The Phantom Chance
Encyclopedia
The Phantom Chance is a New Zealand Thoroughbred
racehorse who won the New Zealand Derby
in 1992 and Cox Plate
in 1993, earning over $2 million in his 44-race career.
The gelding didn't race at two and made a slow start to his three year-old career, finishing third in his first two starts. But then he won eight races on end, six of them at stakes level, including the Derby and the Group 1 Cambridge Stud International Stakes against the older horses to confirm his status as New Zealand's champion three year-old for the season.
His Derby win gave trainer Colin Jillings his fifth win in the race, a number that no other trainer has matched.
As a four year-old the horse's great success continued not only in New Zealand but also across the Tasman. He started his Australian career with a narrow win in the Turnbull Stakes
at Flemington, and after a Group 1 placing at Caulfield became the second New Zealand Derby winner in three years (after Surfers Paradise
) to win the Cox Plate, beating fellow New Zealander Solvit by a length and a half in the 1993 running of Australia's weight-for-age championship.
He continued to race through to the age of 8, and occasionally experienced success in both New Zealand and Australia at stakes level. He wasn't the same horse as he was at three and four though, and as a result his record probably looks less impressive now than it should.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse who won the New Zealand Derby
New Zealand Derby
The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horserace for three-year-old, run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day of Auckland Cup Week. From 2009, it was run for a purse of $2.2...
in 1992 and Cox Plate
Cox Plate
The W.S. Cox Plate is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne every October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour W.S. Cox, the club's founder. For three-year-olds and over, the race is considered to be the Weight for Age championship of Australasia...
in 1993, earning over $2 million in his 44-race career.
The gelding didn't race at two and made a slow start to his three year-old career, finishing third in his first two starts. But then he won eight races on end, six of them at stakes level, including the Derby and the Group 1 Cambridge Stud International Stakes against the older horses to confirm his status as New Zealand's champion three year-old for the season.
His Derby win gave trainer Colin Jillings his fifth win in the race, a number that no other trainer has matched.
As a four year-old the horse's great success continued not only in New Zealand but also across the Tasman. He started his Australian career with a narrow win in the Turnbull Stakes
Turnbull Stakes
The Turnbull Stakes is a 2000 metre Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, run under set weights with penalties conditions. The race is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne in October. Total prize money is A$502,000. It is one of the important races of the Spring Racing Carnival along...
at Flemington, and after a Group 1 placing at Caulfield became the second New Zealand Derby winner in three years (after Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise (horse)
Surfers Paradise was a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who is best remembered for winning the Cox Plate in 1991. By Crested Wave, Surfers Paradise was named after Queensland's iconic beachside strip....
) to win the Cox Plate, beating fellow New Zealander Solvit by a length and a half in the 1993 running of Australia's weight-for-age championship.
He continued to race through to the age of 8, and occasionally experienced success in both New Zealand and Australia at stakes level. He wasn't the same horse as he was at three and four though, and as a result his record probably looks less impressive now than it should.