A star juvenile sprinter who scorched over the turf, Testa Rossa's acceleration was just electric

Dean Lawson was not yet 30 when he found the horse most people in racing never get near. As usual in these cases, it took a bit of nous and a touch of knowledge mixed in with the pure chance that lead him to one of Australia's best horses at the turn of the century.

Lawson put the word out to some of his clients if anyone wanted to buy a horse and John Cappellin, who was the part owner of Ascorbic, winner of thr Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes, said he was interested. Testa Rossa was the horse Cappellin had waited his life for, and in the ensuing years he refused each offer that came for Testa Rossa. Foaled in 1996, Testa Rossa was by the Sire, Perugino from the dam, Bo Dapper, by Sir Dapper, the son of Vain; hence the speed influence.

Testa Rossa won his first four starts, the last of those the 1999, 2yo Magic Millions, and then he came back and injured himself in the Blue Diamond Prelude where he ran fourth. He then ran second in the Diamond before winning the VRC Sires' Produce Stakes. He returned in the spring and went up to Sydney, winning two races there (San Domenico and Up And Coming Stakes) and then somehow got beaten in the Ascot Vale Stakes at Flemington (by the $51 bolter Spargo). Testa Rossa then won the G1 Rupert Clarke, which was the Vic Health Cup, against the older horses, and ran that second in the Guineas. Testa Rossa turned up for the 2000 Gr.1 Lightning Stakes the following autumn and Lawson remembers it as one of the easier watches he had with the six-time G1 winner. The gun sprinter covered the 1000m in a scorching, 56.04. Ollie would claim the horse was almost push-button, you could set him alight out of the gates and get a great position, then when you asked him to go, his acceleration was just electric. Damien Oliver would later partner with the horse to beat Falvelon, and win the Hong Kong Sprint in 2000. Falvelon won it again in 2001 and was third in 2002.

Despite winning those 13 races, six at G1 level, Testa Rossa may always be best remembered for being narrowly beaten in the 1999 Caulfield Guineas by Redoute's Choice in one of the classic's most epic finishes. Testa Rossa ran 4th, Redoute's Choice 5th two weeks' later in the Cox Plate. Unfortunately the three-year-olds that year were unable to secure a victory in the feature race due to the exceptional performance of Sunline, a remarkably talented Kiwi mare. Sunline achieved her first win in the feature race, demonstrating her dominance by comprehensively defeating the thirteen-time G1 winner Tie The Knot and the Caulfield Cup winner Sky Heights.

Redoute's Choice, who went on to become a champion sire, died in 2019, but Testa Rossa is still alive and the Stud Book lists him as being a rising 28-year-old. Testa Rossa finished stud duties in 2018 after 17 seasons, which produced 65 individual Stakes winners. Testa Rossa, who has champion winners in his own right, is the sire of Geblitzt, the dam of G1 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare.

RACE RECORD - 28: 13-3-0

EARNINGS - $3,034,191

1999 Magic Millions Stakes

1998 Maribyrnong Plate

1998 VATC Debutant Stakes

1999 San Domenico Stakes

1999 VRC Sires Produce Stakes

2000 Lightning Stakes

2000 Ian McEwen Stakes

2000 Futurity Stakes 

2000 VRC Emirates Stakes.