Tawrrific upset the favourites in the 1989 Cup, including his more popular stablemate

Tawrrific was a Thoroughbred racehorse who is best remembered for winning the 1989 Melbourne Cup with some style in a classic encounter. Under the tutelage of Lee Freedman and with Shane Dye as the jockey, the horse achieved victory in a record-breaking time of 3:17.1. After doing his early racing in New Zealand, Tawrrific won the South Australian St Leger at three, and, despite finishing 12th in the 1988 Melbourne Cup, had shown staying talent in winning the AJC St Leger at four, and finishing fourth in the Sydney and Brisbane Cups.

The stayer possessed the requisite aptitude, however, he required two miles to fully optimise his performance. He was by the sire Tawfiq (USA) from Blushing Groom, a highly successful two and three-year-old french galloper that won 7 from 10 starts. Tawrrific's mother, Joyarty was by the grand New Zealand staying sire Noble Bijou, the only stallion to top the New Zealand sires' list of stake earners and the broodmare sires' list in the same season (1992-93). Tawrrific came from Brian Anderton's White Robe Lodge stud in Otago, which has been the home to champion sires' Mellay, Noble Bijou and other successful stallions such as Tawfiq and Random Chance.

Allotted 54 kilograms for the 1989 Melbourne Cup, Tawrrific was placed in lead-up races at Sandown, Caulfield, Flemington, and Moonee Valley, but fell out of favour with many punters when finishing second-last in the Caulfield Cup. The five-year-old New Zealander confounded the experts who came out of the woodwork on the first Tuesday each November. He was described in the form guides as "a plodding type, chances could improve if ground heavy," reflected in the 25/1 odds.

In the 1989 Melbourne Cup, Tawrrific came down the centre of the track with a well-timed run by Dye, and defeated his more fancied stablemate Super Impose by just over two lengths, with Kudz third, to collect his $1,179,750 share of the $1.85 million in prizes. The victory was Freedman's first in the race, and a significant career milestone for the young trainer. He was so nervous he watched the race from the jockeys room and jumped to his feet when Super Impose hit the front. But then Dye burst through 200m out on Tawrrific to bring home the Quinella for the stable. He came home "like a shot out of a gun" according to his trainer, and the track was lightning fast, so that confounded the experts.The win also significant in the rise of Dye, a former champion apprentice in New Zealand, and who would go on to be a star in Australia.

Following the Melbourne Cup, Tawrrific won the Cox Stakes, in Perth, and raced for a further 18 months, but with limited success. At six, he won a race over 2500 metres at Flemington – which now carries Listed status and finished 16th in the 1990 Melbourne Cup. Exported to Ireland on 15 January 1999, Tawrrific stood as a jumps stallion at Tullaghansleek Stud in Castletown-Geoghegan in County Westmeath, and the Australian Stud Book records him as the sire of two stakeswinners. Tawriffic died just a few months later.

RACE RECORD - 67: 9-7-8

EARNINGS - $1,558,434

South Australian St Leger (1988)

AJC St Leger (1989)

Melbourne Cup (1989)

CB Cox Stakes (1989)