Eye Liner

May 2021

THIS MONTH

FISHERMAN - A BREED SHAPER STORY OF HURTLE FISHER

ANOTHER GREAT RACE IN HISTORY PART ONE OF THE REMARKABLE

EYE LINER

The champion Queensland filly helped cement the reputation of leading Queensland thoroughbred stud, Lyndhurst and the Kruger brothers’ fairly new stallion, Smokey Eyes who was to go on to set records for the number of winners he produced. Although founded in 1857, it was not until almost exactly 100 years later, in 1956, that Ted and Percy Kruger purchased the property outside of Warwick and commenced a new chapter in the history of the farm.

Eye Liner was from only the third crop of the imported Irish stallion, by Stardust from Celestial Light. Born in 1947, Smokey Eyes was a grandson of Hyperion and arguably a more important representative of that line in Queensland than the great Star Kingdom that was making his mark throughout Australia at the same time. Smokey Eyes was the leading Sire of winners in Australia for almost a decade, and produced 31 stakes winners, although only a handful were successful outside of his adopted State.

The filly was born in 1962, at a time when the Golden Slipper had recently established as the premier 2yo race. It had given a huge impetus to the breeding of these early types that had success in the race. Eye Liner had her first race start on 17 October 1964 beating Bareme’s Image in the MacDougall Stakes at Eagle Farm over five furlongs in a dominant performance. A few week’s later she beat the same horse by a similar margin over the same distance at Doomben in the Juvenile Stakes. Two weeks later, Eye Liner again started as an odds-on favourite winning the Piccaninny Stakes at Eagle Farm. A week later the Krugers took her to Bundamba at Ipswich where they had significant business interests to complete

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her first campaign. A let-up saw her return to the races on 6 March to win over 5 furlongs at Doomben in a 2yo handicap. Only a week later she went to Eagle Farm and stepped up to 6 furlongs and produced another commanding performance in the Hall Stakes. Four weeks later Eye Liner was back at Doomben with a new jockey, Jack Harbutt, under the steadier of 10.6 (66kg). The big weight made little difference to the bonny filly who again won comfortably. Another dominant win in the Daandine Handicap at Eagle Farm this time carrying 10.12 (69kg) was the last local run before a trek to Sydney. Having not been eligible for the Golden Slipper, Eye Liner met the winner of that race, Reisling in the Champagne Stakes with a ten-pound weight advantage (4.5kg). The Queensland filly was again successful, and for the first time her winning margin was under seven lengths although she bettered Todman’s race record by running 1.9.9. Sydney fans of Reisling blamed the weight on their champion’s defeat, and a match race was proposed between the two. The Kruger brothers had little to prove, preferring to take their great filly back to Queensland. Eye Liner then had her last start as a 2yo during the Queensland winter carnival, and suffered her first defeat. She was beaten by Maybe Lad in the Ahern Stakes at Doomben over 7 furlongs. There was a lot of controversy over the race with Eye Liner having been lame during the week having twisted a plate the week before in the Champagne Stakes. She was not a confirmed starter until the day of the race.

Eye Liner did not appear at the races again until the following February where she strung together three straight wins at Bundamba, Eagle Farm and Doomben. She was then beaten in a similar race at Doomben and then finished fourth in the Lightning. Eye Liner was then third in a Flying behind the good local galloper, Big Seas but an unplaced run in the Healy Stakes behind Boom Gate finished her Winter and her 3yo season.

As a 4yo, Eye Liner returned after almost a year off by running second in the Toowoomba Weetwood before winning the Lightning and Delaney Quality now being ridden by Noel Doyle. A fourth in the Stradbroke was followed by a fifth in the Doomben 10,000. The mare was to have two more unplaced runs before retiring to stud where she produced the stakes winning siblings, Pacific Ruler and Pacific Prince. In all, Eye Liner won 14 races and was named Queensland Horse of the Year in 1967. Eye Liner’s pedigree sees her trace back to the mare Aura by Richmond, the champion son of Maribyrnong.