The beautiful chestnut was a superstar that won the Cox Plate as an 8yo in 125 seconds of chaos

Foaled in New Zealand, Super Impose was a son of the multiple Group One winner Imposing (Todman-Hialeah), out of the unraced mare Pheroz Fancy (Taipan II-Pheroz Jewel). Pheroz Jewel was a stakeswinning mare in New Zealand who defeated the powerful Grey Way, while Todman was an Australian racehorse who won the inaugural Golden Slipper in 1957. Super Impose, via Todman and Ritmar (dam of Taipan II), had Star Kingdom blood on both sides of his pedigree. The imported Irish stallion was a dominant influence on Australian racing before the preponderance of the Northern Dancer-line stallions.

The chestnut Super Impose was selected by trainer Lee Freedman at the 1986 Trentham yearling sales in New Zealand for a small syndicate who paid $40,000. He bought three horses and predicted that the first two would make 'too much money', while the third was a 'beautiful, imposing horse'. The first two were sold to Bart Cummings and became the multiple Group One winners Sky Chase and Beau Zam, while the third became Super Impose. He was unraced as a two-year-old, but Super Impose won first up at Seymour in late December of 1987 as a three-year-old. His next five efforts produced no wins, but he did no worse than third in all five. He did not run again until May. First up was a win at Benally before a respectable second at his first start at Flemington.

The big, handsome chestnut, who would become the 1999 New Zealand Horse of the Year ,was bred at Meadowland Stud, NZ, by John Grant, who also bred most of his near relatives. Super Impose became an Australian idol with his run-from-behind closing style, for a while holding the Australian record for stakes earnings (Au$5,659,538, until surpassed by Octagonal), and famously winning the Epsom Handicap-Doncaster Handicap double in two successive years (1990, 1991), and the Cox Plate, the premier WFA race in Australia -- at age eight, defeating champion mare Let's Elope by a head.

Trouble with his tendons at age two delayed his career, which began when he debuted age three. He went on to win 20 of his 74 starts, second 24 times and third eight times, in six seasons of racing at distances from 1200 to 2400 metres, frequently carrying the heaviest weight. He did all this despite being sidelined for bleeding for three months, missing two big races after running second in the 1990 Caulfield Cup to Sydeston by a neck. Some of his other wins included the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes and Chipping Norton Stakes (twice), the Gr.2 Warwick Stakes (three times), the Gr.2 Hill Stakes, the Gr.3 Summer Cup, the Eclipse Stakes and the Canberra Cup. Among his second placings was runner-up in the 1989 Melbourne Cup to his stablemate, Tawriffic, and to Stargazer in the Chelmsford Stakes. With arthritis settling in his joints, he was retired in 1993, occasionally brought out to lead the field in featured races at Sydney and Canberra. Darren Beadman described Super Impose as one of the hardest horses to ride because he liked to race towards the back of the field and was often blocked for a run. But, as Beadman said - "once you put him into an opening, he was like a steamroller."

For real racing drama, the 1992 Cox Plate is unmatched. It is simply one of the most talked-about races in 103 editions given what happened on the racetrack that day. It was a vintage Cox Plate field with the likes of champions such as Let’s Elope, Better Loosen Up, Super Impose, Mannerism, Sydeston and Rough Habit taking part. Champions of their time, some had entered the twilight of their careers, taking on rising star Naturalism, who looked to have their measure as a $2 favourite. Between them they had won a staggering 51 Group One races. What happened at the 600-metre mark of the race is still regaled today like it was only yesterday. With 600 metres to go, the recent Caulfield Guineas winner in Palace Reign was up front before, for no apparent reason, he crossed his legs and fell heavily with jockey Peter Hutchinson dislodged. Most of the trailing field managed to avoid horse and rider, except red-hot favourite Naturalism who was travelling sweetly in the run and ready to make his move, and Sydeston. Both horses lost their riders in the incident and were out of the race. It was pure mayhem.

As racegoers were trying to digest what had just happened, there was more chaos to come in the closing stages as in the straight it was every man and horse for themselves, with horses shifting in and out. Let’s Elope veered in and interfered with several runners including Better Loosen Up and Prince Salieri. Meanwhile, Greg Hall on Super Impose, who had been out the back watching the action unfold, sailed past his rivals to win at $17. An emotional Greg Hall, standing high in the saddle waving his whip, said as he came back to scale; “To win a Cox Plate is fantastic, but to win on a great old horse like Super… well... that's something else.”

Super Impose made guest appearances at various racetracks, including Randwick for the Epsom and Doncaster Handicap parades, and Moonee Valley for a Night of Champions in 2005 with Subzero, Doiremus, Saintly, and Brew. He appeared small later in life due to a sway back, common in old horses, but enjoyed running in the paddocks of Glenlogan Park Stud in Queensland as a 'nanny' to some of the farm's young horses.

RACE RECORD - 74: 20-24-8

EARNINGS - A$5,659,358

Eclipse Stakes (1988)

AJC Summer Cup (1988)

T.S. Carlyon Cup (1989)

Turnbull Stakes (1989)

Doncaster Handicap (1990, 1991)

Epsom Handicap (1990, 1991)

Warwick Stakes (1990, 1991)

Chester Manifold Stakes (1991)

Hill Stakes (1991)

Ranvet Stakes (1991)

Chipping Norton Stakes (1991, 1992)

Canberra Cup (1992)

W S Cox Plate (1992)