HORSE PROFILE

BERNBOROUGH

Breeding: foaled 1939, bay colt, Sire: Emborough, Dam: Bern Maid
Owner: Azzalin Romano  
Trainer: Harry Plant  
Jockey: Athol Mulley
Wins: 26

Bernborough was foaled in 1939 at Dalby, Queensland. Breeder Harry Winten sold the yearling for 150 guineas to Frank and John Bach. As the Queensland Turf Club did not accept any nominations of horses by the two brothers they sold Bernborough to A E Hadwen. For the next four years Bernborough was still not allowed by the Queensland Turf Club to race at city tracks because they suspected that the Bach brothers were associated with Mr Hadwen. So the horse raced in the Darling Down around Toowoomba. At two years he won 4 races and 1 second out of 5 starts. He easily won his last race as a two year old even though the had to carry 9st 9lb. At three years Bernborough won all of his four races.
After that he seemed to develop a shoulder injury and lost both his races. At five years he had 8 starts with 3 wins and 1 second.
Bernborough was still not allowed to race on city tracks so Mr Hadwen sent him to Sydney trainer Harry Plant to prepare the horse for sale. He thought that Bernborough suffered from a foot problem rather than a shoulder injury. A thorough examination by a farrier found a deep seated corn. Harry Plant secretly trailed Bernborough with astounding results about ten days later. He entered him in a barrier trial, which he won easily. Plant wanted to buy the horse but Sydney night club owner Azzalin Romano bought Bernborough for 2,600 guineas.
Reluctantly the Queensland Turf Club lifted the horse's ban on city tracks and he had his first start in December 1945 at Canterbury. Jockey Noel McGrowdie rode Bernborough into fourth place. Athol Mulley was his jockey for the following 16 races. Bernborough easily won his next start the AJC Villiers Stakes and all following 14 races, including the VATC Futurity Stakes, the Newmarket Handicap with 9st 13lb, the Rawson Stakes, the Chipping Norton Stakes and the All Aged Stakes. Next Bernborough raced in the Doomben Ten Thousand, in Brisbane over approx 7 furlongs along with 26 top class horses. He carried 10st 5lb, came from last at the turn to win in record time by 2 lengths. A week later Bernborough easily won the Doomben Cup with 10st 11lb. Effortless he continued his victories in the AJC Warwick Stakes, the Chelmsford Stakes, the Hill Stakes and the Caulfield Stakes. Bernborough had a troublesome run in the Caulfield Cup carrying 10st 10lb where he still finished a close fifth. The owner blamed Jockey Athol Mulley and replaced him with Billy Briscoe. In the LKS McKinnon Stakes Bernborough tried to jump the straight six crossing fracturing a sesamoid bone. Immediate veterinary attention saved the horse. Azzalin Romano sold Bernborough to Louis B Mayer of MGM for stud duties. At Spendthrift Stud Farm in Kentucky he sired champions like Berseem, Bernwood and Hook Money.