The 'Bronze Bullet' was a crowd favourite and 37,000 fans turned out for two Cox Plate wins

With his striking good looks, and his natural brilliance which produced 24 wins on Australian tracks, including two Cox Plate victories, Tobin Bronze was a public idol and affectionately known to his fans as either “Toby” or the “Bronze Bullet." A chestnut son of Arctic Explorer from the Masthead mare Amarco, he was a crowd favourite and won 24 of his 44 Australian race starts. His record in weight for age races was 16 starts for 12 wins, 3 seconds and 1 third, which is an astounding effort. As a two and three-year-old, Tobin Bronze was a well above average performer, with his best win being in the 1965 Victoria Derby. As a four-year-old he showed his champion qualities wining in succession the Liston Stakes, Craiglee Stakes, Underwood Stakes, Turnbull Stakes, W.S. Cox Plate and Mackinnon Stakes.

Tobin Bronze also won many races under handicap conditions, such as the 1967 VATC Caulfield Cup while carrying 9 stone 10 pounds (62 kg) and the AJC Doncaster Handicap under 9 stone 5 pounds (59 kg). In addition, he won the 1967 VATC Toorak Handicap with 9 stone 12 pounds (63 kg), a weight-carrying record for this event that still stands. An October 2009 Sydney Morning Herald article ranked Tobin Bronze's win in the 1966 Cox Plate as one of the "Top Cox Plate moments." Somehow, more than 37,000 people crammed into The Valley on October 22 that year to see Tobin Bronze take on the likes of Light Fingers and Winfreux, starting a short-priced favourite on the day. The chestnut son of Artic Explorer settled just off the pace throughout the race and when jockey Jim Johnson called on him to make his move, he surged clear and cruised down to the line, the easiest of winners. What he returned to was pure ecstatic elation from the crowd. A hero’s reception was provided as he entered the winner’s circle, and yet no one could foresee that it would be surpassed a year later when he returned to defend his crown.

To add further intrigue in the lead-up to his 2nd Cox Plate, Tobin Bronze owner’s and Adelaide scrap metal dealers, Alf Walter and Donald Brown had sold their champion five-year-old stallion to US businessman William Breliant and Irving Litz. A condition of the sale was that he had to run in the Caulfield Cup, which he did and won the race carrying 61.5kgs. By now the public adulation leading into the Cox Plate was at fever pitch, which went up another notch when it was publicly announced that the Cox Plate would be his final race in Australia. Only the champion stayer Redcraze has ever carried more weight to victory in a Caulfield Cup.

After three seasons in Australia, Tobin Bronze was sold to American interests but not before winning his final race start in Australia, the 1967 W.S. Cox Plate, before a huge crowd. Unbackable as the 1/6 favourite, another heaving crowd of 37,000 were on course to cheer him on, and as he drew clear in the home straight a mighty wave of sound surged with him to the line. There were tears of joy and tears of regret that this was the last time they would see the champion. Trainer Grahame Heagney wept unashamedly, stating, “that is how I wanted him to go out…what a champion!” Jockey Jim Johnson made sure the adoring crowd got to say their final goodbyes to the champion racehorse, and even after he had long gone up the tunnel and back to his stall, they were still chanting for “Toby...Toby...Toby.”

A week later, Tobin Bronze flew out to the US where he finished a game third in the Laurel International before going on to win four more races, but the champ from down under never recaptured his best Australian form. He was moderately successful, where he won a further four times from 16 starts. However, he failed to properly adapt to the dirt tracks used in America. Racing in the United States for the first time, Tobin Bronze finished third in the Washington, D.C. International Stakes. Sent to California to race in 1968, on 2 March Tobin Bronze won in his third start in the United States, capturing the Azucar Purse at Hollywood Park Racetrack.

At stud, Tobin Bronze was the sire of fifteen stakes race winners including Trojan Bronze, the 1975 San Luis Rey Handicap winner, and Noble Bronze, who won the 1978 California Derby. Tobin Bronze died in California in 1994. Following its formation in 2000, he was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.

RACE RECORD - 60: 28-10-6

EARNINGS - A£89,586

Bloodhorse Breeders' Stakes (1965)

Victoria Derby (1965)

Blamey Stakes (1966, 1967)

Craiglee Stakes (1966)

J J Liston Stakes (1966)

Underwood Stakes (1966)

Turnbull Stakes (1966)

W S Cox Plate (1966, 1967)

L.K.S. MacKinnon Stakes (1966)

C F Orr Stakes (1967)

St George Stakes (1967)

All Aged Stakes (1967)

Doncaster Handicap (1967)

Toorak Handicap (1967)

Caulfield Cup (1967)

Azucar Purse (1968)