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Posted 2018-07-05 22:04:06  
July: Ten Best Winners 4. POLITICIAN


TEN BEST JULY WINNERS

4 POLITICIAN (1978)

by Mark Anthony

If ever a colossus bestrode the South African turf, it was the mighty Politician. For three consecutive seasons, he thrilled the crowds with a series of authoritative performances, clinching the Horse of the Year awards at ages 3, 4 and 5. In the 27 years since he retired, no subsequent champion has been able to maintain his or her dominance over such a long period.

Politician certainly had the pedigree to achieve greatness on the track. His father Oligarchy was a tough American campaigner who won 16 races over six seasons. He enjoyed a successful stint at stud in South Africa and even now is recognised as an important broodmare sire.

It is on his dam`s side, however, that Politician may have inherited his championship qualities. His mother, Ofa, was a daughter of the legendary Ribot, arguably Europe`s Horse of the Century, who retired unbeaten after 16 starts, winning the Prix de l`Arc de Triomphe - Europe`s biggest prize- twice. Ofa was a full sister to Ragusa, one of Ireland`s great performers who won four major Gr 1 prizes in England and Ireland.

To complete the picture, he was trained by Syd Laird, the greatest conditioner of that era and partnered to all his victories by "Big Race Bertie" Hayden, whose cool temperament and acute judgement contributed to getting the best out of this great racehorse.

Laird described Politician as the most masculine and powerful horse he ever trained and he developed into a picture of irresistible equine power and strength.

Politician won two of his three juvenile starts and looked a promising middle-distance prospect. This was confirmed at age 3, when he recorded narrow victories in the Dingaans and Cape Guineas, in the latter beating useful sorts Big Swinger and Fly By Night in a thrilling finish. His fighting qualities were shown to good effect in these races.

The winning run was continued in the Cape Derby where he relished the step up to 2000m (he had won over this distance as a juvenile) and won by nearly six lengths.

Back in Durban, Politician warmed up for his winter campaign when unplaced in the 1200 Newbury Chairmans Stakes. Unlike some of his predecessors, he never displayed the versatility to take on the sprinters and remained very much a middle distance specialist throughout his career.

Reverting to a mile for the SA Guineas, he looked too good for the opposition and skated home nearly four lengths clear. It was a promising trial for the 1977 Rothmans July Handicap and with no real stamina doubts, he looked set fair to continue his trainer`s excellent record with 3-year-olds in the big race.

However, he could only manage fifth behind Lightning Shot. It wasn`t a bad run, as he was drawn 17 and was asked to carry 51,5 kg, which in those days was quite a high weight for a 3-year-old. He finished within three lengths of the winner, to whom he was conceding 2,5 kg. Given the brilliance of his earlier performances, however, and his burgeoning reputation, it would have been a disappointment to his growing band of fans.

Nevertheless, he had done enough to clinch Horse of the Year honours.

The following month, in his first run at age 4, he was beaten in a close finish by Bold Monarch in the Champion Stakes. Bold Monarch was no slouch as he was a proven Gr 1 performer, but for a brief moment, it must have looked as if Politician was not quite living up to his earlier promise. However, Laird`s charge was still maturing and was in fact only now starting to come into his own.

He regained the winning thread in the Hawaii Stakes [Horse Chestnut 1600] beating Ever Fair, but was then beaten into third place by the same horse in the Summer Cup, then known as the Holiday Inns. However, he was not disgraced under 58 kg, beaten less than a length when conceding 7 kg and Ever Fair had plenty of useful form at the highest level. Politician had raced without his usual blinkers in this race, to get him to settle better, as he was racing from draw 16, but this worked against him, as he shifted in at a crucial stage and was involved in some scrimmaging with Bold Monarch.

The Cape summer season was now on the agenda and Politician warmed up with a 1400m workout in the Cape Trial Handicap, showing his well-being by beating Desert Dust despite conceding 8,5 kg.

In January 1978, he lined up for the J & B Met under 57,5 kg and turned in an imperious performances, cruising home over three lengths clear of Arion and Fast Piece. His middle-distance supremacy was confirmed in the Queens Plate as he registered another easy victory, this time ahead of Royal Palm, with his former conquerors Ever Fair and Bold Monarch behind him.

It was now back to Natal for another crack at the July and Politician put in an excellent preparation to run second to Tudor Blue in the Newbury Chairman Stakes. Back over a mile in the Clairwood Champion Stakes [Gold Challenge] he turned the tables on the same horse to win by a half-length, better than the bare form suggests.

Destiny now beckoned. Politician had proven his class time and again to an appreciative racing public, but the July was missing from his CV and this was the race that counted the most. He was allocated 57 kg for the 1978 July and was bidding to become the first top-weight since Sea Cottage, 12 years earlier, to prevail in the country`s premier race.

Top 3-year-old Welcome Boy, winner of the Dingaans, Cape Guineas and SA Derby was considered the big danger, despite having to shoulder 53kg. Lightning Shot, the 1977 winner was actually meeting Politician on the same terms as in their previous July meeting. Politician had to concede 7kg to King Charles, winner of the Cape and Natal Derbies and 6,5kg to Pacer, who had won the Greyville 1900.

The closing stages of the 1978 July were marked by a titanic battle between Politician and the gallant Beau Art who put in a sustained challenge and looked as if he would catch the crowd favourite for certain, but Politician kept finding more and held him off to win by a half-length. Considering there was a 6 kg weight concession involved, it was a brilliant victory and showed that Politician was not just a horse who lorded it over his rivals when things went his way: when put under pressure, he could dig down deep and battle it out. Beau Art franked the form by winning the Clairwood Winter Handicap on his next start and he would return to win the July itself in 1980.

Needless to say, the Horse of the Year title was now a formality for Politician and he was safely established as one of the all-time greats of SA racing.

Politician`s 5-year-old career started with an easing-up victory over Pacer in the Champion Stakes. Interestingly, it was a repeat of his maiden win, just over two years earlier, when he had beaten the same horse over the same course and distance.

An unplaced run over 1000m can be ignored due to the unsuitable distance but two subsequent defeats were quite inexplicable on form. Somewhat bizarrely, he finished third in an A Division handicap over 1600m where not even the fact that he was conceding 10 kg to the winner, and probably not fully fit, can explain his defeat. In the Hawaii Stakes, which was now known as the Kronenbrau 1308, he finished third to All Heart at weight-for-age terms. It proved yet again that there are no certainties in racing.

The rightful order of things was restored when the Cape summer season came around and Politician showed startling speed to outpoint Calvados and Over The Air over 1400m. Not surprisingly, he was allocated top weight of 58,5 kg for the 1979 J & B Met.

Up to this point, Politician had already scaled heights that most owners and trainers can only dream of in a horse and he certainly had nothing left to prove to anyone. Incredibly, despite his glittering achievements to date, the best was yet to come and on 20 January 1979, he turned in the greatest performance of his career, an exhibition of supreme class and majesty.

As the Met field turned for home, Politician was tucked away comfortably enough off the pace and his fans eagerly awaited his tell-tale turn of acceleration which would see him power clear of the opposition. It was not forthcoming and alarm turned to horror as they realised that he was hopelessly boxed in on the rails and had simply nowhere to go. Top filly Festive Season, with just 50kg on her back, and tough-as-teak Beau Art were fighting out a stirring battle up front. Festive Season mastered Beau Art and forged ahead close to home but just as she was being hailed the winner, the impossible happened.

Politician had been given the slightest of gaps and a mere 50m from the post, showing incredible acceleration, he burst through like a guided missile. A few strides earlier he had not even had any hope of running a place. Now, such was the venom of his finishing kick, he had actually won going away from the luckless filly, thrilling a shell-shocked and then ecstatic Kenilworth crowd, who gave him a rapturous reception.

It was the greatest individual performance in the history of the Met and one of the all-time high points of SA racing history, an unforgettable moment for those who were fortunate enough to witness this astonishing display.

Many of the July winners profiled so far ended their careers under a cloud. Happily, Politician departed the stage on the highest of notes.

The Queens Plate was chosen as his swansong and this time there was no drama or anxiety as Politician led from start to finish, was never extended, and won under heavy restraint by just over three lengths from Over The Air. Over The Air, who won 19 races in a highly meritorious career, would win the July later that year and was a multiple Gr 1 winner. A top horse in his own right, he serves as an excellent yardstick by which to measure the greatness of Politician.

It is inevitable that when a great horse goes to stud, his career as a stallion is eagerly anticipated. It is almost as inevitable that he will not produce anything nearly as good as himself and so it was with Politician even though he enjoyed a respectable stud career and produced some decent performers.

With 18 wins (11 at Gr 1 level) and a string of memorable performances to his name, Politician was an automatic choice to be near the top of this list. Many racegoers would have no hesitation in naming him as their personal favourite and his place in SA`s racing history is secure. Whenever racing fans get together to reminisce about the true greats of the past, one can rest assured that his name will feature prominently. 

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