Super Impose

New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Super Impose (5 October 1984 – 23 March 2007) was a New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. In a career spanning 74 starts, he won eight Group One races and a then Australasian record $5.6 million in prize money. Trained throughout his career by Lee Freedman and ridden in his Group One wins by Bruce Compton (once), Darren Gauci (once), Darren Beadman (five times), and Greg Hall (once), Super Impose won the AJC Epsom and Doncaster Handicaps two years in a row, in 1990 and 1991, and won the Cox Plate at his penultimate start as an eight year old in 1992.

Foaled in New Zealand, Super Impose was a son of the multiple Group One winner Imposing (Todman Hialeah), out of the unraced mare Pheroz Fancy (Taipan II Pheroz Jewel). Pheroz Jewel was a stakeswinning mare in New Zealand who defeated Grey Way, while Todman was an Australian racehorse who won the inaugural Golden Slipper in 1957. Super Impose, via Todman and Ritmar (dam of Taipan), had Star Kingdom blood on both sides of his pedigree. The imported Irish stallion was a dominant influence on Australian racing before the preponderance of Northern Dancer line stallions, such as Danehill, in the 1990s. Taipan, via his sire Bold Ruler, also introduced powerful American bred descendants of Nearco into the pedigree. Super Impose descended from an old colonial New Zealand family, (C 23), that had not produced many notable winners until the last few decades.

The chestnut Super Impose was selected by trainer Lee Freedman at the 1986 Trentham yearling sales in New Zealand for a small syndicate who paid $40,000. Interviewed for 'Super Better Best', along with Lee Freedman, managing part owner Chris Biggins explained that Freedman had rung him from New Zealand and said that there were three horses he had liked at the sale. Freedman predicted that the first two would make 'too much money', while the third was a 'beautiful, imposing horse'. The first two were sold to Bart Cummings and became the multiple Group One winners Sky Chase and Beau Zam, while the third became Super Impose. He was unraced as a two year old.

Super Impose entered training as a three year old and made a winning debut in a maiden at Seymour, on 28 December 1987. His next five starts produced three seconds and a third before a let up. He resumed at Benalla, in early May with a win in an improvers, and his next three starts included a second in a three year old handicap at Flemington. Super Impose was yet to win a metropolitan race, but, in coming from last at Flemington, had shown a glimpse of his 'preferred racing style'. Super Impose opened the new year with a string of placings and was scratched from his main mission, the Mercedes Classic, when wet weather again closed in on Sydney's autumn carnival. He was entered a week later in the Doncaster Handicap carrying topweight of 57 kilograms, and 'the weather held'. Super Impose came from the tail of the field on the home turn to defeat Shaftesbury Avenue. He was ridden in the Doncaster by Bruce Compton, who gained the ride only after higher profile jockeys had taken other mounts, with doubts over whether Super Impose would take his place in the field. This was Compton's first and only ride on the horse, but his tactics and the horse's 'amazing zip'

Now a veteran of 53 starts, Super Impose again resumed in the Warwick Stakes and defeated Livistona Lane and Royal Creation before an unplaced run in the Chelmsford Stakes and a win in the Hill Stakes (which was run at Canterbury Park, with its usual venue, Rosehill, closed for renovations). At his next start, with his win in the Epsom Handicap, Super Impose created history in winning the AJC's Epsom and Doncaster Handicaps two years in a row, in 1990 and 1991. In a moment of "insanity bordering on genius", Following these wins, Super Impose was named Australia’s "Greatest Miler" by racing author Warwick Hobson,

Super Impose opened the new year with a second placing to Quick Score in the Apollo Stakes and defeated him second up with a rails hugging win in the Chipping Norton Stakes (both run at Randwick Racecourse, instead of their usual venue, Warwick Farm). He was then unplaced in the last four runs of his campaign, including the Doncaster Handicap, where he finished sixth under topweight of 62.5 kilograms and gave 15 kilograms to the winner, Soho Square.

In his final campaign, Super Impose again resumed in the Warwick Stakes but was denied a record equalling third win in the race by Shaftesbury Avenue who was appearing for the first time since the previous year's Japan Cup and never raced again. Super Impose was then placed in the Chelmsford Stakes and the Hill Stakes, and finished fourth in the Epsom Handicap, under topweight of 61.5 kilograms. He broke an eight race losing run in the Canberra Cup on his way to Melbourne for the Cox Plate. So easy was the win in that his jockey, Mick Dittman, slowed Super Impose to cantering pace approaching the finish line, more than three lengths clear of the runner up. In the Cox Plate, veteran jockey Greg Hall took the ride on Super Impose, with Mick Dittman booked to ride the hot favourite, Naturalism. The 'stellar field'

The win took Super Impose to an Australasian record $5.6 million in prize money and gave him the rare feat of Group wins at each of the eight city racetracks in Sydney and Melbourne. He finished his career with a 15th placing in Subzero's Melbourne Cup, 10 days later, but fans simply displayed the reverse side of their giant banner, which read 'Bad luck Super. We still love you'. to some of the farm's young horses. Due to infirmities associated with old age, Super Impose was humanely euthanised in 2007 at the age of 22. He was buried at Glenlogan Park Stud with a tribute stone and plaque erected in his memory. In 2007, Super Impose was posthumously inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.