Scott Seamer in the next seat looked like he was about to be strapped into the electric chair

Sky Heights was a brown gelding sire by the mighty Zabeel fron the dam, Moet Heights (Engagement USA).
The horse won the 1999 Caulfield Cup and started favourite in two Melbourne Cups and was trained by Colin Alderson at Cranbourne. He was well managed by Alderson who considered the on-pace warrior a special horse. Sky Heights was always destined for greatness after bursting onto the scene as a three-year-old and finishing second to Arena in the 1998 Victoria Derby.

When Autumn came around  in his three-year-old season, he really started to hit peak form, winning the Rosehill Guineas and the Australian Derby. As a four-year-old in 1999 he had his best spring ever winning the Craiglee Stakes, Turnbull Stakes and the Caulfield Cup. He came agonisingly close to repeating the glory when beaten a nose by Ethereal two years later. It was a controversial win decided in the enquiry room after Damien Oliver on Sky Heights claimed Scott Seamer on Ethereal had come off his racing line and impeded his horse, saying it cost him a quarter of a length and put his mount off balance. Seamer claimed Oliver was "clutching at straws", but it was obvious Seamer had deliberately stopped riding and backed off on the corner twice. Oliver was stunned, as Seamer couldn't even look him in the eye and appeared as a man about to strapped into the electric chair. The protest was dismissed, as essentially, neither horse had made contact. His Melbourne Cups were perhaps his biggest let downs though, starting in 1999 and 2001 as favourite but finishing 17th and eighth respectively.

He performed valiantly in the Cox Plate as well finishing third in 1999 only beaten by the great Sunline and Tie The Knot. A masterly ride by Australia’a top jockey, Damien Oliver, saw the Zabeel gelding Sky Heights win the A$500,000, Gr.2 Sandown Classic over 2400m. His on track performances earned him a spot stabled at the Living Legends among some of Australia’s best ever champions. After a year though he moved home to the Alderson family property at Cranbourne where he lived ever since. The gelding had to be put down after struggling with the hoof disease laminitis for some time. He left behind a career record that will live on forever though with 42 starts for 11 wins and 9 places winning total prize money of $4,212,990. Incredibly nine of his wins came at Group level.

The “Heights Family” as it became known has continued to produce top racehorses and stakes winners right through to the 21st century with the likes of the Australian Horse of the Year and Champion Three and Four Year Old Weekend Hussler, and his group one winning close relative Lucky Hussler being descendants of Gold Heights. The family has produced great stayers, such as his Sky Heights through his dam, Moet Heights, Summer Heights, who won 7 races, Royal Heights won 7 including the NZ Oaks, champion filly Noble Heights, Battle Heights one of the greatest Australasian gallopers of the 20th century and Supreme Heights from Jimmy Choux, who won 8 in New Zealand.

RACE RECORD  - 42: 11-4-5
EARNINGS  - $4,212,990

AJC Derby
AJC Rosehill Guineas
Caulfield Cup
VATC Caulfield Stakes
Craiglee Stakes (now Makybe Diva Stakes)  VRC Sandown Classic
VRC Turnbull Stakes
AJC St Leger Stakes