Kingston Town (1976)

By Bletchingly from Ada Hunter (Ger)

Featured Image: Roy Miller         Moonee Valley Race Club            Peter Cook is the jockey

There is no doubt Kingston Town is the best racehorse I have ever seen.

I metaphorically ‘rode him’ in all his wins. I have well documented my close association with Bletchingly and also his birthplace at Widden Stud. His many victories ensured champion stallion status for his sire. This was like living out in real life a burgeoning ‘bull’ market in stocks and shares or real estate. It was great fun and more than mollified my non-smoking, non-gambling, non-drinking lay preaching very religious bank manager ‘with a name like a trotter’! It certainly appeased me!

The stellar career of Kingston Town as a racehorse is set in stone and has been regurgitated ad infinitum. He won 30 races from 1200m to 3200m in the best of company. He could ‘change gear’ and accelerate at any stage of a race like no other before or since with the possible exception of Winx? She has just equalled his record of three consecutive WFA W S Cox Plates at Moonee Valley. His 30 wins included many victories at Group I level. Malcolm Johnston rode him in 24 of those victories. His domination of autumn acing as a three year old convinced T J Smith he had a genuine champion. Earlier T J had plumped for Mighty Kingdom.