He won the first ever Golden Slipper and went so fast it was like an out of control car

Todman was one of the greatest Australian racehorses and an important sire. Although his career was short, Todman proved himself one of the great sprinter-milers to ever grace the Australian turf. He was perhaps best known as the winner of the inaugural STC Golden Slipper in 1957, being the first of Star Kingdom's five successive winners of the race. In 2023, he was described as "the best winner of the race". He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2005. The first Golden Slipper, worth $20,000, was no big deal and few of the 28,647 present had any idea it would make much impact on Sydney racing. It is now worth $5 million, and is a race of world status, but the extra prizemoney has hardly added to the quality of horse. Todman, the first winner, was possibly the best. The “possibly” comes because of the difficulty in imagining a youngster better on their Golden Slipper day than Vain (1969) and Luskin Star (1977), but Todman was special. Extra special. He made top-liners look like hacks. Yet, those who were there didn’t realise the significance of the horse and the race.

Looking for recollections, former jockey Bill Camer, exposed to top youngsters through Wiggle, winner of the 1958 Stradbroke, is a worthy subject, as he rode New Light against Todman and was expected to contribute to the pace.

“Todman was a great racehorse and out-and-out champion,” Bill Camer recalled. New Light was by Newtown Wonder, very fast and very squibby. Todman blitzed them. At the time, most thought the Golden Slipper would fail. It was a prestigious race, but there just weren’t that many high quality juvenile horses around. If it wasn’t for the Golden Slipper, two-year-old racing would never have taken off. Todman launched it, hitting the ground running. Still, the colt started a 6-1 on favourite, so the success was predictable. Todman was expected to lead, but George Moore, as he was prone to do, bucked the obvious by sending his mount, Dubbo, through to make the pace. Moore wanted to upset Todman’s rhythm, but his jockey, Neville Sellwood, would have none of it. Sellwood took a hold – until the turn, and Todman burned them off by 8L.

The following season he went on to win the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield in record time. Todman hit Australian racing like an atomic bomb.He was less than 15 hands but had a gigantic stride. It was 26 feet, two inches [eight metres], which was massive. The average thoroughbred’s was 20 feet. Bernborough’s, 17 hands, was more than 26 feet, and Phar Lap’s, another giant, estimated at 25 feet. Neville Sellwood, later to die in a race fall in France, explained, “ he went so fast, like a car out of control, he would have trouble getting around a corner." The champion jockey maintained Todman was “too cranky” for the average jockey to gain control.

One of the strongest links to Todman, is former top trainer, Neville Begg, who captured the Golden Slipper with Dark Eclipse (1980) and educated Todman as a yearling. When the colt became “too fast”, only Sellwood and Arthur Richardson, an accomplished track rider for McCarten, had the job of keeping him on ground level.

Later we thought Todman would win the Sires’ Produce [1400m]. He ran into Tulloch, another champion. He was beaten but backed up on the Wednesday in the Champagne Stakes [then 1200m] and beat Tulloch. The only two-year-olds that approached Todman were Luskin Star and Vain. Todman was bred by Stanley Wootton, one of the racing greats. Wootton imported the influential Star Kingdom to Australia and Todman’s dam, Oceana. Todman was the first of Star Kingdom’s five Golden Slipper winners. By sending Star Kingdom here, he hoped he would get early two-year-olds suited to Australian conditions. So Todman was was an early fulfilment to what he had planned.

Des Hoysted broadcast Todman’s Golden Slipper for radio 2GB and last called the race when Sir Dapper (1983) scored. He is still going strong with an interview job at Rosehill Gardens. Hoysted remembers a “bit of a build up for Dubbo” against Todman, but nothing like the hype later of Vain and Special Girl. Vain would have to be very close to the best. Luskin Star is there but, then again, you can’t go past Todman. Of the modern two-year-olds, since 1986, only Tierce was considered in the top 12: Titan, Mollison, Temeraire, Todman, Pago Pago, Storm Queen, Vain, Baguette, Toy Show, Luskin Star, Sir Dapper and Bounding Away make up the others.

RACE RECORD - 12:10-1-0

EARNINGS - £20,805

Golden Slipper Stakes (1957)

Champagne Stakes (1957)

Hobartville Stakes (1957)

Canterbury Guineas (1957)

Lightning Stakes (1960)

Futurity Stakes (1960)