Syd Brown, ambitious for money and worldly fame resolved to take Redcraze, along with two stablemates, Historic Era and Summersette across to Australia for a tilt at the 1955 Caulfield and Flemington elite spring meetings. It was to be a journey of mixed fortunes and would ultimately sow the seed of bitter disillusionment and profound disappointment for Syd. Redcraze, foaled in 1950 was a champion New Zealand racehorse who raced both in Australia and New Zealand, winning major races on both sides of the Tasman in the mid 1950's.

Brought to Australia in the spring of 1955 he soon made his mark in by defeating Rising Fast in the weight-for-age VRC Turnbull Stakes. After a break in New Zealand he returned for the Brisbane winter carnival where he won the QTC P.J. O'Shea Stakes and the Brisbane Cup.

A chestnut son of the Hyperion stallion, Red Mars from the mare Myarion, Redcraze is regarded as one of the finest horses not to win a Melbourne Cup, despite three attempts lugging huge weights. Although Syd Brown’s training methods seemed idiosyncratic to his Australian critics, he did get Redcraze into his first Melbourne Cup field in which he finished a most unlucky fourth behind Toparoa after receiving severe interference. Arthur Ward's fourteen wins on the great horse included a Metropolitan Hcp with 61 kgs and a Caulfield Cup with 63 kgs. There’s little doubt he was a certainty beaten when second to Evening Peal in the Melbourne Cup of 1956. He carried a massive 65 kgs and spotted the triple Oaks winning mare fourteen kilos.

Often asked to carry big weights in handicap races, his big frame and amazing recuperative powers saw him race until he was seven. Originally trained by Syd Brown in New Zealand, Redcraze he was transferred to the stables of Tommy Smith in Australia as a late five-year-old. Tommy Smith sought to buy the gelding, but owner Jack Bradley's widow declined to sell. Smith persisted that if he couldn’t own the horse, he should at least be allowed to train him. Despite Syd Brown's objections, Mrs Bradley eventually consented, resulting in a lasting animosity between the Randwick and Woodville trainers. It was in the care of Tommy Smith that he realised his huge potential.

Then followed a magnificent winning sequence in the spring of 1956 – the STC Hill Stakes, AJC Colin Stephen Stakes, AJC Metropolitan, VATC Caulfield Stakes and VATC Caulfield Cup. His Caulfield Cup win carrying a record 9st. 13lb. (63 kg) was described as the finest in the history of the race. Penalised to carry 10st. 3lb. (65 kg) in the Melbourne Cup he ran the race of his life to be caught on the post by the champion mare Evening Pearl who was carrying 14kg. less. During the rest of the season he won a further six races, all at weight-for-age, bringing his total for the year to 11 wins and four placings from 18 starts.

As a hardy seven-year-old Redcraze was to win two further races including the MVRC W.S. Cox Plate, bringing his career victories to 32 and making him the then greatest prize winner in Australian racing history.

Redcraze was unlucky not to win the Cup that spring when he failed by short margin to catch the winner after sustaining a run right around the field from the five furlongs post with 10 st. 3lb in the saddle. Despite the frequent mention of Redcraze's unfortunate experiences in the Cup, it is important to acknowledge the horse's significant achievements. Redcraze secured victories in prestigious Melbourne races such as the W.S Cox Plate, Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Metropolitan, Caulfield Stakes, and the Caulfield Cup, along with a win up north in the Brisbane Cup and back in NZ in the Awapuni Gold Cup.

Redcraze demonstrated exceptional endurance as a stayer, complemented by an impressive burst of speed. Undoubtedly, Redcraze left a lasting impact on the racing world during that era as a superlative performer at weight-for-age. Redcraze was to retire after finishing unplaced in the 1957 Melbourne Cup as Australasia’s leading stakes winner with £71,481. What made the '57 Melbourne Cup performance amazing was that he was carrying a handicap of 65kg, conceding 14kg to the winner. He was retired following an unplaced finish. His prize money at the time was an Australian record. Jockey Arthur Ward won three races on Tulloch, and chased him home many times on Prince Darius. In his later years, the great jockey expressed his belief that Redcraze was better than Tulloch.

RACE RECORD - 84:32-11-9

EARNINGS - £71,181 ($142,962)

Awapuni Gold Cup (1955)

Turnbull Stakes (1955)

Brisbane Cup (1956)

P.J. O'Shea Stakes (1956, 1957)

Hill Stakes (1956, 1957)

Colin Stephen Stakes (1956)

Metropolitan Handicap (1956)

Caulfield Stakes (1956)

Caulfield Cup (1956)

St George Stakes (1957)

VRC Queens Plate (1957)

VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1957)

Rawson Stakes (1957)

AJC Autumn Stakes (1957)

W.S. Cox Plate (1957)

In the 1950s, Redcraze achieved remarkable success and gained significant recognition on both sides of the Tasman