Gunsynd (4 October 1967 – 29 April 1983) was a champion

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racehorse who won 29 races and A$280,455 in prize money. In his seven starts over he was only once defeated, by half-a-head in the Epsom Handicap.

Breeding

Foaled in 1967, at The Dip Stud, at Breeza, New South Wales, Gunsynd was by the grey racehorse, Sunset Hue (by the imported sire,

Star Kingdom Star Kingdom (formerly known as Star King) (1946–1967) was a Thoroughbred race horse bred in Ireland in 1946. Exported to Australia, he was an outstanding sire, being the leading sire for five seasons, the leading sire of two-year-olds seven ...

), his dam was a twin foal, Woodie Wonder, that ran third at her only start. Woodie Wonder was by the sire, Newtown Wonder (GB). She was the dam of eight foals, six of which raced for three winners. A full brother to Gunsynd, Sunset Red, who won the WJ McKell Cup was the next best of Woodie Wonder's progeny.Pring, Peter; "Analysis of Champion Racehorses", The Thoroughbred Press, Sydney, 1977,

Early life

G. McMicking formed a syndicate with three others from his home town of

Goondiwindi Goondiwindi () is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia. It is on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. In the , the locality of Goondiwindi had a population of 6, ...

(pronounced Gundawindi) consisting of A. Bishop, J. Coorey and A. Pippos and purchased Gunsynd as a yearling for A$1,300 at the 1969

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sales. He was affectionately known as the ''Goondiwindi Grey'' because his owners came from Goondiwindi and he was a grey in appearance.

Racing record

Originally trained by Bill Wehlow, and later by Tommy Smith, Gunsynd raced from 1969 to 1973. As a four-year-old, under handicap conditions, Gunsynd won four major mile races (approximately 1,600 metres) - the Epsom Handicap, the Toorak Handicap, the George Adams Handicap, and the

Doncaster Handicap The Doncaster Mile, registered as the Doncaster Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred handicap race for horses three years old and older, held over 1,600 metres at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia. Although the ra ...

, and, at five, was narrowly beaten by

Triton Triton commonly refers to: * Triton (mythology), a Greek god * Triton (moon), a satellite of Neptune Triton may also refer to: Biology * Triton cockatoo, a parrot * Triton (gastropod), a group of sea snails * ''Triton'', a synonym of ''Triturus' ...

in the 1972 Epsom Handicap. In the Doncaster Handicap, he carried to victory, and, in his second Epsom Handicap, was second with 62.5 kilograms. He then won the 1972

Cox Plate The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group races, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racin ...

, was third, with 60.5 kilograms, to Piping Lane in the

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the ...

, and was named Australia's champion racehorse for the 1971–1972 season. Gunsynd was a favourite with the crowds due to his grey coat and his tremendous will to win, and was one of the best grey horses in the history of Australian racing. When comparing Gunsynd's racing record and prize money to the prize money increases by 2019, if he had raced today his prize money would be over $10.9 million.

Stud record

In 1973 Gunsynd syndicated as a stallion for $270,618 and retired to Kia Ora Stud.du Bourg, Ross, ''The Australian and New Zealand Thoroughbred", Thomas Nelson, Melbourne, 1980, His progeny included just four stakes winners of eight stakes races, Bensynd (1974), Tsunami (1975, won the Hyperion Stakes at Ascot), Midnight Gun (1977) and Domino (1978). Gunsynd also sired Ammo Girl, the dam of

Emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...

, who was named Australia's champion racehorse for the 1983–1984 season. Suffering from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

, Gunsynd was humanely

euthanised Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...

at the age of 16.

Honours

Gunsynd was named the VRC Horse of the Year in 1972 and inducted into the

Australian Racing Hall of Fame The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horse racing, horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000. The numbers i ...

. In 1973

Tex Morton Tex Morton (born Robert William Lane in Nelson, New Zealand, also credited as Robert Tex Morton; 30 August 1916 – 23 July 1983 Sydney, Australia) was a pioneer of New Zealand and Australian country and western music, vaudevillian, actor, tel ...

recorded a song ''The Goondiwindi Grey (The Gunsynd Song)'', written by Nev Hauritz and Brian Wallace, as a tribute to him. 25,000 people farewelled Gunsynd at

Doomben Racecourse Doomben Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located in the suburb of Ascot, Queensland, Ascot, 7 kilometres north of the Brisbane central business district. The Doomben course neighbours another tho ...

in 1973 where he participated in an exhibition gallop. A statue in his honour was erected in his hometown of Goondiwindi. In 2009 as part of the

Q150 Q150 was the sesquicentenary (150th anniversary) of the Separation of Queensland from New South Wales in 1859. Separation established the Colony of Queensland which became the State of Queensland in 1901 as part of the Federation of Australia ...

celebrations, Gunsynd was announced as one of the

Q150 Icons The Queensland's Q150 Icons list of cultural icons was compiled as part of Q150 celebrations in 2009 by the Government of Queensland, Australia. It represented the people, places and events that were significant to Queensland Queensland ...

of Queensland for his role as a "sports legend".

References

{{Reflist
Australian Racing Hall of Fame

External links

Gunsynd's pedigree and racing stats

John Clift - the real Breeder
1967 racehorse births 1983 racehorse deaths Horse monuments Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year Australian Racing Hall of Fame horses Cox Plate winners Racehorses bred in Australia Racehorses trained in Australia Thoroughbred family 6-c Goondiwindi Animal sculptures in Australia