14 THE CHAMPIONS MILESTONE MEMORIES CHAMPIONS STAKES 1960 TULLOCH 65 YEARS AGO Tulloch was such a star performer he could have won anything when at the peak of his powers. He was precocious enough to win an AJC Sire Produce Stakes; he won a Caulfield Guineas, a Caulfield Cup, and a VRC and AJC Derby. He was the most dominant horse of the late 1950s. He arguably should have won the 1957 Melbourne Cup, but his owner Mr E.A. Haley turned down the opportunity, believing it would be too taxing on the three-year-old. When the world appeared at his feet, a dark cloud loomed, inflicting the horse with a stomach virus that would see the champion sidelined for two years. He nearly died in the process. So, to return to the ultimate level, winning not only the 1960 LKS MacKinnon Stakes but also a W.S. Cox Plate, was a momentous comeback that only solidified Tulloch’s legend. Tulloch had two more runs in the spring of 1960. These were the Melbourne Cup, where he would finish seventh carrying 10 stone 1 pound, and the C.B. Fisher Plate on the final day, which he won. The Cup placing would be his only unplaced run in 53 starts. Tulloch continued training into the autumn of the following year, securing the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes among other victories. He then travelled north to Brisbane in the winter, winning the QTC PJ O’Shea Stakes and the QTC Brisbane Cup in his final two race starts. The attendance at his last race was fitting for the champion he was. In 2001, Tulloch was announced as an inaugural inductee into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
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