Ted
Club Legend
Once and for all i'm putting this one to bed.
It never ceases to amaze how deluded and way off the mark some numpty's are by throwing up any old name at the drop of a hat in comparison to Manikato.
Sorry, they won’t be remembered anywhere near the same legendary status as Manikato because they didn't leave behind a similar legacy and rewrite the record books.
The cold hard truth: They did not have the speed to win over the fastest distances.
The reality is 90% of the great long distance racehorses cannot go that fast no matter how hard they try..
Unfortunately don’t have the pace.
Don’t have the heart and explosiveness.
Weren’t good enough basically.
Thus cannot be considered all round champion/legend racehorses.
All horses can plod 3200, .. but very very few can run 1200-1600m at an elite level. Makybe Diva, one of those compared, tried her heart out to win the C F Orr Stakes but wasn't quite good enough.
Who is the closest to Manikato’s status?
Phar Lap was in a league of his own way back when. That’s why he, above all others is the closest. Died of a heart attack and some say because of steroids, which could explain the size of the horse and size of the heart… but that's speculative, I’m calling a legit legend.
And that’s the way it is, Manikato is regarded is the greatest and Phar Lap second place.
Comparisons
Sorry you can’t just win 10-15 micky mouse lower class races 2000-3200m and expect to elevate your status to any significance among the legends, no way. You don’t become a legendary team by winning the minor premiership, NAB Cup or a triangular ODI series do you? No. You do it by winning the biggest events, and backing it up time and again in style. It comes down to majors, 2 Futurity Stakes or 3 C F Orr Stakes is a great achievement and will put you down as a legend (Schillaci, Vo Rogue) but to a much inferior level.
The 3 majors
The Australia Stakes (formerly William Reid Stakes) is Australia’s biggest race, always has been. Over the years, the race has been won by many great champions of the Australian turf including Phar Lap, Ajax, Bernborough, Todman, Gunsynd, Rubiton, Vo Rogue, and Schillaci. But only Manikato won five.
The Futurity Stakes and the C F Orr Stakes are the other majors. The Futurity has been won by Phar Lap, Ajax, Bernborough, Todman, Gunsynd, Rubiton, Vo Rogue, Schillaci and FOO. But Manikato won four. The C F Orr has been won by Comic Court, Rising Fast, Tobin Bronze, Surround, Hyperno, At Talaq, Vo Rogue, Let's Elope, Jeune, Saintly, Lonhro and Elvstroem. Manikato won three and that's never been bettered.
These are all weight for age races, not ‘handicap‘, which is why they are top quality. These three races are head and shoulders above all other races in Aus.
Anyone mentioning the Melbourne Cup as one of the great races (as I’ve heard) has nfi. It is a plodders race, a crapshoot with too many horses on the track, nothing more. It might have a lot of mickey mouse one-off international competitors but the truth is some travel some don’t.. long flights and foreign conditions on limited prep are not taken seriously and dismissed.
Elite Legendary status
It comes down to the majors obviously, that’s where you prove yourself.
Win the Australia Stakes and back it up by winning the Futurity and the C F Orr Stakes emphatically and win them numerous times.
Then and only then can one be compared to Manikato. And if you can win the triple in the same season three years in a row, all the more strength to their case.
So to reach Manikato status what must one achieve?
12 majors, no less... But not all 12 of the same major. Win them all emphatically, as the way they are won is what people remember.
And that's why Manikato is in a league of his own won 12 majors and won them easily. The legend of all legends that completely dominated the big races and reached a level we won’t see again for a very long time.
There are many different levels of legends, Manikato owns the penthouse and the rest are on the floors below, most of them a long way down.
It never ceases to amaze how deluded and way off the mark some numpty's are by throwing up any old name at the drop of a hat in comparison to Manikato.
Sorry, they won’t be remembered anywhere near the same legendary status as Manikato because they didn't leave behind a similar legacy and rewrite the record books.
The cold hard truth: They did not have the speed to win over the fastest distances.
The reality is 90% of the great long distance racehorses cannot go that fast no matter how hard they try..
Unfortunately don’t have the pace.
Don’t have the heart and explosiveness.
Weren’t good enough basically.
Thus cannot be considered all round champion/legend racehorses.
All horses can plod 3200, .. but very very few can run 1200-1600m at an elite level. Makybe Diva, one of those compared, tried her heart out to win the C F Orr Stakes but wasn't quite good enough.
Who is the closest to Manikato’s status?
Phar Lap was in a league of his own way back when. That’s why he, above all others is the closest. Died of a heart attack and some say because of steroids, which could explain the size of the horse and size of the heart… but that's speculative, I’m calling a legit legend.
And that’s the way it is, Manikato is regarded is the greatest and Phar Lap second place.
Comparisons
Sorry you can’t just win 10-15 micky mouse lower class races 2000-3200m and expect to elevate your status to any significance among the legends, no way. You don’t become a legendary team by winning the minor premiership, NAB Cup or a triangular ODI series do you? No. You do it by winning the biggest events, and backing it up time and again in style. It comes down to majors, 2 Futurity Stakes or 3 C F Orr Stakes is a great achievement and will put you down as a legend (Schillaci, Vo Rogue) but to a much inferior level.
The 3 majors
The Australia Stakes (formerly William Reid Stakes) is Australia’s biggest race, always has been. Over the years, the race has been won by many great champions of the Australian turf including Phar Lap, Ajax, Bernborough, Todman, Gunsynd, Rubiton, Vo Rogue, and Schillaci. But only Manikato won five.
The Futurity Stakes and the C F Orr Stakes are the other majors. The Futurity has been won by Phar Lap, Ajax, Bernborough, Todman, Gunsynd, Rubiton, Vo Rogue, Schillaci and FOO. But Manikato won four. The C F Orr has been won by Comic Court, Rising Fast, Tobin Bronze, Surround, Hyperno, At Talaq, Vo Rogue, Let's Elope, Jeune, Saintly, Lonhro and Elvstroem. Manikato won three and that's never been bettered.
These are all weight for age races, not ‘handicap‘, which is why they are top quality. These three races are head and shoulders above all other races in Aus.
Anyone mentioning the Melbourne Cup as one of the great races (as I’ve heard) has nfi. It is a plodders race, a crapshoot with too many horses on the track, nothing more. It might have a lot of mickey mouse one-off international competitors but the truth is some travel some don’t.. long flights and foreign conditions on limited prep are not taken seriously and dismissed.
Elite Legendary status
It comes down to the majors obviously, that’s where you prove yourself.
Win the Australia Stakes and back it up by winning the Futurity and the C F Orr Stakes emphatically and win them numerous times.
Then and only then can one be compared to Manikato. And if you can win the triple in the same season three years in a row, all the more strength to their case.
So to reach Manikato status what must one achieve?
12 majors, no less... But not all 12 of the same major. Win them all emphatically, as the way they are won is what people remember.
And that's why Manikato is in a league of his own won 12 majors and won them easily. The legend of all legends that completely dominated the big races and reached a level we won’t see again for a very long time.
There are many different levels of legends, Manikato owns the penthouse and the rest are on the floors below, most of them a long way down.
