CategoriesMight and Power by

Statement on Might And Power

12 April 2020

It is with the deepest sadness that we advise that one of the all-time greats of Australian racing, Might And Power, has passed away at the age of 26.

Late yesterday afternoon he was diagnosed with colic and rushed to Werribee Equine Centre for emergency surgery, but was unable to be saved.

CEO & Veterinary Director, Dr Andrew Clarke, said he and the team were completely heartbroken to lose this very special once-in-a-lifetime horse.

“I am incredibly sad to have to let you know that Might and Power was euthanised in the early hours of this morning,” Dr Clarke said.

“Our hearts are with owner Nick Moraitis and Bob’s many fans, and also to our wonderful staff who cared for him every day. Living Legends will never be the same without our treasured Might And Power.”

“A special thank you to Werribee Equine Centre for their efforts to save his life,” he said.

Might And Power retired in 1999 as a rare winner of the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate treble, and was one of the longest standing and most popular residents at Living Legends.

Might and Power (foaled 1993) was New Zealand bred, but Australian owned and trained and named Australian Horse of the Year in 1998 and 1999.

Might and Power was rated the world’s best stayer when in 1997 as a four-year-old he won the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double.

A free striding, front running style of racing made Might and Power an exciting racehorse and endeared him to racing fans across the nation. Might and Power broke course records in winning the Caulfield Cup, the Doomben Cup, and the Cox Plate, and won a number of races by big margins.

Might and Power demoralised and demolished his opponents. Said Les Carlyon: “The horse is a champion in the old fashioned sense of the word, a freak. He does things others can’t do”.

Might and Power had the speed to open up an early lead in a race, and the stamina to maintain it in the middle and closing stages. In the 1997 Caulfield Cup, jockey Jim Cassidy took him to the front at the outset, made the pace for the whole race, and finished seven and a half lengths in front of the second horse, in a record time of 2 min. 26.2 sec. The rest of the field was headed by the 1995 winner Doriemus. Lee Freedman called it “The most amazing race I have ever seen”.

Despite a 3.5 kg penalty in the 1997 Melbourne Cup, Cassidy employed the same tactics, and brought Might and Power home a winner by a short half head from Doriemus. At the end of 1997, Might and Power was named World Champion Stayer.

In the autumn of 1998, Might and Power again exerted his dominance with a crushing 10 ½ length victory in the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He broke the course record in winning the Doomben Cup.

In the spring of 1998 he destroyed a crack field in Australia’s weight-for-age championship, the W.S. Cox Plate, taking a full two seconds off the course record set the previous year by Saintly. He became only the second horse, after Rising Fast in 1954, to win both Cups and the Cox Plate, and the first reigning Melbourne Cup winner since Phar Lap in 1931 to win the Cox Plate.

Might and Power won 15 of his 33 race starts and $5,226,286 in prize money.

Might and Power was retired after suffering a tendon Injury in 1999. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2002.

Media enquiries:

Dr Andrew Clarke

0407 551 289

CategoriesTom Melbourne by

Tom Returns to Melbourne as the newest Living Legend

11 April 2020

Newly-retired Tom Melbourne has arrived safely at his new home, becoming the 28th current resident at Living Legends in Greenvale.

Arriving by float this morning after crossing the Nullarbor from Perth, he joins some of Australia’s most treasured champions, including Might And Power, Apache Cat, Efficient, Zipping and Who Shot Thebarman.

OTI Managing Owner, Terry Henderson, said it was an obvious choice to send the much-adored Tom Melbourne to live out his retirement at Living Legends.

“I’ve no doubt Tom will relish the surroundings at his new home, a magnificent facility that enables champions to be admired long after they’ve run their last race. While Tom’s feats on the track may not match the winning feats of his new friends, he’ll certainly be the champion second place-getter on the property,” Mr Henderson said.

The Irish-bred 9yo gelding Tom Melbourne enjoyed a celebrated career amassing just under $1.5 million in prizemoney and was retired last Saturday after 51 starts, his first in Ireland and his final two in Perth. 

His biggest victory came in the Albury Gold Cup (2000m), but he was most famous for consistently placing second – on 14 separate occasions including the Group 1 Epsom Handicap and the Group 1 Kennedy Mile – and earned him the love of the racing public.

CEO & Veterinary Director, Dr Andrew Clarke, said it was an honour to welcome Tom Melbourne to Living Legends.

“Tom Melbourne has captured the hearts of the Australian racing public and so it’s only fitting that people will be able to visit him in his retirement at Living Legends. Our horses are all unique with their own stories and personalities and Tom will certainly add to that mix in the best way possible.” 

“We’ll let him settle in for a few days before pairing him up with a paddock mate. He’s in good hands with our team who remain dedicated to the care of our horses during the current COVID-19 restrictions. While we can’t operate fully at present in terms of being a tourism destination, the silver lining is that the horses are enjoying even more attention than ever from their carers and we’re sure that Tom will really enjoy that,” Dr Clarke said.

Living Legends was established in 2006 as the International Home Of Rest for Champion Horses, as an organisation promoting the life, care and well-being of horses after racing and a public museum for horse racing memorabilia, on a site that once was home to 19th century race meetings and is one of the most historic thoroughbred properties in the southern hemisphere. Now, 13 years on, Living Legends is the only public rest home for racehorses in Australia, and has become a much-loved attraction for people of all ages within the racing community, the public and local and international tourists.

The popularity of Living Legends was recently acknowledged with the 2019 RACV People’s Choice Award for Best Tourism Experience or Service.

Media enquiries:

Belinda Meyers 

0412 122 532