 at the age of 27. Noholme was the first horse to be buried in the Lasater Farm equine cemetery.

In his limited first season, he sired 13 live foals, 11 of which were race winners. Noholme sired 24 two-year-old winners in his next crop, putting him on top of the American list of first crop sires. In that first crop was champion handicap horse Nodouble, an outstanding runner who was voted American Co-Champion Older Male Horse honours in 1969 and 1970 and was the Leading sire in North America in 1981. He sired Shecky Green who was the Champion US sprinter in 1973 and ran in the Kentucky Derby that year won by Secretariat. Brigand, the sire of Caulfield Cup winner Cole Diesel, champion Italian filly Carnauba and General Holme, a significant sire in France. Nodouble sired over 450 stakes winners that earned over $11.6 million during his career. Noholme sired 279 winners of 1,432 races.

RACE RECORD - 41: 12-9-2

EARNINGS - $40,194

1959

Champagne Stakes

AJC Epsom Handicap

W S Cox Plate (new course record 2:02.7)

STC Hill Stakes

VRC C B Fisher Plate

VRC Lithlingow Stakes

2nd VATC Caulfield Guineas

1960

AJC All Aged Stakes