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Better Loosen Up

Better Loosen Up was one of the great Australian racehorses of his era and, in 1990, achieved international recognition when he became the first from his country to win the Japan Cup. His total of eight Group One wins also included the 1990 W S Cox Plate, the 1990 LKS MacKinnon Stakes, and the 1991 Australian Cup.

A descendant of Nearco, Better Loosen Up was a bay gelding by Loosen Up (USA) out of the mare Better Fantasy and was foaled in Berrigan, New South Wales. He started in 45 races, winning 17, running second in nine, and third in three for prizemoney of more than AUD$4.7 million. He excited racegoers with his trademark finishing sprints in the home straight, and his knack of consistently winning by narrow margins.

Early races

Initially bought and trained by Les Theodore, his racing career began in 1987 in small country races. For his metropolitan races he was briefly trained by Bart Cummings and achieved some success in Sydney in 1988 and early-1989.

1989-1990 Season

Transferred to Lindsay Park, to be trained by Colin and David Hayes, Better Loosen Up broke his Group 1 maiden in the 1989 Honda Stakes at Flemington before travelling to Perth to win the Winfield and Railway Stakes.

In the autumn of 1990 he won the Blamey Stakes first-up at Flemington, and was second to champion frontrunner Vo Rogue in the Australian Cup before beating a top class field in the Group 1 Segenhoe Stakes (now the Ranvet Stakes), including regular rivals Vo Rogue, Sydeston, Super Impose, and 1989 Japan Cup winner Horlicks. Better Loosen Up closed his season with defeats by Sydeston in The BMW Stakes and the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes on heavy tracks.

1990-1991 Season

Better Loosen Up returned to racing for the spring of 1990, and, following a first-up defeat, won his next seven races, the third of which was a phenomenal win in the Cox Plate in record time, where he came from 30 lengths behind at the halfway point to beat a strong field boasting horses such as Sydeston, The Phantom, Stylish Century and Horlicks.

Following the Cox Plate, he was invited to run in Tokyo, Japan against some of the world's best in the Japan Cup. He was installed as the early favourite for the race. A notoriously lazy track worker, he fell out of favour with punters after running the slowest sectional times during track work, although trainer David Hayes was not concerned. He subsequently created history when he became the first Australian horse to win the Japan Cup, coming from the rear of the field with a barnstorming burst to win in a three way photo finish.

He returned to Australian racing in the autumn of 1991 with a smart win in the Blamey Stakes, where he overhauled Vo Rogue over the closing stages. At his next start, he defeated Vo Rogue in the Australian Cup by five-and-a-half lengths in a reversal of the previous year's defeat. Soon after, Better Loosen Up injured a tendon at the notorious crossing at Randwick racecourse during trackwork. It was at the same crossing where another outstanding horse, Shaftesbury Avenue, was tragically killed in 1994.

1991-1992 Season

Better Loosen Up was rested for much of the 1991-1992 season after undergoing an operation to repair his tendon. Returning in the summer of 1992, Better Loosen Up struggled in two starts at Flemington, and was spelled again following a close fourth in Rosehill's George Ryder Stakes.

1992-1993 Season

Better Loosen Up returned to racing in the spring of 1992, but was thwarted by wet tracks and other problems, and never won again. In the 1992 Cox Plate, however, he raced without luck in the home straight when severely checked by 1991 Melbourne Cup winner Let's Elope. His great rival Super Impose came down the outside to win the race with Let's Elope second over the line and Better Loosen Up a close fifth. Better Loosen Up's jockey, Simon Marshall, successfully protested against Let's Elope, who was demoted to fifth, while Better Loosen Up was promoted to fourth.

Showing another glimpse of his best form first-up, in early 1993, Better Loosen Up flashed home for second over 1,100 metres in the Irwin Stakes, but damaged the same tendon a short time later and was retired.

To date, Better Loosen Up remains the only Australian horse to win the Japan Cup. He raced and beat the best of a golden era in Australian racing and easily defeated Melbourne Cup winners Kingston Rule and Tawrrific. His performance in Tokyo in 1990 is regarded as one of Australia’s greatest modern day achievements in international racing.

Better Loosen Up now spends his retirement years at Living Legends, The International Home of Rest for Champion Horses in the Melbourne suburb of Greenvale.