Saintly was a flashy chestnut with a giant stride who raced against a crop of high class three-year-olds, including the mighty Octagonal and Filante. His win in the Melbourne Cup was one of the most dominant wins in the history of the race.

Biography

TRAINER: Bart Cummings

OWNERS: Bart Cummings and Dato Tan Chin Nam

RACE RECORD/STAKE MONEY: 23 starts: 10 wins, 8 seconds, 3 thirds/$3,851,765

Major Wins 

• Expressway Stakes; Randwick; 10 Feb 1996
• Australian Cup; Flemington; 11 Mar 1996
• Hill Stakes; Rosehill; 21 Sep 1996
• W. S. Cox Plate; Moonee Valley; 26 Oct 1996 Melbourne Cup; Flemington; 05 Nov 1996
• C F Orr Stakes; Caulfield; 08 Feb 1997

About

Saintly was bred, raised and trained by Bart Cummings

After a slow start to his career with just one win from four starts as a two-year-old, Saintly came into his own as a three-year-old winning five of his 11 starts. His career highlight however was to occur in his third season racing when he won the1996 Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate double. Only Nightmarch, Phar Lap and Rising Fast had previously achieved the same feat. Adding the 1997 C.F. Orr Stakes to his wins, Saintly’s success was recognised when he was named Australia’s Champion Racehorse for the 1996/97 season.

Unfortunately, a tendon injury suffered in training forced Saintly’s retirement in July 1998. Saintly’s 23 starts produced 10 wins and 11 placings, and his injury was a tragedy for Bart Cummings, who said: “He was something special. He was still growing up, still putting it together. We’d only seen half his potential”.

'The Horse from Heaven’. Dato Tan Chin Nam

Image Source: Collin Bull