Young Quinn

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Young Quinn is one of the best known standardbred racehorses ever to come from New Zealand. Foaled in 1969, he was by Young Charles out of Loyal Trick and was named after Snowy Quinn a champion New Zealand sheep shearer, and was trained and driven by the great Charles Stewart Hunter (Charlie). He was nicknamed 'Garbage' as a result of his habit of eating anything in sight, as a young horse.

It was later revealed by cardiograph tests that Young Quinn's heart weighed 13 lb, only 1 lb less than that of the immortal racehorse Phar Lap.

His record was phenonomenal, and he was sent out odds on many occasions. He raced against the very best in horses like Mount Eden, Arapaho, Robalan and Lord Module. He was however beaten by the great Robalan in the New Zealand Cup but did win the Auckland Cup in 1974.

In the 1975 Miracle Mile, Australia's premier mile, at Harold Park he won from barrier six, the outside draw on a very tight track, which was considered almost impossible. In this race he beat such champions as Paleface Adios and Hondo Grattan. Also, Young Quinn was unbeaten in the 1975 Inter-Dominion series in Auckland, NZ, winning three heats and the Pacer's final (beating Hi Foyle and Speedy Guest) and starting one of the shortest priced favourites in the race. In the final he was driven by John Langdon, following the injury to trainer Charlie Hunter during the series. Ironically, Langdon also won the Trotter's section of the Inter-Dominion on the Hunter-trained Castleton's Pride, again as a result of Hunter's fall during the carnival.

He later raced in the United States with considerable success which included at least one victory over the USA champion of the day Rambling Willie, until returning to New Zealand in 1980 for a few starts prior to being retired.

All in all, Young Quinn had 133 starts, for 59 wins and 36 placings with NZ$752,587 in stakemoney, an excellent record.