Popular Alm (1976–2000) was an

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bred

Standardbred The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing where they compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace its bloodline ...

pacer. He was one of the fastest pacers

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has produced, running exceptional times over many distances. Popular Alm set a world record for a mile time trial at Moonee Valley on 13 May 1983, running 1:53.2. He raced 62 times over seven seasons for 49 wins, seven seconds and three thirds for stake earnings of $710,883. He was known as "Poppy". He was bred by Arthur Pearce and foaled in 1976 at

Bendigo, Victoria Bendigo ( ) is an Australian city in north-central Victoria (Australia), Victoria. The city is located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. As of 2022, ...

. Popular Alm was by Sovereign Adios from Direct Design, a daughter of Truant Hanover. He was inbred to Adios in the third generation (3x3) of his pedigree.

Early life

Making his racing debut as a two-year-old Popular Alm had raced only five times before being sold for $40,000 to clients of Kilmore-based trainer Bob Knight.Agnew, Max, "Silks & Sulkies – The Complete Book of Australian and New Zealand Harness Racing", Doubleday, Sydney, 1986, Making his debut for Knight in the 1980 South Australian Pacing Derby at Globe Derby Park, Popular Alm was the subject of a betting plunge. He was backed from 33/1 to 9/4 but finished second behind fellow Victorian

Gammalite Gammalite (1976 – 21 December 2006) was an Australian bred Standardbred racehorse who was the first Standardbred to win A$1 million in Australia. He was regarded as one of Australia's most successful pacers with 16 Group one wins.Cain, Robert (1988). ''Kilmore - The Cup That Grew'' Poppy was driven by Bob Knight's son Vincent (Vin, Vinny) John Knight who died in April 1991. After suffering an injury upon returning to Victoria he was sent for a spell and did not race again until August 1980. Progressing quickly through his classes Popular Alm won 15 consecutive races including the 1981 Kilmore Cup and a track and Australian record breaking win in 1:55.9 over the mile at

Harold Park Harold Park is a place in the London Borough of Havering. History Harold Park is north-eastern part of Harold Wood, occupying an isthmus of land between the A12 and the Ingrebourne River (The River Ingrebourne at Harold Park and Hornchurch). ...

in Sydney in the Golden Mile. It was the fastest mile ever recorded in Australia to that time. The winning sequence came to an end when he finished second in the 1982 Ballarat Cup off a 25 metre handicap. After an unsuccessful

Inter Dominion :''for winners of the Inter Dominion see: Inter Dominion Pacing Championship and Inter Dominion Trotting Championship'' The Inter Dominion is a harness racing competition that has been contested since 1936 in Australia and New Zealand. It is ...

campaign in Perth when he finished third in the final, Popular Alm was given a spell before beginning the 1982/83 season which saw him become Australian Harness Horse of the Year.

1982/83 season

During 1982/83 he won his second Kilmore Cup from a 35m handicap and the Winfield Cup (later known as the Victoria Cup) at Moonee Valley in October. He then equalled his 1.55.9 track record at Harold Park from the previous year and won three other features in Sydney including the Bankstown Cup and Harold Park Spring Cup where he started at odds of 1/14. In January he won the Ballarat Cup before returning to Sydney for the Miracle Mile Pace on February 4. In the Miracle Mile at Harold Park where he was previously unbeaten in four starts he won in 1.57.7 after he raced outside

Pure Steel Pure Steel is the only pacer to win the A G Hunter Cup, a race over 3,050 metres and the richest handicap race for pacers in the world, three times, in 1977, 1978, and 1980. He was the first Standardbred horse to win A$500,000 in Australia. ...

to 1.59.4. No pacer had ever recorded a mile rate of better than two minutes for such a long distance. Travelling to Auckland for the 1983

Popular Alm won a heat but found the clockwise track difficult and in the final ran off on the final corner and finished second behind

Gammalite Gammalite (1976 – 21 December 2006) was an Australian bred Standardbred racehorse who was the first Standardbred to win A$1 million in Australia. He was regarded as one of Australia's most successful pacers with 16 Group one wins.Delightful Lady and Hands Down. The series win earned him the unofficial Horse of the Hemisphere title and his career earnings passed $500,000, the only previous horses to have reached the milestone in Australian harness racing being

Gammalite Gammalite (1976 – 21 December 2006) was an Australian bred Standardbred racehorse who was the first Standardbred to win A$1 million in Australia. He was regarded as one of Australia's most successful pacers with 16 Group one wins.Koala King Koala King was a former champion Australian Standardbred pacing horse of the 1970s and 80s who won a host of Australasian Pacers Grand Circuit and feature races including the 1980 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship at Harold Park Paceway and the ...

and Paleface Adios. In May he time trialled at Moonee Valley and by running quarters of 27.1, 27.9, 28.6 and 29.6 he ran in mile 1.53.2. It was the fastest mile in Australia or New Zealand and by an Australian or New Zealand bred pacer anywhere in the world. Popular Alm also broke the world record held by Storm Damage for the fastest mile on a five eighths mile (1000m) track. By breaking the previous Australian mile record by 1.7 seconds, he reduced the record by more than any horse since Walla Walla in 1933. For the season he raced 22 times for 18 wins 1 second and 1 third and was named Australian Harness Horse of the Year.

1983/84 season

Early in the 1983/4 season Popular Alm won the Craven Filter Sprint (now known as the Queensland Pacing Championship) on the opening night of the new Albion Park track in 1:55.8. He won six consecutive races at Albion Park including setting a new Australian record time for a race mile of 1.54.5. A win in the Australian Pacing Championship was also part of the winning sequence. On 29 October 1983, Popular Alm became the shortest priced favourite in Australian harness racing history when winning at

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’s Albion Park. In Melbourne he won the Winfield Cup for the second time beating Gammalite by 14 metres before suffering a serious injury. 'Poppy' as he had become known, had broken a bone in his leg during trackwork and did not race for nearly a year. During his recovery he received get well cards from children. Popular Alm was able to return to racing in preparation for Melbourne's 1985 Inter Dominion Championships. Although winning his only two starts after returning to racing late in 1984 he never regained full fitness and was retired to stud. In 2009 he was elected to the Victorian Harness Racing Media Association Hall of Fame in its first year of operation.

Stud record

His notable progeny includes: * Brief Judgement 1989 colt, 1:57.2, earnings of $62,076 * Popular Truss 1994 colt, 1:57.8 earnings of $53,576 * Southern Sugar 1987 filly, 1:58.9 earnings of $87,625 Popular Alm died aged 24 in South Australia after suffering the effects of a crippling spinal disease caused by a spur-like calcification on a vertebra in his neck. He has had a race, the Popular Alm Free For All, named after him since the 1996/7 season. This race has been an important lead-up to the Victoria Cup one of

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's premier harness races.

References

{{Reflist, 2 1976 racehorse births 2000 racehorse deaths Standardbred racehorses bred in Australia Miracle Mile winners