Vite Cheval was an exciting 2yo in New Zealand, but came of age in a number of Australian feature races

Racehorse Vite Cheval was bred in New Zealand in 1980 and was by Vice Regal (Bismark) from Vite Fillette and was trained by Queensland trainer Ian Saunders.

Vice Regal out of the mare Kind Regards (by Le Filou) was a champion Kiwi galloper and a one of New Zealand’s finest ever Sires, winning a SA St Leger, Feehan, Liston and Freeway Stakes alongside the NZ 3yo features in 1976/77. Veteran jockey Kevin Mitchell who was then in his mid fifties rode the horse in most of his big wins.

A very exciting chesnut horse small in stature, Vite Cheval started 31 times for 11 wins, 2 seconds and 6 thirds and amassed prize money totaling $522, 502. He only raced 8 times in New Zealand as a two-year-old but won a Group 1 at Ellerslie over 1400m in 1983.

Some of his most important wins included the 1984 Doncaster Handicap, the 1985 AJC All Aged Stakes, the 1984 Queensland Guineas, the 1985 VATC Futurity Stakes, the 1984 MVRV Manikato Stakes together with an ARC Sires Produce, QTC Sires Produce, the Group III STC Sir Robert Askin and BATC Channel 7 Classic. The 1984 winner of the Doncaster was a three-year-old trained by the astute Ian (Skinny) Saunders who could keep a secret better than most. The jockey was a remarkable 55-year-old called Kevin Mitchell, who liked nothing better than a well-planned coup. Vite Cheval started favourite at $5 and reportedly landed some sizeable wagers.

He was retired to stud with some good success, especially producing wet trackers, and died in 2003.