I'm 50 years old and kingston town is my sporting hero ever since I was about 8 some people have footy players or race car drivers etc but my hero was then and still is today a horse .
Yes still get goose bumps watching the King all these years later. I'm 43 yrs old & can still remember those races from when I was just a wide eyed young boy taking interest in horse racing, all thanks to the deeds of the best horse our nation has ever seen. I'm a horse racing tragic & let me tell you he is the best post war without any doubts! What that horse had to endure in his career was astonishing. Lesser animals wouldn't even be able to canter with his injuries. Long live the KING!
Thanks Jamie! I too was a mad Kingston Town fan, I cant say how many times I have watched his Cox Plates wins not to mention all his other great wins. And I still get a tear in my eye. I think what made his Cox Plate wins even better was the fact that he never really handled the Melbourne turns very well and lost ground as a result. He also had so much time off withserious injury yet still came back to win races. A real champion.
Just wanted to say that Kingstown Town was the best racehorse I have ever seen. I think he was the best horse in the world at the time. His acceleration was spellbinding. Won from 1200m to 3200m, blinding acceleration no matter the distance. Don't think I'll see a better one. Long live the King.
When I worked at Bart's as a strapper I took care of many great runners including the mighty Ming Dynasty ,still the last horse to win 2 Caulfield Cups. Ming Beat Kingston Town fair and square in the Cup of 1980 but "The King" is still the best horse that I have ever seen in the flesh, a machine. Tommy Smith said that he never thought that he would ever train another as good as Tulloch but after training Kingston Town he said " by gee he was quick". Yes he was Tom, very quick.
Wolfie frm Barts grt horseman. i remember u well i had Double Century. Greatest ever era of racing every week. Dulcify Hyperno Mingo Mighty kingdom Manikato i remember them all. Double century should have gone to the arc. i remember T j Smith telling Macca go defeat Troy the Melb cup can wait if only they had listened.
Amazing. My oldman showed me these races on the VHS many years ago. Fell in love with horse racing after this, and the rest is history. Long live the King!
One of the greatest moments in racing history..The King, the crowd screaming, he smelt blood in water and delivered..will never forget him and this great moment..
What the King did which Winx has never done is beat the quality of horse that Kingston town beat and from 1200 to 3200. Winx is still the best since Kingston Town.
Yea I agree. That's the difference Kingston town beat other great horses over every distance. Winx hasn't beaten top horse over every distance like the KING!!!
Kingston Town is still the latest local benchmark for racing in this country but he never raced overseas. Only two Australian horses have raced overseas against international competition in then the worlds richest race and won. For me they are the ultimate benchmark for an Australian horse.
I will leave one more name to that list who was just as electrifying but sadly died after being injured in the 1979 Melbourne Cup and that was the beast of burden and complete superstar by the name of Dulcify.
I can recall so many of the King's wins, some of my happiest moments on a track. His acceleration was amazing to watch. Just the best I have seen. Great moments. Thanks for the video, memories came flooding back.
It's actually quite extraordinary he won 3 straight Cox Plate against a lot of very good horses. If you look close enough he wobbles around the home turn on all 3 occasions, and hangs in all the way down the straight but still wins. That's what Champions are all about. If he had 4 good legs you would never have seen which way he went. Such fond memories. Cheers.
I fondly remember listening to the third tilt at the Plate in a foxhole on a training exercise in a north Queensland jungle somewhere during my army days. My pit partner and I were both avid punters and couldn't hide our excitement at the mighty King winning three in a row and made such a racket that the platoon commander severely chastised us for. Ah memories! Still have that little transistor radio today even.
Great race, great call, great horse, great day actually. Manikato got to his million on the same day, beating Rancher, the new gun on the block, and at a time when everyone had written off the Man. Best day at the track a man ever had.
I did all research,Kingston Town,the greatest ever raced,that's a fact,all the greatest,past, present, the black horse,best ever,to this day, I'm right! THE KING
Fair call at the time - watch the video closely. He was hard ridden and stuck in traffic. "The Accurate One" recovered though ... "Kingston Town flashing and he might win yet the champ" - he called that early.
rufus102 - No not a Fair Call, an Inaccurate call. He made the Amateurish mistake of Under Estimating a CHAMPION. Bill Collins one of the Great Race Callers, but sadly took this one to his grave.
'Kingston Town can't win". Bill Collins took those words to his grave. In my lifetime, i was born in 1949, the King is the best horse i have ever seen bar none.
Great post Jamie. Thank you. I've heard so much about this brilliant horse, and now to see him win that first Cox Plate, at his peak, and to beat that terrific field the third time, from a hopeless position. It's hard to find a better all-time champion. I'm grateful to you.
The King - The best Horse in the last 50 years in a canter.... The Cox Plate is seen as the best race to win as it is a weight for age race. The Melb Cup is a mugs race in comparison and the handicapping doesn't always mean the BEST Horse wins. What Makybe Diva and Black Caviar achieved was amazing (albeit Black Caviar was a protected species and was never allowed to show us what she could do in anything other than a sprint race) BUT the King will always be the greatest. This Horse was run into the ground being a gelding. Had injuries that probably robbed us of his absolute best. Imagine him being better ? What a great Horse....
@@CaptainStabbin1989 Winx wouldn't have beaten Vain over a sprint.... An autumn 1980 version of Kingston Town tames Winx.. Lonhro over 1500m RoseHill could have knocked Winx off on any given day.. Sunline would have beaten Winx on a few occasions.. Better Loosen Up would have drawn blood at his mighty best... Winx was superb in terms of longevity but her three only legitimate rivals were Hartnell, Happy Clapper and Humidor..Good horses of yesteryear would have beaten her on occasions.. Too many 30yo journalists around
What a ride by Peter Cook!!!! No other jockey back then could have got the King up for his third Cox Plate. Peter and his dad were marvelous horsemen and a credit to the jockey ranks. Use to be a saying in the last in Sydney, "Cookie in the last".........many a time he got punters out in the last. The King would have won that Melbourne cup if Cook was on him, Miracle Mal "butchered" the ride on the King, going much too early on him in the straight.
Jay Bee - No, Totally Wrong. I’m aHuge fan of “The King” too, Best thing on a Racetrack I’ve ever seen, but “ Miracle” Johnston did nothing wrong on 5he King in The 82’ Cup. Gave him the run of the race, and went on him at the precise time, that would have made the sweepers run almost impossible last sectionals to catch the “Winning Break” that Johnston knew he could set up. BUT, what beat Kingston Town that day was another CHAMPION of the Australian Turf in the way of one L. Dittman “ THE ENFORCER” aboard Gurner’s Lane. Go back and have a look at the replay and you’ll clearly see that Dittman’s Sheer Brilliance in the ride, whereas he only left the rail at any given time, was to go around another runner, which happened a few times throughout the race, and as he was toward the rear of the field for most of the journey, coming to the home turn, although he hadn’t “Spent a Penny” in the run, he still had quite a lot of lengths to make up, but as you’d be aware, the Flemington straight is a long run home. As you can see in the replay, Dittman (as can be seen in the replay) still only left the rail down the straight, to pass tiring runners, but had “Fresher Legs” than the King AND a Pull in the weights over that final 200m. It must have felt like an Eternity for Johnson for that winning post to loom large, but Sadly the Long Neck margin that he went under by, was NOT an Error in Judgement on his part, but a combination of events + one L.Dittman. Kingston Town, Best Horse I’ve ever seen and L. Dittman , Best Hoop I’ve ever seen. This is why T.J. Smith went after Mick Dittman to be his Stable Jockey, and said “Name Your Price”. I know I wouldn’t question somebody who has won 2 Melbourne Cups, 4 Caulfield Cups, 7 Cox Plates, 6 Golden Slippers, And 34 Sydney Trainer’s Premierships.
@@filipina5953 terrific summation...Malcolm has come out and admitted many times that he should have sat on the fence and exploded later.. That's racing.. The 82 cup would have looked great on the King's resume..Arguably the greatest horse of them all
You can tell a good Race horse by when they're on the wrong leg like Kingston town was when he raced left handed he would compensate by really sticking his nose out which if you watch his Melbourne footage around bends he always tended to do,when he raced in Sydney he was at ease,the second cox plate win best illustrates what I'm talking about.The good horses always stick their nose out and forward.
The best racehorse I've ever seen?, well maybe, it's a close call between Kingston Town and Secretariat. The King is my favorite horse of all time though.
The King was absolutely awesome. His turn of foot was incredible. It was like he was shot out of a cannon. The great European middle distance horse from 1985-1986 Dancing Brave is the only other horse with comparable electrifying mind blowing speed at the end of a mile and a quarter or half that ive had the pleasure of watching. The only three Southern hemisphere horses I've seen in the last thirty years that might have lowered the Kings colours at his best over a mile and a quarter in my opinion would be the mighty mare Winx the wonderful Better Loosen Up around the time he won the Japan Cup when he was at his imperious best pre injury and the dark bay beast from the mighty Waikato the mighty So You Think.
Ill stow away at sea Youll make me mutiny . Soul Survivor it was like a shot out of a cannon on those beautiful autumn afternoons . Still looking for that acceleration today. If i had just one wish i would not hesitate to go back again.
+Soul Survivor You're a good judge. Kingston Town is still the latest local benchmark for racing in this country but he never raced overseas. Only two Australian horses have raced overseas against international competition in then the worlds richest race and won - Phar Lap and Better Loosen Up. Better Loosen Up proved he was the best in the world when he won the Japan Cup. The horses he beat won major G1 in Europe and North America including Belmez who won the premier open age G1 in UK - King George. BLU won the Cox Plate in record time despite at one stage being 30 lengths behind the leader and losing a shoe during that race. Phenomenal horse. Dulcify would be up there as well.
I used to be a Dancing Brave fan until I saw an American horse called Dr Fager. Dr Fager gave Australian legend Tobin Bronze a very easy Cox Cup winner and Caulfield cup winner with 9-10 18lbs and a beating on grass. Think about it 18lbs. Dr Fagers dirt world record for one mile, is the scariest performance I have ever seen on UA-cam. To be honest, I do not think there is a horse that could beat Dr Fager at any distance at a mile or less. 10 furlongs maybe but at a mile no chance. Awesome. Kingston Town looks like Winxs big brother. Winx is amazing to watch, deserves her number 1 spot in the world.
whoever is comparing Makybe Diva n Black Caviar to Kingston Town knows nothing about racing !! The King won from 1200-3200 giving horses weight ...Caviar was just a Sprinter n a protected one at that ...Makybe Diva was just a Stayer .... The only horse I could ever compare with Kingston Town would be Northerly ....best 2 horses ive seen !! Winx could possibly join that list ...next season will determine her greatness !!
So true ! Agree completely well almost I have to give a tick to Black Caviar 25 from 25. Kingston Towns greatest run was the 1982 Melbourne Cup. A broken down champ by a sprinting stallion nearly pulls off the impossible and wins Australias greatest staying test !
While I agree the King was the best racehorse of the last 40 years or more and Black Caviar, although a Champion, was a protected species ( should have run in Hay Lists Newmarket with maybe 61.5 ? ), I can't understand why you would say Makybe Diva was just a Stayer !! She won at Group 1 level at 1400m and 2000m (3 times) the GOOD horses distance.. She only really came into her own as an older Mare Just saying. Northerly = Champion .Where is Sunline ? :)
The third cox plate win was freakish he had no right to win he was hard ridden and stuck in traffic and there was some very good horses in that field but thats why he was the king he took heart and beat the odds best racehorse i ever saw hands down
NUS01 Kingston Town had his time... and how the legend has been overstated... 3 Cox Plates is amazing, yes, but even Red Anchor ran a faster time and if not for injury then Red Anchor would've also re-written the history books... Makybe Diva and Black Caviar's legends will live on longer... 3 Melb Cups is incredible, but 3 in a row is the things legends are made of... and BCs 25 wins in a row also... Kingston Town is like a poor cousin to those 2 horses.
AVportau the king won group1 races from distances from 1200 metres to 3200 metres and won more group 1 races in an era of some very good horses those horses you have mentioned are champions but theres a difference between a champion and a great champion prove too me otherwise
if peter cook was on the king in the 82 cup he wouldve won. he won on black knight in 84 and both horses were positioned identically throughout their respective racs except that cook didnt move on black knight untill the 250
Amanda Johnson - No, Mick Dittman’s brilliant ride on Gurner’s Lane, whereas he only left the rail to pass other runners during the race is what the difference was in the Long Neck margin at the finishing post. Johnston didn’t butcher the ride in any way. Go back and look at the replay, in particular Gurner’s Lane toward the rear of the field, and continue to watch him progress to the top of the straight, and you’ll clearly see that, Dittman produced him, (with the freshest set of legs), and with the pull in the weights, Johnston (as he’d done on other occasions) thought he’d set up,a winning break, an in- assailable lead, which I He was under instruction to do, as most horses he’d done this to, had never caught him before. I believe Dittman saved Gurners Lane somewhere between 5-7 L in the run, and The King only went under by a Long Neck from memory. The Enforcer, Best Jockey I ever saw. And as History would have it, TJ Smith went after (and secured) Dittman as his stable Jockey. I think that in itself says it all - A Trainer who won 2 Melbourne Cups, 4 Caulfield Cups, 7 Cox Plates, 6 Golden Slippers, And 34 Sydney Trainer’s Premierships, only takes the Elite.
so many good horses over the years... Black Caviar is a sprinting legend, Makybe Diva incredible, Red Anchor may have been if not for injury... Kingston Town is rated higher, but better than Black Caviar or Makybe Diva? i'm not so sure.... different distances so it's the ol' "horses for courses" i guess... hard to beat Makybe Diva's 3 Melb Cups in a row... Kingston Town couldn't even do it once with a 20th and a 2nd.
AVportau Kingston town would brain makybe diva, he wasn't looked after by the handicapper like she was look at the weights he was asked to carry. There is no way she is in Kingston Towns class - come to think of it she isn't even in the class of Northerly or Sunline, just look at her cox plate she beat fields of omagh by a length yet Northerly beat the same horse in a cox plate by 15. So on that logic northerly is a better horse by 14 lengths! Of all the horses of the past 36 years I'd say only northerly, might and power, so you think and sunline would be comparable to the King.
onedingshort well when they win 3 Melbourne Cups in a row like Makybe Diva... or 25 wins in a row (including 15 GR1 eclipsing Kingston Town) like Black Caviar has... then they can be compared... it's one thing to talk about doing it, another to actually do it... and nowhere here do you consider track and weather conditions... so can you tell us all how many Melbourne Cups Kingston Town won?
AVportau you're missing the point. I'd take 3 cox plate wins in a row over 3 melb cup wins any day. Cox plate clearly is won by the best of the best, where as anyone can win the Melbourne cup given the handicap system. And for Kingston town to win from 1200-3200m just goes to show how unbelievable of a horse he was
Luke Smith i don't deny Kingston Town was a great horse. one of the best. Red Anchor probably could've been as good if not for injury... but 25 wins in a row including 15 Group 1 wins like Black Caviar?... could you put your money on Kingston Town that reliably?... not a chance... and i don't think we'll ever see another horse win 3 Melb Cups in a row in our lifetimes, if ever so props to Makybe Diva... you can blame the handicappers, track, distance, conditions, but they don't give the prize money for Melb Cup for nothing, which is a world famous race, unlike the Cox Plate which even Red Anchor's 1 Cox Plate win was faster than any of Kingston Towns 3 wins... Plenty of big Gr1 races in Oz... where did Kingston Town win outside of Australia?... where did Kingston Town face as big an international field as in the Melb Cup and actually win?... ratings are based on history but in reality the 2 horses i mentioned, Makybe Diva and Black Caviar, will go on to be remembered as true legends, and Kingston Town will be loved but not as memorable... Black Caviar probably rates highest of all in reality.... 25 wins in a row "undefeated" is something Kingston Town's connections could only dream of... and from wikis Cox Plate page it says "The double with the Melbourne Cup has only been achieved by six horses: Makybe Diva, Might and Power, Saintly, Nightmarch, Phar Lap, and Rising Fast. Only three horses have ever won the Melbourne Cup and then gone on to win the W.S. Cox Plate the following year: Phar Lap, Might and Power and Makybe Diva." and Black Caviars awards?... plenty... 1st in World Thoroughbred Rankings (2013) WTRR World Champion Sprinter (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) Australian Racehorse of the Year (2011, 2012, 2013) Australian Champion Sprinter (2011, 2012, 2013) European Champion Sprinter (2012)
I'm 50 years old and kingston town is my sporting hero ever since I was about 8 some people have footy players or race car drivers etc but my hero was then and still is today a horse .
Yes still get goose bumps watching the King all these years later. I'm 43 yrs old & can still remember those races from when I was just a wide eyed young boy taking interest in horse racing, all thanks to the deeds of the best horse our nation has ever seen. I'm a horse racing tragic & let me tell you he is the best post war without any doubts! What that horse had to endure in his career was astonishing. Lesser animals wouldn't even be able to canter with his injuries. Long live the KING!
Thanks Jamie! I too was a mad Kingston Town fan, I cant say how many times I have watched his Cox Plates wins not to mention all his other great wins. And I still get a tear in my eye. I think what made his Cox Plate wins even better was the fact that he never really handled the Melbourne turns very well and lost ground as a result. He also had so much time off withserious injury yet still came back to win races. A real champion.
Just wanted to say that Kingstown Town was the best racehorse I have ever seen. I think he was the best horse in the world at the time. His acceleration was spellbinding. Won from 1200m to 3200m, blinding acceleration no matter the distance. Don't think I'll see a better one. Long live the King.
Sam Rabinovici - And he could Sprint up to 3 times in the one race, a feat I’ve never seen emulated.
When I worked at Bart's as a strapper I took care of many great runners including the mighty Ming Dynasty ,still the last horse to win 2 Caulfield Cups. Ming Beat Kingston Town fair and square in the Cup of 1980 but "The King" is still the best horse that I have ever seen in the flesh, a machine. Tommy Smith said that he never thought that he would ever train another as good as Tulloch but after training Kingston Town he said " by gee he was quick". Yes he was Tom, very quick.
Wolfie frm Barts grt horseman. i remember u well i had Double Century. Greatest ever era of racing every week. Dulcify Hyperno Mingo Mighty kingdom Manikato i remember them all. Double century should have gone to the arc. i remember T j Smith telling Macca go defeat Troy the Melb cup can wait if only they had listened.
Simply awesome! The best racehorse I've ever seen.
Amazing. My oldman showed me these races on the VHS many years ago. Fell in love with horse racing after this, and the rest is history. Long live the King!
A sign of his greatness was how easy he beat great horses. The best I've ever seen and you can throw them all in.
One of the greatest moments in racing history..The King, the crowd screaming, he smelt blood in water and delivered..will never forget him and this great moment..
What the King did which Winx has never done is beat the quality of horse that Kingston town beat and from 1200 to 3200. Winx is still the best since Kingston Town.
Yea I agree. That's the difference Kingston town beat other great horses over every distance. Winx hasn't beaten top horse over every distance like the KING!!!
Kingston Town is still the latest local benchmark for racing in this country but he never raced overseas. Only two Australian horses have raced overseas against international competition in then the worlds richest race and won. For me they are the ultimate benchmark for an Australian horse.
I will leave one more name to that list who was just as electrifying but sadly died after being injured in the 1979 Melbourne Cup and that was the beast of burden and complete superstar by the name of Dulcify.
The greatest Cox Plate win of then all
Dulcify a real champion
@@anneshaw9681 maybe but i do like sunline in the 2000 cox plate great win
A true champion...1982 was made even more special by the late and great bill collins...cant win..has become folklore!!
I can recall so many of the King's wins, some of my happiest moments on a track. His acceleration was amazing to watch. Just the best I have seen. Great moments. Thanks for the video, memories came flooding back.
It's actually quite extraordinary he won 3 straight Cox Plate against a lot of very good horses. If you look close enough he wobbles around the home turn on all 3 occasions, and hangs in all the way down the straight but still wins. That's what Champions are all about. If he had 4 good legs you would never have seen which way he went. Such fond memories. Cheers.
ur so right the greatest in 50 years just love watching these horses from nz
SvendBosanvovski 😢😢
I fondly remember listening to the third tilt at the Plate in a foxhole on a training exercise in a north Queensland jungle somewhere during my army days. My pit partner and I were both avid punters and couldn't hide our excitement at the mighty King winning three in a row and made such a racket that the platoon commander severely chastised us for. Ah memories! Still have that little transistor radio today even.
Great race, great call, great horse, great day actually. Manikato got to his million on the same day, beating Rancher, the new gun on the block, and at a time when everyone had written off the Man. Best day at the track a man ever had.
I did all research,Kingston Town,the greatest ever raced,that's a fact,all the greatest,past, present, the black horse,best ever,to this day, I'm right! THE KING
Fair call at the time - watch the video closely. He was hard ridden and stuck in traffic. "The Accurate One" recovered though ... "Kingston Town flashing and he might win yet the champ" - he called that early.
rufus102 - No not a Fair Call, an Inaccurate call. He made the Amateurish mistake of Under Estimating a CHAMPION. Bill Collins one of the Great Race Callers, but sadly took this one to his grave.
'Kingston Town can't win". Bill Collins took those words to his grave. In my lifetime, i was born in 1949, the King is the best horse i have ever seen bar none.
Anthony Walsh - Totally agree. Could do it all. And did! 👏👏
Kingston Town a legend indeed.
Great post Jamie. Thank you. I've heard so much about this brilliant horse, and now to see him win that first Cox Plate, at his peak, and to beat that terrific field the third time, from a hopeless position. It's hard to find a better all-time champion. I'm grateful to you.
The King - The best Horse in the last 50 years in a canter....
The Cox Plate is seen as the best race to win as it is a weight for age race. The Melb Cup is a mugs race in comparison and the handicapping doesn't always mean the BEST Horse wins. What Makybe Diva and Black Caviar achieved was amazing (albeit Black Caviar was a protected species and was never allowed to show us what she could do in anything other than a sprint race) BUT the King will always be the greatest. This Horse was run into the ground being a gelding. Had injuries that probably robbed us of his absolute best. Imagine him being better ?
What a great Horse....
Rioli33 yeah, the Melbourne Cup is the best race, but the WS Cox Plate is the race for the best horse.
Winx now has to be in the conversation
Vain still first The King second Winx third
12 Inch - 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@CaptainStabbin1989 Winx wouldn't have beaten Vain over a sprint.... An autumn 1980 version of Kingston Town tames Winx.. Lonhro over 1500m RoseHill could have knocked Winx off on any given day.. Sunline would have beaten Winx on a few occasions.. Better Loosen Up would have drawn blood at his mighty best... Winx was superb in terms of longevity but her three only legitimate rivals were Hartnell, Happy Clapper and Humidor..Good horses of yesteryear would have beaten her on occasions.. Too many 30yo journalists around
What a ride by Peter Cook!!!! No other jockey back then could have got the King up for his third Cox Plate. Peter and his dad were marvelous horsemen and a credit to the jockey ranks. Use to be a saying in the last in Sydney, "Cookie in the last".........many a time he got punters out in the last.
The King would have won that Melbourne cup if Cook was on him, Miracle Mal "butchered" the ride on the King, going much too early on him in the straight.
Jay Bee - No, Totally Wrong. I’m aHuge fan of “The King” too, Best thing on a Racetrack I’ve ever seen, but “ Miracle” Johnston did nothing wrong on 5he King in The 82’ Cup. Gave him the run of the race, and went on him at the precise time, that would have made the sweepers run almost impossible last sectionals to catch the “Winning Break” that Johnston knew he could set up. BUT, what beat Kingston Town that day was another CHAMPION of the Australian Turf in the way of one L. Dittman “ THE ENFORCER” aboard Gurner’s Lane. Go back and have a look at the replay and you’ll clearly see that Dittman’s Sheer Brilliance in the ride, whereas he only left the rail at any given time, was to go around another runner, which happened a few times throughout the race, and as he was toward the rear of the field for most of the journey, coming to the home turn, although he hadn’t “Spent a Penny” in the run, he still had quite a lot of lengths to make up, but as you’d be aware, the Flemington straight is a long run home. As you can see in the replay, Dittman (as can be seen in the replay) still only left the rail down the straight, to pass tiring runners, but had “Fresher Legs” than the King AND a Pull in the weights over that final 200m. It must have felt like an Eternity for Johnson for that winning post to loom large, but Sadly the Long Neck margin that he went under by, was NOT an Error in Judgement on his part, but a combination of events + one L.Dittman. Kingston Town, Best Horse I’ve ever seen and L. Dittman , Best Hoop I’ve ever seen. This is why T.J. Smith went after Mick Dittman to be his Stable Jockey, and said “Name Your Price”. I know I wouldn’t question somebody who has won 2 Melbourne Cups, 4 Caulfield Cups, 7 Cox Plates, 6 Golden Slippers, And 34 Sydney Trainer’s Premierships.
@@filipina5953 terrific summation...Malcolm has come out and admitted many times that he should have sat on the fence and exploded later.. That's racing.. The 82 cup would have looked great on the King's resume..Arguably the greatest horse of them all
Champion horse, one of the greatest!
Goosebumps... thanks for posting ! what a champion !
At the time there were some great horses, Grosvenor, Veloso, Cossack Prince, but the King was better than all of them. Sadly missed.
Great horse. My wife piked him the first time he won at Rosehill Races as a maiden and won at 33/1.
In anyone's top ten Aussie racehorses, he had a heart that just wouldn't quit.
Winx is up there but no horse would ever eclipse the KING's achievement in the cox plate.
Winx !!! Try running down the king
She wouldnt have got near the king
You can tell a good Race horse by when they're on the wrong leg like Kingston town was when he raced left handed he would compensate by really sticking his nose out which if you watch his Melbourne footage around bends he always tended to do,when he raced in Sydney he was at ease,the second cox plate win best illustrates what I'm talking about.The good horses always stick their nose out and forward.
any other horse wouldnt have won from the postion kingston town was in, but kingston wasnt just any other horse
Today the best this century goes for a third Cox Plate... Winx. Don't miss history.
Put her in the cup and then we'll see if she is the best...Kingston Town won over all distances..Winx has not.
lovely memories....thank you Vynka and Malcolm
He was a monster.
There is one you've been waiting. The mighty mare WINX. In nine hours time. We' ll find out.
Couldnt beat the King!!
The best racehorse I've ever seen?, well maybe, it's a close call between Kingston Town and Secretariat. The King is my favorite horse of all time though.
In case you're wondering, I'm Brittany's dad posting this!
Kingston Town can't win, my arse!
Bill Collins shows his Melbourne bias yet again.
The King was absolutely awesome. His turn of foot was incredible. It was like he was shot out of a cannon. The great European middle distance horse from 1985-1986 Dancing Brave is the only other horse with comparable electrifying mind blowing speed at the end of a mile and a quarter or half that ive had the pleasure of watching. The only three Southern hemisphere horses I've seen in the last thirty years that might have lowered the Kings colours at his best over a mile and a quarter in my opinion would be the mighty mare Winx the wonderful Better Loosen Up around the time he won the Japan Cup when he was at his imperious best pre injury and the dark bay beast from the mighty Waikato the mighty So You Think.
He lost that speed after qld shouldve been spelled after autumn. imagine if theyd kept him in cotton wool by todays standards.
Ill stow away at sea Youll make me mutiny . Soul Survivor it was like a shot out of a cannon on those beautiful autumn afternoons . Still looking for that acceleration today. If i had just one wish i would not hesitate to go back again.
+Soul Survivor
You're a good judge. Kingston Town is still the latest local benchmark for racing in this country but he never raced overseas. Only two Australian horses have raced overseas against international competition in then the worlds richest race and won - Phar Lap and Better Loosen Up. Better Loosen Up proved he was the best in the world when he won the Japan Cup. The horses he beat won major G1 in Europe and North America including Belmez who won the premier open age G1 in UK - King George. BLU won the Cox Plate in record time despite at one stage being 30 lengths behind the leader and losing a shoe during that race. Phenomenal horse. Dulcify would be up there as well.
I used to be a Dancing Brave fan until I saw an American horse called Dr Fager. Dr Fager gave Australian legend Tobin Bronze a very easy Cox Cup winner and Caulfield cup winner with 9-10 18lbs and a beating on grass. Think about it 18lbs. Dr Fagers dirt world record for one mile, is the scariest performance I have ever seen on UA-cam. To be honest, I do not think there is a horse that could beat Dr Fager at any distance at a mile or less. 10 furlongs maybe but at a mile no chance. Awesome. Kingston Town looks like Winxs big brother. Winx is amazing to watch, deserves her number 1 spot in the world.
3 cox plates....says itself!!
it's almost like he is looking for the winning post with his head tilted to the left.
Racehorses are a dim a dozen,very few have blinding acceleration,the King had it in spades.Have not seen anything better since.
whoever is comparing Makybe Diva n Black Caviar to Kingston Town knows nothing about racing !! The King won from 1200-3200 giving horses weight ...Caviar was just a Sprinter n a protected one at that ...Makybe Diva was just a Stayer .... The only horse I could ever compare with Kingston Town would be Northerly ....best 2 horses ive seen !! Winx could possibly join that list ...next season will determine her greatness !!
So You Think is in that class as well!
good judge
So true ! Agree completely well almost I have to give a tick to Black Caviar 25 from 25. Kingston Towns greatest run was the 1982 Melbourne Cup. A broken down champ by a sprinting stallion nearly pulls off the impossible and wins Australias greatest staying test !
While I agree the King was the best racehorse of the last 40 years or more and Black Caviar, although a Champion, was a protected species ( should have run in Hay Lists Newmarket with maybe 61.5 ? ), I can't understand why you would say Makybe Diva was just a Stayer !! She won at Group 1 level at 1400m and 2000m (3 times) the GOOD horses distance.. She only really came into her own as an older Mare Just saying. Northerly = Champion .Where is Sunline ? :)
Compared to Phar Lap? WonVRC Melbourne Stakes (wfa)01/11/193010f 8.11WonVRC Melbourne Cup04/11/19302m 9.12WonVRC Linlithgow Stakes (wfa)06/11/1930 8f8.12WonVRC C.B. Fisher Plate (wfa)08/11/193012f 8.12
The third cox plate win was freakish he had no right to win he was hard ridden and stuck in traffic and there was some very good horses in that field but thats why he was the king he took heart and beat the odds best racehorse i ever saw hands down
better than Makybe Diva?
miles better , except at 2 miles.
NUS01 Kingston Town had his time... and how the legend has been overstated... 3 Cox Plates is amazing, yes, but even Red Anchor ran a faster time and if not for injury then Red Anchor would've also re-written the history books... Makybe Diva and Black Caviar's legends will live on longer... 3 Melb Cups is incredible, but 3 in a row is the things legends are made of... and BCs 25 wins in a row also... Kingston Town is like a poor cousin to those 2 horses.
AVportau the king won group1 races from distances from 1200 metres to 3200 metres and won more group 1 races in an era of some very good horses those horses you have mentioned are champions but theres a difference between a champion and a great champion prove too me otherwise
Yes the king won group 1 races from 1200 metres too 3200 metres so yes better then makybe diva
if peter cook was on the king in the 82 cup he wouldve won. he won on black knight in 84 and both horses were positioned identically throughout their respective racs except that cook didnt move on black knight untill the 250
Amanda Johnson - No, Mick Dittman’s brilliant ride on Gurner’s Lane, whereas he only left the rail to pass other runners during the race is what the difference was in the Long Neck margin at the finishing post. Johnston didn’t butcher the ride in any way. Go back and look at the replay, in particular Gurner’s Lane toward the rear of the field, and continue to watch him progress to the top of the straight, and you’ll clearly see that, Dittman produced him, (with the freshest set of legs), and with the pull in the weights, Johnston (as he’d done on other occasions) thought he’d set up,a winning break, an in- assailable lead, which I He was under instruction to do, as most horses he’d done this to, had never caught him before. I believe Dittman saved Gurners Lane somewhere between 5-7 L in the run, and The King only went under by a Long Neck from memory. The Enforcer, Best Jockey I ever saw. And as History would have it, TJ Smith went after (and secured) Dittman as his stable Jockey. I think that in itself says it all - A Trainer who won 2 Melbourne Cups, 4 Caulfield Cups, 7 Cox Plates, 6 Golden Slippers, And 34 Sydney Trainer’s Premierships, only takes the Elite.
Guts GUTS GUTSY
was gelded at his first start..he run last I believe
so many good horses over the years... Black Caviar is a sprinting legend, Makybe Diva incredible, Red Anchor may have been if not for injury... Kingston Town is rated higher, but better than Black Caviar or Makybe Diva? i'm not so sure.... different distances so it's the ol' "horses for courses" i guess... hard to beat Makybe Diva's 3 Melb Cups in a row... Kingston Town couldn't even do it once with a 20th and a 2nd.
AVportau Kingston town would brain makybe diva, he wasn't looked after by the handicapper like she was look at the weights he was asked to carry. There is no way she is in Kingston Towns class - come to think of it she isn't even in the class of Northerly or Sunline, just look at her cox plate she beat fields of omagh by a length yet Northerly beat the same horse in a cox plate by 15. So on that logic northerly is a better horse by 14 lengths! Of all the horses of the past 36 years I'd say only northerly, might and power, so you think and sunline would be comparable to the King.
onedingshort well when they win 3 Melbourne Cups in a row like Makybe Diva... or 25 wins in a row (including 15 GR1 eclipsing Kingston Town) like Black Caviar has... then they can be compared... it's one thing to talk about doing it, another to actually do it... and nowhere here do you consider track and weather conditions... so can you tell us all how many Melbourne Cups Kingston Town won?
AVportau you're missing the point. I'd take 3 cox plate wins in a row over 3 melb cup wins any day. Cox plate clearly is won by the best of the best, where as anyone can win the Melbourne cup given the handicap system. And for Kingston town to win from 1200-3200m just goes to show how unbelievable of a horse he was
Luke Smith i don't deny Kingston Town was a great horse. one of the best. Red Anchor probably could've been as good if not for injury... but 25 wins in a row including 15 Group 1 wins like Black Caviar?... could you put your money on Kingston Town that reliably?... not a chance... and i don't think we'll ever see another horse win 3 Melb Cups in a row in our lifetimes, if ever so props to Makybe Diva... you can blame the handicappers, track, distance, conditions, but they don't give the prize money for Melb Cup for nothing, which is a world famous race, unlike the Cox Plate which even Red Anchor's 1 Cox Plate win was faster than any of Kingston Towns 3 wins... Plenty of big Gr1 races in Oz... where did Kingston Town win outside of Australia?... where did Kingston Town face as big an international field as in the Melb Cup and actually win?... ratings are based on history but in reality the 2 horses i mentioned, Makybe Diva and Black Caviar, will go on to be remembered as true legends, and Kingston Town will be loved but not as memorable... Black Caviar probably rates highest of all in reality.... 25 wins in a row "undefeated" is something Kingston Town's connections could only dream of... and from wikis Cox Plate page it says
"The double with the Melbourne Cup has only been achieved by six horses: Makybe Diva, Might and Power, Saintly, Nightmarch, Phar Lap, and Rising Fast.
Only three horses have ever won the Melbourne Cup and then gone on to win the W.S. Cox Plate the following year: Phar Lap, Might and Power and Makybe Diva."
and Black Caviars awards?... plenty...
1st in World Thoroughbred Rankings (2013)
WTRR World Champion Sprinter
(2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Australian Racehorse of the Year
(2011, 2012, 2013)
Australian Champion Sprinter
(2011, 2012, 2013)
European Champion Sprinter (2012)
Luke smith hit it right on the nail mate theres only one king the mighty kingston town