WE’RE CLOSING IN ON REVEALING OUR NO.1 HOLLINDALE STAKES WINNER. TODAY A QUEENZLAND IDOL.
THERE were three certainties of life in the early 1990s
– death, taxes and Rough Habit winning Group races at the Queensland winter carnival.
The versatile New Zealand champion won two Hollindale Stakes in 1991 and 1992.
Remarkably he dropped back from the 1800m of the Gold Coast race each time to win the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap over 1400m in Brisbane at his next start.
It’s hard to imagine the feat being repeated.
Such was his winter carnival record, Rough Habit was idolised by punters in Queensland.
Besides his two Hollindale Stakes wins, he also claimed two Stradbroke Handicaps (1991, 1992), three Doomben Cups (1991, 1992, 1993), a Queensland Derby (1990), Sir Byrne Hart Stakes (1991 – it is now the Victory Stakes) and O’Shea Stakes (1995).
His versatility and toughness was unmatched.
In four successive starts at the 1991 carnival he won the 1400m Sir Byrne Hart Stakes at Eagle Farm, the 1800m Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast, the 1400m Stradbroke at Eagle Farm and the 2020m Doomben Cup.
Overall, he won 11 Group 1 races from 1400m to 2400m in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand and raced in Japan twice and the US once.
“If he was a human being he would have been Prime Minister of New Zealand,” said jockey Jim Cassidy, who rode Rough Habit in 12 of his 29 wins.
“He was every bit a champion.”
Rough Habit started in four Hollindale Stakes for two wins, a second and a third.