In 1954, the promising kiwi gelding Rising Fast that was purchased for $650 resumed his career as a five-year-old in the Memsie Stakes. The gelding ran well but was unplaced; he was clearly looking for further. Rising Fast then contested WFA Feehan at Moonee Valley where he was lucky enough to win despite the race still being short of his best distance. He then was unluckily beaten in the Underwood Stakes as the 4-9 favourite ($1.44) favourite. The champ was only beaten by half a head, but people were disappointed as they always are when a short priced favourite gets beaten. However this was the last time for the preparation the bay gelding from New Zealand would lose.
Next it was to the Turnbull where punters seemed to have jumped off Rising Fast as he started as only the 5-2 ($3.50) equal favourite. But those who maintained their faith were rewarded with a dominant 1.5 length win. It was then on to Caulfield for the Caulfield Stakes (now the Yalumba) where Rising Fast again won in dominant fashion again by 1.5 lengths. From here it was onto the majors; first up of course was the Caulfield Cup. Rising Fast was backed into be the 7-4 ($2.75) favourite and he did not let anyone down with a fantastic ¾ length win going away. The following Saturday, Rising Fast backed up in the Cox Plate. Again for some reason he was favourite but not as short as he should have been considering his winning streak and the fact that he had won the Feehan at the Valley previously. The future hall of famer jumped for the Cox Plate at the very attractive odds of 11-8 ($2.38) and he bolted in by 4 lengths.
Rising Fast then headed to the Flemington Carnival and the traditional Cup lead up, the Mackinnon. Punters had finally cottoned on to the fact that Rising Fast was a champion and as such he jumped as the 1-3 ($1.33) favourite. Well the punters got a fright, but it was still a win, albeit just a neck margin. No horse had ever won the Caulfield Cup / Cox Plate / Melbourne Cup treble, but now Rising Fast was the 5-2 ($3.50) to make history despite the big weight of 9.5 (59.5kg). Well history shows that Rising Fast won the Melbourne Cup and he won well, thus completing the historic treble.
Winning the Caulfield Cup / Cox Plate / Melbourne Cup treble in one year has never again (or before Rising Fast) been done. Might and Power did it over two years and Northerly had his chance but was scratched due to the huge weight he would have been forced to carry. The next year (1955) Rising Fast and again won the Caulfield Cup and the Mackinnon only to be beaten by ¾ of a length in the Melbourne Cup.
Will the treble ever be completed again? It’s A Dundeel might have a chance but it is unlikely his connections will try to win the Caulfield Cup due to the likely penalty he would receive for the Melbourne Cup. But he would have a chance right? Yes he lost the Queen Elizabeth at his last start during the autumn. But he did run second to Reliable Man. Reliable Man this time last year, ran third at Royal Ascot to So You Think and Carlton House. Reliable Man is a gun horse and running second to him, as It’s A Dundeel did, is a marvellous achievement. The way It’s A Dundeel smashed the fields in the Randwick Guineas, the Rosehill Guineas and The Derby was simply breathtaking. If the colt improves as much coming into the spring as he did in-between the VRC and Sydney Derby, then he might just set some records. Let’s hope so.
By Zeb Armstrong
