Grey Way

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Grey Way
Sire Grey William (GB)
Grandsire Grey Sovereign (GB)
Dam Waybrook (NZ)
Damsire Kings Command (GB)
Sex Gelding
Foaled 1970
Country New Zealand
Colour Grey
Record 164:51-27-21
Earnings $235,020
Major wins
1977 Easter Handicap
1976 Awapuni Gold Cup
1974 Chirnside Stakes
Last updated on 3 July 2007

Grey Way, the Washdyke Wonder was a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse. He was born in Washkdyke in 1970 near Timaru by Grey William out of Waybrooke who won the 'Broodmare of the Year' title in the 1977-78 season. The other racehorse born in this area is Phar Lap.

Achievements

He was horse of the year in 1973.[citation needed] He was grey in colour, and pure white in the later stages. Grey Way was successful mainly at distances from 6 furlongs to a mile, i.e., a sprinter-miler, but he did win at longer distances. Grey Way had a record of 51 wins and 27 seconds and 21 thirds from 164 starts.[1] He raced from 2 years to 10 years old, beating nearly every champion that New Zealand had to offer, including Show Gate. He also broke the Australasian record over 7 furlongs, as a seven year old and carrying 60.5 kg.[citation needed] The rider in many of his races was Noel Harris who is still riding in NZ.

He was the New Zealand equivalent to other great grey, Gunsynd. He was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall OF Fame in 2010.

Racing career

Originally thought of as a jumping prospect, he won four races as a 2yo, and managed seven minor placings. He went on to win a further seven races as a 3yo, including a track record for 1400m at Trentham.

Early on as a 4yo he won two races, including another track record, set at Ashburton. He then went to Aussie where he struck unsuitable wet tracks, which he detested, but managed to win the Chirnside Stakes at Caulfield in soft conditions. His final start there in the George Adams yielded a close fifth on a firm track, where rider Noel Harris lost his whip.Back in NZ he ran a number of minor placings and looked awkward on right-handed tracks. He ended the season with three further wins, including a course-record at Riccarton.

Grey Way winning the 1977 Easter Handicap

As a 5yo he won 13 races including the Awapuni Gold Cup over 2000m where he beat Oopik in a fine contest, again in track-record time. Other top gallopers to wallow in his wake that season included, Copper Belt, Kiwi Can, Sind, Black Rod, Ajanta, Blue Blood, and Chrisarda. Going white with age, he won a number of races as a 6yo. Among these were the defeat of brilliant mare Show Gate in the Stewards Hcp carrying 60 kg. He had some marvellous battles with Copper Belt, and they beat each other on a number of occasions. In one of the great races held at Ellerslie (one of the best seen in there) he won the 1977 Easter Hcp over 1600m carrying 60.5 kg. He had a wall of horses in front of him and his task looked impossible, but he bullocked his way through for rider Bob Skelton, producing the kind of finishing run for which he was best known to record a remarkable win. Behind him were Tudor Light, Vice Regal, Kiwi Can, Verax, Patronize, and Shifnals Pride. His first win right-handed, and the Ellerslie crowd gave him a standing ovation.

He had lost some of his zip as a 7yo and 8yo. However, he won a South Island sprint under 62.5 kg and set an Australasian record for 1400m clocking 1:21.75 at Trenham, aged 7. More wins brought him up to 45 career victories. At 10 he brought up win numbers 50 and 51, and retired after knocking a leg at Trentham. His coat ended up almost snowy white.

Big race wins

See also

Reference list

  1. ↑ Grey Way's record
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