INSTALLATION this year of one of the greatest Star Kingdom gallopers, Sky High, in the Hall of Fame, makes it timely to recap the history of another honoured in this manner, his grandam Flight. One of the folk heroes of Australian racing, this gallant mare bred near Cudal in central western New South Wales in the dark days of War World 11 rose up from being by an otherwise low grade Heroic sire, Royal Step, and a paltry price of 60 guineas ($126) at the 1942 Sydney yearling sale to cut a swathe through Australian racing.
Owned by Brian Crowley, later Sir Brian and chairman of the Australian Jockey Club, Flight went to the post 65 times over five years for 24 wins,19 seconds and nine thirds. She won major races in each year, starting off with the AJC Champagne Stakes at two, a year she won five times. Conquerer of numerous other memorable performers, including four who subsequently sired winners in America, Shannon, Bernborough – he broke down at their only clash – Russia and Royal Gem, she included in her successes MVRC Cox Plates (twice), the AJC Oaks, Craven Plate (twice), VRC L.K.S. Mackinnon Stakes and MRC C.F. Orr Stakes. She was second twice to Shannon in the AJC George Main Stakes, also runner up in the AJC Derby, Doncaster and Metropolitan and third in the Sydney Cup. Earner of the equivalent of $62,370, a national record at the time for a mare, but less than the prize money for a minor event today at a Saturday meeting in Sydney or Melbourne, Flight is memoralised with a Group1 race at Randwick named after her. Deceased, unfortunately, at only 13 from an internal haemorrhage, Flight produced five foals for Crowley and slipped one in her six seasons of use. The only filly, Flight’s Daughter, was the only earner, her four starts including two minor placings at Randwick at two, but she brought more great joy for him as the dam of the champion brothers Sky High and Skyline. They were her only runners from her only three foals and, uniquely, both won the Golden Slipper and went on to win Derbys. It is a double no other horse has accomplished. The younger of the two, the 1957 foaled Sky High, was the greatest performer, including in his 29 wins from 55 outings eleven Group1s, including the Slipper and Champagne Stakes at two and the Victoria Derby, AJC All-Aged Stakes, MRC Futurity Stakes and VRC Lightning Stakes at three. At one time he was the holder of two Australasian records and three course records. After two seasons at the Woodlands stud in the Hunter Valley, he transferred to Claiborne Farm in Kentucky. One of his American runners, Autobiography, was Champion Older Horse of the Year for 1972, a year in which he won their longest Group 1 race of the time, the Jockey Gold Cup over two miles at New York’s Belmont Park. The race has been reduced to ten furlongs and they no longer have any Group class long distance events. Winner of the second running of the Golden Slipper, Sky High’s two years older brother Skyline was successful in five of 25 starts, two at two and then three at three, the AJC Derby, STC Hill Stakes and a Flying Handicap. He probably flattened himself in leading all the way and setting new race record time in taking the Derby. Skyline later stood at Jack Sheppard’s Gyarran stud, Muswellbrook and got quite a few winners from books of modest quality.
By Brian Russell
