From The Horse's Mouth - Mark Van Deventer

For fun, this weekend’s blog reads like the Guiness Book of Records as we check out some extraordinary facts and feats in thoroughbred horse racing.

• Fastest 5 Furlongs: Stone of Falcon sprinted 1000m in 53.69 seconds at Epsom Downs on June 2, 2012.

• Most Group 1 Wins: Australian champion mare, Winx secured 25 consecutive Group 1 victories between 2015 and 2019.

• Highest Career Winnings (Jockey): American legend, Chris McCarron earned $236 million (£148 million) across his career from 1974 to 2000. I’d imagine that record could be under threat given the earnings of super-star contemporary jockeys with international reach.

Best undefeated career records:

• Kincsem (Hungary): 54 wins from 54 starts (1874–1879), holds the all-time record for an undefeated Thoroughbred. 

• Black Caviar (Australia): 25 wins from 25 starts (2009–2013), dominated international sprinting, including a dramatic Royal Ascot win when, below her physical best she only just scraped in after her jockey eased up near the line.

• Peppers Pride (United States): 19 wins from 19 starts (2005–2008), setting the modern U.S. record for consecutive wins without a defeat. 

• Frankel (Great Britain): 14 wins from 14 starts (2010–2012), in the process earning himself a stunning Timeform rating of 147. His eye-popping performance in the 2012 Queen Anne Stakes tops Sea Bird TFR 145, Brigadier Gerard TFR 144 and Tudor Minstrel TFR 144.

• Personal Ensign (United States): 13 wins from 13 starts (1984–1988), capping her career with a thrilling victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. Race-caller Tom Durkin perfectly captured her, with just 200m to go, improbable, come from behind victory over high -class front runner, Winning Colours.

Longest Consecutive Winning Streaks:

• Camarero (Puerto Rico): 56 consecutive wins (1953–1955).

• Winx (Australia): 33 consecutive wins. She won a total of 37 races from 43 appearances.

• Zenyatta (United States): 19 consecutive wins to start her career before suffering her only defeat in her final race (the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic).

• Cigar (United States): 16 consecutive wins spanning 1994–1996. My favourite commentator, Durkin memorably called the Jerry Bailey ridden star home in the Breeder’s Cup as “the unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar!”

Oldest Horse to win a Grade 1 in Flat Racing: 

9-year-olds John Henry (1984 Arlington Million) and John's Call (2000 Sword Dancer Invitational) set the bar for top-level Grade 1/Group 1 flat events in the USA.

Yavana's Pace secured a Group 1 victory in Cologne at age 10, trained by Mark Johnston. 

Youngest and oldest jockey to win a Grade 1, in Japan:

The enduring, Yutaka Take is both the youngest and oldest jockey to win a G1 in JRA history. He was 19 years old when winning the 1988 Kikuka Sho and then at 57 years of age took out the 2026 Takarazuka Kinen. 

The heaviest weight carried to victory in a legendary historical top-tier stakes race:

One of the qualifying answers is 139 pounds (approximately 63 kg) by the American iron horse Discovery in the 1935 Merchants and Citizens' Handicap. 

In the Melbourne Cup (G1) the historical record for the world's most famous staying handicap belongs to Carbine, who carried 66kg to victory in 1890. 

Bear in mind, though, since the early 70’s, the heaviest successful burdens are lower due to modern handicapping limits.

The record for the most consecutive wins by a jockey on a single race card in South Africa:

It could be six consecutive wins, a feat achieved by jockey Aldo Domeyer at Kenilworth Racecourse in January 2017 (riding six winners from six rides), alongside legendary riders like Jeff Lloyd. 

Think back to January 2007 when Lloyd rode six winners on the card including the Met on Pocket Power, the Cape Derby on Jay Peg and the Fillies Classic on Sun Classique.

Now retired, Lloyd remembers riding seven winners on the card on three occasions in South Africa, a feat he replicated on the Sunshine Coast after emigrating to Oz.

Famous South African jockey Michael "Muis" Roberts, now a trainer in KZN, holds the domestic record for the most consecutive championship titles with 11 straight national jockeys' championships.

Enjoy the action this weekend – perhaps quirky new records will be set somewhere in the racing world.