Flight (horse)

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Flight was a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse. She was a bay daughter of Royal Step from the Thracian mare Lambent.

Her courageous efforts made her a crowd favourite during the post World War II era and she had victories over some of the great horses of the time including Shannon, Bernborough, Royal Gem and Russia.

She was purchased at the 1942 yearling sales by Brian Crowley (a future chairman of the AJC) for 60 guineas.

A consistent performer, she raced at the highest level for 5 seasons until she was a six-year-old winning 24 races including the 1945 and 1946 MVRC W.S.Cox Plate and the1946 VRC L.K.S. MacKinnon Stakes. She also placed in such races as the AJC Sydney Cup, AJC Metropolitan Handicap and the AJC Chipping Norton Stakes.

Retired to stud as Australia’s highest stakes winning mare she gave birth to only five foals before her untimely death in 1953 due to an internal haemorrhage.

Of her progeny her only filly, Flight’s Daughter (by Helios) produced the top-class Skyline, winner of the 1958 STC Golden Slipper Stakes and AJC Derby. His full-brother Sky High won the 1960 STC Golden Slipper Stakes and VRC Derby. Both of these were by champion sire Star Kingdom.

A race named in honour of Flight, the AJC Flight Stakes is contested annually. The race is a Group One and contested over 1600m for three-year-old fillies at set weights.