Australia (horse)

Australia's first race was a seven furlong maiden race at the Curragh on 30 June. He was made favourite, but started very slowly and although he finished strongly he failed by a neck to catch the Jim Bolger-trained Renaissance Art.[8] He returned over the same course and distance and recorded his first success, beating ten opponents at odds of 30/100.[9] Australia was then moved up in class for the Group Three Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Trial Stakes over one mile at Leopardstown Racecourse on 7 September. In a four-runner field he started second favourite behind Free Eagle, a Dermot Weld-trained colt who had won his debut by five and a half lengths. Australia raced in third behind Kingfisher and Free Eagle before taking the lead approaching the final furlong. In the closing stages he accelerated clear to win by six lengths in "impressive" style.[10]

Australia did not contest any trial races in the spring of 2014, making his seasonal début in the 2000 Guineas over the Rowley mile at Newmarket Racecourse on 3 May. Starting the 5/2 second choice in the betting he raced down the stands side (the left side from the jockeys' viewpoint) as the field split into two groups on either side of the wide Newmarket straight. He took the lead of the stands-side group in the closing stages but was beaten into third by Night of Thunder and Kingman, both of whom had raced on the opposite side for almost all the way.[11]

After the Guineas, O'Brien said he was "delighted" with the run and the ante-post odds for Australia to win The Derby were shortened from 9/4 to 7/4. Australia did not take part in any of the traditional Derby trials but the poor performance of Godolphin's colt True Story in the Dante Stakes caused the odds to be shortened to odds on.[12] Coral made him 4/6 to win the classic. Despite Australia not competing in any trials many other fellow Ballydoyle horses did. Orchestra won the Chester Vase and the odds on him following up the win with a Derby victory like Ruler of the World the previous year were shortened. Kingfisher won the Dee Stakes whilst Geoffrey Chaucer finished third in a messy renewal of the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.[13] Two weeks before the Derby bookmakers reported a surge of bets on Geoffrey Chaucer and eased their price on Australia in response.[14] The threat of rain on Derby day also caused a further lengthening of Australia's odds as it was thought that Kingston Hill would do well on the softer ground.[15]

Australia goes to the post for the Juddmonte International at York, 2014

On 7 June, Australia started 11/8 favourite for the Derby ahead of Kingston Hill (15/2) and the Godolphin runner True Story (8/1) in a field of sixteen runners. Australia was calm in the parade ring and on the way to start and was the final horse to be loaded into the stalls before the race. Once underway the 50/1 outsider Our Channel took the early lead and set a strong pace from Kingfisher, with Kingston Hill next as Joseph O'Brien settled Australia towards the rear of the field. Approaching the final turn Australia made rapid progress on the outside and moved into contention early in the straight as Kingston Hill took the lead. Australia overtook Kingston Hill approaching the final furlong and won decisively by one and a quarter lengths.[16] After the race, Aidan O'Brien said: "Listen, a long time ago we thought he was very special, we wanted to be here with him, but you can never be sure because there are so many variables. Listen, things can go wrong so big credit to everyone at home". Joseph O'Brien commented, "horses don't come any easier to ride than this one. He's the best."[17]

Three weeks after his win at Epsom, Australia contested the Irish Derby at the Curragh in an attempt to follow in the footsteps of both his parents by winning both countries' classics. Epsom Derby second Kingston Hill was withdrawn from the race because of the firm ground, which meant he had little serious opposition and started at odds of 1/8. In what was described as "little more than an exercise routine" Australia won very easily by two and a half lengths from his stable companion Kingfisher with Orchestra a further two and a half lengths back in third. After the race Aidan O'Brien confirmed Australia would be targeted at the International Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes as "he'd have no problem going back to 1m2f."[18]

After a break on 20 August 2014 Australia travelled to York Racecourse to compete in the International Stakes against older horses for the first time. Prior to the race there was speculation as to who would ride Australia as Joseph O'Brien would be unable to make the 8 st 12 lb required and Ryan Moore was booked by Sir Michael Stoute to ride Telescope.[19]

Australia before the final race of his career at Leopardstown

Three days before the race it was revealed Joseph O'Brien was going to make the weight, the first time he would ride under 9 st since riding Magician in the Dubai Sheema Classic.[20] Despite a strong field including Telescope the Hardwicke Stakes winner, Mukhadram the Eclipse Stakes winner and French Derby winner The Grey Gatsby, who had also won the Dante Stakes over the course and distance earlier in the year, Australia started the 8/13 favourite. Stablemate Kingfisher was runner as a pacemaker. Like at Epsom, Australia was last to load and after sitting at the back with The Grey Gatsby they both ran on in the last 3 furlongs with Australia going on to win becoming the first horse to complete the Derby-International double in the same season since Sea the Stars.

On 14 September, Australia faced a rematch against The Grey Gatsby in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and started the 30/100 favourite against a field which also included Al Kazeem, Mukhadram and Trading Leather despite Joseph O'Brien being unable to ride at 126 pounds, leading to the colt carrying 127. He was restrained at the rear of the field before making progress on the wide outside on the turn into the straight. He took the lead approaching the final furlong but was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten a neck by The Grey Gatsby. After the race Aidan O'Brien said "Everything that could go wrong... went wrong" whilst Joseph said "I’d probably do things slightly differently if I had it back again, but we live and learn".[21]

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding