A tough champion, Young Idea faced some of the greatest racehorses of the era

Young Idea was bred by Percy Miller Kia Ora Stud Scone and was sold for 500 guineas to owner A.G. Hunter. Percy Miller later purchased a half share after the sale and in 1936 purchased A.G.Hunter's half shareholding when transferred to trainer Jack Holt and retired to Kia Ora Stud in 1939. Fred Foulsham was the original trainer. However, Jack Holt took over duties in August 1936.

Constant Son (GB) sire of 10 stakeswinners began stud duty in Australia in 1930. A winner of the Arlington Stakes at Newmarket and later the Derby Gold Cup 1¾ miles. Grandsire, Son-in-Law was the leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1924 and 1930. Major wins being the 1914/15 Jockey Club Cup and the 1914 Goodwood Cup. Dam, Persuasion (AUS) won the 1927 AJC Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick Racecourse. Damsire, The Welkin (GB) the leading sire in Australia 1918/19 and 1920/22 was the sire of the New Zealand champion Gloaming. Young Idea raced between 1934 and 1939, the winner of 8 Group one races in the equivalent modern era and a dual 1936/37 W. S. Cox Plate winner. Also he ran second behind the legendary champion Peter Pan in the 1935 RRC Hill Stakes.

Starting out as a two-year-old juvenile, it was obvious early on that the young colt possessed some ability. He ran 2nd on debut at Flemington in June of 1934. Further placings would follow behind Aureus before winning the Stradbroke Stakes (1005m) and the VRC Sires Produce Stakes (1408m), defeating Homer. Young Idea then travelled to Sydney and cleaned up, winning the AJC Sires Produce Stakes and the AJC Champagne Stakes (1207m) carrying 57.5kg to record four black type wins from 12 starts. 

Young Idea would only win three times as a three-year-old from 13 starts, but fresh up beat the great Hall Mark in the Underwood Stakes (1659m) at Wlliamstown. Hall Mark would go on to win the Memsie in his next start, but two runs later Young Idea would prove victorious in the 1935 WFA Sir Herbert Maitland Stakes at Victoria Park Zetland. A 2nd to the legendary Peter Pan would follow before defeating Garrio in the Caulfield Guineas. He would run 3rd to Cuddle in the St George Stakes and another 3rd placing to Allunga in the VRC St Leger (2816m), jumping up significantly in distance.

Starting 19 times as a four-year-old, Young Idea would run 10 fourth placings and only manage four wins. They would come in the Caulfield Stakes in October of 1936, but his first Cox Plate victory would follow at Moonee Valley when beating Mala by a head. The colt then ran 3rd to Gay Blonde in the McKinnon Stakes (2011m), then went on to win the Linlithgow Stakes (1609m) with 57kg. Young Idea would claim the St George Stakes (1810m) with a hefty 62kg on his back and then run into the brilliant Gold Rod, who defeated him in the Futurity Stakes where he had to lug 64kg and the VRC Essendon Stakes, 3rd and 5th respectively. As a five-year-old, the stallion would win the Underwood Stakes in August 1937, run 2nd to Black Mac in the Memsie, but go on to win his second Cox Plate, defeating Court Craft. A 2nd to Ajax in the Linlithgow Stakes would be followed by a victory in the VRC Final Handicap to round out his campaign.

At six-years of age Young Idea would run into Ajax numerous times and suffer defeat five times at the hands of the mighty horse. His only win in 14 starts would be in the AJC Craven Plate (2011m) at Randwick in October 1938, defeating Stretto, but the big weights at this age were starting to take it's toll. Nevertheless, Young Idea would finish runner-up five times and not finish outside the top five in all his starts at this age, which was a remarkable achievement. Certainly a long career even by the standards of the day, Young Idea was a champion that ran among champions and knew how to put up a fight. These were long, difficult campaigns with plenty of travel involved up to NSW and back, however Young Idea was a sturdy champion that proved his mettle in 70 starts over five years of racing.


RACE RECORD  - 70: 15-11-13
EARNINGS - £18,555

AJC Sires Produce Stakes (1935)
AJC Champagne Stakes (1935)
VRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1935)
Sir Herbert Maitland Stakes (1935)
Caulfield Guineas (1935)
Underwood Stakes (1935, 1937)
Caulfield Stakes (1936)
Linlithgow Stakes (1936)
W. S. Cox Plate (1936, 1937)
St George Stakes (1937)
AJC Craven Plate (1938)