At the grand old age of 28, Rough Habit passed way. He was humanely euthanised after going blind and having severe feet problems.
Rough Habit is not mentioned alongside other champions because he did not win a Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, a Doncaster, Epsom or a Guineas.
However, his feats show he was excellently placed by his trainer John Wheeler, but that is not to knock him at all because he often beat the best and always raced against them.
He won 29 races from 73 starts and would have won more but he made it very difficult for himself by always settling last.
Born in and often raced in New Zealand he is always described as a Queensland champion but he was much more than that. He didn’t just win the races in Queensland, he won the best races Queensland has to offer and he is the benchmark for Queensland racing.
In 1990, at his 10th race start, he won the Queensland Derby in his first Group 1 win. In 1991 he came back to win the Stradbroke and followed that with a win in the Doomben Cup.
In 1992 he won his first of two Group 1 All Aged Stakes in Sydney before coming to Brisbane for an attempt at a second Stradbroke. I recall how one of my TAB mates said just before they jumped, “Gee Rough Habit’s big odds at 10/1 even with the huge weight”. But he didn’t get on because betting closed two minutes before race start in those days. The favourite for the race was the great Schillaci.
At the home turn Rough Habit was, as they say, “a conspicuous last” as Schillaci was racing to the lead. What happened over the next 30 seconds was amazing. Rough Habit found a gear which good horses just don’t have, Jim Cassidy weaved his way and shot through gaps which were not there as he finally found himself winning along the fence. It has been called by some as the greatest handicap win of the modern era, to be mentioned in the same breath as those memorable Randwick wins by Super Impose.
The next year he won his second All Aged Stakes third Doomben Cup.
He contested three Cox Plates. In 1991 at his first attempt he hit the lead early which was probably a smart move which backfired, and the next year he was involved in the the greatest field ever (Let’s Elope, Better Loosen Up, Naturalism (fell), Slight Chance and Burst to name a few) and in 1994 again last at the home turn in he showed all of his brilliance to miss by a (bloody) inch to Solvit.
However, his win in the 1994 Caulfield Stakes was a classic. In a small field he settled last as usual but Jim Cassidy started his move at the 600. By the home turn he’d passed two horses but was gaining momentum. Still, he didn’t look a winning chance even at 100 when he unleashed that speed to go pass Jeune and Paris Lane who looked to have it sown up 50 metres from home.
I believe that settling last and often relying on a faster pace and to be ridden for luck cost him some big wins and the champion status he deserved outside of Queensland. Like may great horses he lost a few races by extremely narrow margins. I’ve already mentioned the 94 Cox Plate and another was the 1992 Mackinnon Stakes in which he was beaten by his stablemate Veandercross.
As a point of interest, Veandercross was ridden by Shane Dye who was not sacked for his infamous ride in the Caulfield Cup as the connections were not unhappy with his ride, and Rough Habit was backing up one week after his Cox Plate fall.
Rough Habit’s final win in Australia was in Brisbane in the 2400 Group 2 P J O’Shea Stakes. I can still hear Wayne Wilson’s rousing call as Rough Habit wins with his unforgettable guts and class.
Rough Habit’s 11 Group 1 wins
3 Doomben Cups
2 All Aged Stakes
2 Stradbroke Handicaps
1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes
1 Caulfield Stakes
1 Queensland Derby
1 Captain Cook Stakes (New Zealand)
He never received a vote in The Roar top 50 Australian horses, but maybe next time he could be considered. He is one of five horses in New Zealand to be put on a postage stamp.
He is the best thing that ever happened to Brisbane racing in the past 50 years. Five campaigns and a Group 1 win in the first four and a stirring Group 2 win to end his final campaign.
A great sprinter and a great middle distance horse.
Peter
Guest
Roughie was 8 y/o and Solvit was 6 y/o. Both were running 2000 metres in about 2:00.06 the formguide showed. I admired Solvit as a front runner like Vo Rogue. Nbbody wanted either of them. I bet on Rough Habit to beat Solvit. If I took the quinella instead, it paid about $2,200. Which showed these two were being heavily underestimated against lesser equine mortals. The best horse came second on that day, not taking anything away from that other NZer, Solvit. And couldn't Roughie get cracking in the mud? A real swooping mudlark. A point of interest, there were 14 runners in that field. Since Rough Habit settles last, he had to run down 13 other runners to win. He got past 12 of them in blistering fashion for 2nd by a nostril to Solvit the front runner. If he only had to go past 7 runners, as in many Cox Plates - he gets there, Solvit included. But that's racing. Rough Habiit was among the greatest based on ability, not just results.
michael steel
Guest
Yes, I wish he won. Solvit could have and should have won the previous year when he got about 5 lengths in front in the Cox Plate. Incidentally Rough Habit started at 50/1 in that Cox Plate after what was called a dismal performance in the Caulfield Cup. Fact was he made up about 20 lengths on the field from the 400 to the finish line but still finished about 6 lengths behind off Paris Lane.
Bondy
Guest
Nice write up Mick . I should mention the named a bar after him at Eagle Farm . Its a very impressive CV from the old boy. If memory serves me correct he was beaten a breath in a Cox Plate as a seven yr old by another Kiwi Solvit .. The Champ now rests ....
Michael Steel
Roar Pro
Available on You Tube Rough Habit Stradbroke win 1992, Caulfield Stakes win 1994 amazing acceleration and his Cox plate losses 91, 92 94 all great races.
kv joef
Roar Guru
Great stuff MSteel and it was sad to hear of his passing - reached a good age. its funny, when Sheek mentioned Winfreux yesterday ... i nearly commented 'he was the first Rough Habit' as he won the D10,000 and stradbroke as a 3yrold, then followed up the next 2 years with the Doomben Cup. But the Habit was hard to break and a pleasure to watch race.
peeeko
Guest
a great horse, i backed him many times including that 94 cox plate