TEN BEST JULY WINNERS

3 IN FULL FLIGHT (1972)

by Mark Anthony

It is always a cruel blow to lose a horse, whether it be a hopeless maiden or star Gr 1 winner. In terms of racing ability, the most high-profile and devastating blow ever to befall racing in this country was the untimely death of In Full Flight.

Despite being cut down in his prime, In Full Flight`s career, curtailed though it was, numbered a string of memorable performances which leave one in no doubt that he is one of the best horses ever to race in this country.

To full grasp the magnitude of his achievements, one needs to examine the credentials of his two main rivals, as his generation included three big-name performers who provided SA racing with a golden period.

His arch-rival Sentinel is still revered as one of South Africa`s great sprinter-milers. In a distinguished career spanning six seasons, Sentinel won 29 races, of which 26 were feature races (8 at Gr 1 level) and landed no less than five feature events as a 7-year-old. He is the only horse ever to beat Harry Hotspur in a sprint and is a central figure in the In Full Flight saga.

Elevation, the other top horse from that same crop, needs no introduction, famous for his Summer Cup/Holiday Inns hat trick and remarkable versatility.

In Full Flight`s pedigree was useful enough as his father, New South Wales was twice champion sire and produced, among others, Over The Air.

Trainer David Payne, who had won the 1968 July aboard Chimboraa, was forced to end a promising career in the saddle due to weight problems and In Full Flight gave his early career as a trainer an incredible boost. Payne, of course, made his mark as one of South Africa`s most successful trainers over the years that followed, leading in any number of big race winners, but In Full Flight remains the greatest of his charges during his years in South Africa.

A promising juvenile career saw In Full Flight win 4 of 6 starts during the first half of 1971, including a runway 9,50-length win in a C Division race at Clairwood, even though he was theoretically at a 14kg weight-for-age disadvantage.

It was at age 3, however, that he blossomed, landing 10 wins from 11 starts and stamping himself as the best of his generation.

After kicking off the season with two easy wins, he lined up in November for the Bull Brand Jockey`s International, a popular drawcard in those days which saw top jockeys from overseas flown in to compete against their South African counterparts. Partnered by Fernando Toro, In Full Flight stormed home 5,50 lengths clear of Elevation with Sentinel a distant third. (An interesting bit of racing trivia is that Sentinel was ridden by Frankie Dettori`s father, Gianfranco).

Cape fans got their first glance of In Full Flight in January 1972 as he fought a thrilling tussle with Sentinel in a minor feature over 1400m, prevailing by a short-head. This was meant to be a trial for the Cape Guineas and it proved to be an incredibly accurate portent of things to come.

Ten days later, the two rivals took their place in the Guineas itself. The 1972 edition may well be the best ever in the long and proud history of this prestigious event. As in the trial, they fought out another thrilling finish and it looked as if Michael Roberts had conjured up something extra from Sentinel to finally get his revenge. But In Full Flight would not be bowed and he rallied close home in an impossibly tight finish. Fittingly, the race ended in a dead-heat and both horses could walk away with their heads held high, having treated the crowd to an absolute thriller. To add further merit to their performances, In Full Flight had started from draw 15 and Sentinel from draw 12, both difficult barrier positions over the sharp and unforgiving Milnerton mile

Courage is just important as class and In Full Flight had shown that beneath the glamorous exterior lurked an iron resolution and that he was prepared to scrap it out for victory if required. Sentinel, for his part, showed that he would not be intimidated and was prepared to run his heart out against anyone, no matter how exceptional his opposition might be. It was a quality that he would display time and again throughout his wonderful career. With standard-bearers such as these two colts, the sport as a whole was the ultimate winner.

Two weeks later, they locked horns yet again in the Queens Plate but this time In Full Flight, clearly on good terms with himself, asserted his authority with an easy win. In third place was the amazing 10-year-old William Penn, who had come back to racing after an unsuccessful spell at stud. He deserves an honourable mention for his performance here, conceding 7 kg to these two top younger horses. He would continue to run with great distinction against In Full Flight for the rest of that year.

As for In Full Flight, the champion 3-year-old returned to Durban and after a two-and-a-half month break made his bow for the winter season in the Concord Stakes over 1000m. Not inconvenienced by the drop in trip, he won convincingly from two proven sprinters in High Frequency and Don Cossack, both of whom boasted consistent form at the highest level over the shorter distances.

He followed up with victory in the Chairmans Stakes over 1200m, where was too good for Mazarin and William Penn, and thus completed a notable Greyville sprint double.

With these runs under his belt and acclaimed as the best 3-year-old in the country, the SA Guineas looked a formality and In Full Flight was sent off an odds-on favourite. Sentinel and Elevation were expected to play a supporting role and the rest of the field were just making up the numbers.

It didn`t pan out that way, though, as In Full Flight found the underfoot conditions not to his liking and finished a well-beaten third. Sentinel finally got his revenge and Elevation ran his usual honest race to clinch second place.

This defeat cast a slight shadow over In Full Flight`s prospects in the upcoming Rothmans July Handicap, although he was still sent off a well-backed second-favourite at 3/1 for the biggest race of all. The real concern, though, was his stamina, as had never before run beyond 1600m. If anything, his two sprint wins that season cast further doubts on his chances, as he looked like too much of a speed horse. Further, he was asked to carry 52,5 kg, a steep task for a 3-year-old at that time.

Favourite for the July that year was 1971 winner Mazarin. Despite In Full Flight`s achievements so far, Mazarin was still the reigning champion after his exploits the previous season. He had shown signs of returning to his best by winning the Greyville 1900 and would be a tough nut to crack if anywhere near his formidable best.

Other notable runners were Cape Met winner Force Ten and Kings Guard who was in the form of his life, having won the Summer Cup and finished third in the Met. Versatile Uncle Tom had been second in both the Greyville 1900 and Summer Cup. Pedlar was a former winner of the SA Derby and Dick King Stakes and had run a promising trial when fourth in the Greyville 1900.

Mazarin apart, none of the opposition were in the same class as In Full Flight; but as we can see, there were many with staying credentials who could take advantage if he failed to last the distance.

In the race itself, though, In Full Flight settled all doubts conclusively as he sped away to a brilliant victory. Not only had he stayed, but his acceleration was too much for the older brigade. Kings Guard, Pedlar and the gallant filly Angelina ran creditably well to fill the placings, while Mazarin suffered interference during the race and finished unplaced.

There were some ugly scenes after the race as unreasonable punters, incensed by Mazarin`s performance, hurled threats and abuse at his trainer Syd Laird and assistant Dennis Drier. The latter was hit in the face with a pair of binoculars as he tried to calm the mob.

A fortnight later, the Gr 1 Woolavington Cup over Clairwood`s 1400m produced a sight now familiar to local racegoers. In Full Flight romped home by over five lengths from Sentinel and William Penn to close off his campaign for the 1971/2 season.

The first big race of the new season was the Champion Stakes and it was expected to be In Full Flight`s coronation as SA`s new king of the turf. He duly won, but it was not the procession that fans might have been expecting. In a pulsating finish, he just got the better of William Penn and Mazarin after an epic duel which brought the crowd to their feet.

In Full Flight was now rested for four months, missing the big races of the Johannesburg spring season. On New Years Day 1973, he made his eagerly-awaited reappearance in the Gr 1 Somerset Plate over 1400m at Kenilworth and won from the usual suspects - William Penn, Force Ten and Mazarin.

With this pipe-opener under his belt, the champion was understandably sent off odds-on to win the Cape Met, but could only manage third behind Gold Flame and Force Ten. He was only beaten a length and conceding 6 kg weight to the winner, but it was still a major disappointment to his fans.

The run could be forgiven, though, as horses are not machines and even the best of them can be beaten when it`s not their day. Only half-way through his 4-year-old career, there were still plenty of major prizes to look forward to.

It was not to be. A ruptured lung brought a cruel end to the dream as In Full Flight dropped dead during a training gallop. The news sent shockwaves throughout South African racing, which had been robbed of one of its brightest stars.

One can only guess what In Full Flight might have achieved had he lived and his death ranks among the great tragedies of sport in this country.

It was a tough call to choose between In Full Flight and Politician for the number 3 spot on this list. In the end, the greater versatility of In Full Flight and his ability to switch effortlessly over such a wide range of distances just gave him the edge.