Our Maizcay was a deadset rocket who defeated high class stars Flying Spur and Octagonal

Many will remember crack sprinter Our Maizcay as a galloper with phenomenal speed and a terrific attitude. The stallion was retired to stud after a career-ending injury at three and was still serving mares at Minumurra Stud late in life, near Glen Innes in northern New South Wales. The lightly raced colt was by speed sire Maizcay via Maire Vitta (Dalsaan).

Awapuni trainer Grant Searle prepared Our Maizcay throughout his career in which the Maizcay colt raced 19 times for 13 wins beating the likes of Gr.1 stars Octagonal, Strategic, Flying Spur, Gold Ace and All Our Mob during a six-race winning streak in Australia in the spring of 1995, culminating in his three-length romp in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas. Our Maizcay was only unplaced in the Cox Plate, the Golden Slipper and one other race. He just had an absolute high-cruising speed and the ability to push up the tempo. He'd get to the front and keep running. He was at the time, considered New Zealand's best chance to win the Golden Slipper in many a long year, probably not since McGinty (injured and didn't start), in 1983. The Slipper that year (1983) was won by Marscay who was Our Maizcay's sire.

Our Maizcay was a $7000 purchase at the Magic Millions Sale at Hamilton's Claudelands yearling sales for owners Tom Burn, Graeme Mander, Ron Rosenberg and Allan Fraser. The colt ran second to Ballroom Babe at Wanganui on debut but then went on a seven-race winning streak with a series of wide-margin wins, the last six of them in stakes company, including a runaway six-length win in the Listed $250,000 Magic Millions Classic at Trentham. He won an 800m Hastings two-year-old race by four lengths in 43.4 seconds and clocked 55.43 seconds for the 1000m of the Listed Wellesley Stakes, which he won by five lengths. His winning margin in the Gr.3 Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham was eight lengths and he ran the 1200m in 1:07.38. The horse displayed remarkable speed and was an impressive sight to behold. Phillip Mercer rode him in New Zealand and Brian York in Australia. Mercer always had a fight on his hands to restrain Our Maizcay early, but once he released the hand brake the horse would usually streak away with a slick turn of foot.

Searle then set Our Maizcay for the Gr.1 Golden Slipper in Sydney. He prepared for the world's richest two-year-olds with narrow defeats to Strategic in the Gr.3 Skyline Stakes and to Octagonal in the Gr.2 Todman Slipper Trial, but was allotted the outside draw for the Slipper and finished fourth. Our Maizcay resumed at three with a half-length win over Strategic in the Gr.2 San Domenico Stakes at Randwick, followed up with a four-length win over Golden Slipper winner Flying Spur in the Gr.3 Up And Coming Stakes and the produced a 1 3/4-length win over Golden Slipper runner-up Octagonal in the Gr.3 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m). He continued his three-year-old dominance with a two-length win over Gold Ace and Strategic in the Gr.2 Ascot Vale (1200m) before taking on the older horses under handicap conditions in the Gr.1 Vic Health Cup (1400m), scoring a narrow win over Cut Up Rough in a performance Searle rates as the equal of any in his career.

Our Maizcay was then installed as an odd-on favourite for the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and never gave his backers any concern, leading throughout for an effortless three-length win over Runarda and Octagonal. He failed to see out the 2040m of the Cox Plate at his next start, though he was later found to be suffering from a lung infection.

He resumed in the Gr.1 Lightning Handicap, finishing seventh, beaten just two lengths but two days later was found to have suffered tendon damage in his near foreleg and he was retired to stud, initially at Glenlogan Park, Innisplain, Queensland. Our Maizcay, was named champion two-year-old of his year and New Zealand horse of the year at three, was only a moderate success at stud, to date siring 188 winners, the best of whom has been Todman Slipper Trial winner Great Crusader and Kilmore Cup winner Marbine. Our Maizcay passed away in 2010 aged 18 due to ill health.

RACE RECORD -19: 13-3-0

EARNINGS - NZ$1,354,512

LR Magic Millions Classic

G3 Eclipse Stakes

G3 Wakeful stakes

G3 Up & Coming Stakes

G3 Roman Consul Stakes

G1 VATC Caulfield Guineas

G1 VATC Vic Health Cup

G2 VRC Ascot Vale Stakes

G2 AJC San Domenico Stakes.