Tawrrific

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Tawrrific

Sire	Tawfiq
Grandsire	Blushing Groom
Dam	Joyarty
Damsire	Noble Bijou
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1984
Country	New Zealand
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Mr N. T. Broderick & Mesdames L. H. Lillicrapp & M. J. Secretan
Owner	B. F. Avery, et al
Trainer	Lee Freedman
Record	67: 9-7-8
Earnings	A$1,558,434
Major Racing Wins, Awards and Honours
Major Racing Wins
AJC St Leger (1988) Melbourne Cup (1989)
Infobox last updated on: 11:06, Saturday June 14, 2008 (UTC).

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Tawrrific (foaled 1984 in New Zealand) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in New Zealand and Australia. Trained by Lee Freedman and ridden by Shane Dye, he is best remembered for establishing a new race record of 3 minutes and 17.1 seconds in winning the 1989 Melbourne Cup.

After doing his early racing in New Zealand, Tawrrific won the South Australian St Leger at three, and, despite finishing 12th in the 1988 Melbourne Cup, showed staying talent in winning the AJC St Leger at four, and finishing fourth in the Sydney and Brisbane Cups. Alloted 54 kilograms for the 1989 Melbourne Cup, Tawrrific was placed in lead-up races at Sandown, Caulfield, Flemington, and Moonee Valley, but fell out of favour with many punters when finishing second-last in the Caulfield Cup. But in receipt of two kilograms from stablemate Super Impose, Tawrrific came down the centre of the track with a well-timed run by Dye, and won the Melbourne Cup in decisive fashion. The victory was Freedman's first in the race, and a significant career milestone for the young trainer, who would go on to prepare some of Australia's best horses of the modern era; the win also significant in the rise of Dye, a former champion New Zealand apprentice who would go on to win many of Australia's biggest races.

Tawrrific raced for a further 18 months, following his Melbourne Cup win, but with limited success, including a minor win at Flemington, and a 16th in the 1990 Melbourne Cup. Tawrrific atands at stud at Tullaghansleek Stud in Castletown-Geoghegan in County Westmeath, Ireland. Only a few of his progeny have come under notice.