Rain Lover
| Rain Lover | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Latin Lover (GB) |
| Grandsire | Ribot |
| Dam | Rain Spot |
| Damsire | Valognes (GB) |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1964 |
| Country | Australia |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Clifford A. Reid |
| Owner | Clifford A. Reid |
| Trainer | Mick L. Robins |
| Record | 46:17-10-11 |
| Earnings | A$188,100[1] |
| Major wins | |
| Adelaide Cup (1968) Mackinnon Stakes (1968) C.B.Fisher Plate (1968) Melbourne Cup (1968, 1969) Chipping Norton Stakes (1969) VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1969) Craiglee Stakes (1969) Underwood Stakes (1969) St George Stakes (1969, 1970) VRC Queens Plate (1970) AJC Autumn Stakes (1970) |
|
| Awards | |
| Australian Horse of the Year (1969) | |
| Honours | |
| Australian Racing Hall of Fame (2014) SAJC Rain Lover Plate at Morphettville Racecourse |
|
| Last updated on 10 March 2014 | |
Rain Lover (1964-1989) was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the very few horses to win the Melbourne Cup more than once. Rain Lover was sired by the good racehorse, Latin Lover (GB) (a son of the unbeaten Ribot) his dam Rain Spot was by Valognes (GB).[1][2]
He was owned and bred by Clifford A. Reid, who won the 1945 Melbourne Cup with Rainbird. Trainer Mick Robins, a former coal miner from Broken Hill, New South Wales had obtained his trainer's licence just three months before he took over Rain Lover's conditioning. He and the horse are best remembered for their back-to-back wins in the 1968 and 1969 VRC Melbourne Cup. In his first Melbourne Cup triumph, under jockey Jim Johnson, Rain Lover won by a record eight-length margin and in a record time of 3:19.1.[1]
Controversy surrounded his second win as the hot favourite and heavily backed Big Philou trained by Bart Cummings was the victim of a doping scandal and was withdrawn from the race 39 minutes before the start. Burdened with 9 st. 7 lbs. Rain Lover still went on to win the race from Alsop and created history as the first back-to-back winner since Archer in 1861 and 1862.[1]
Amongst his other major wins were the SAJC Adelaide Cup, VATC St George Stakes (twice) and the AJC Chipping Norton Stakes.
Retired to stud in 1970, Rain Lover enjoyed moderate success as a sire before his death in 1989. One of his best winners being Princess Veronica (VATC Easter Cup).[2]
