Better Loosen Up

Better Loosen Up
Better Loosen Up
Sire	Loosen Up (USA)
Grandsire	J F Feehan Stakes (1990); Blamey Stakes (1990, 1991); Turnbull Stakes (1990); Australian Cup (1991); International race wins:; Japan Cup (1990)
Awards
	Australian Horse of the Year (1991)
Honours
	Australian Racing Hall of Fame (2004)
	Last updated on 13 June 2011

Better Loosen Up (foaled 29 August 1985 – died 15 March 2016

racehorse that won the Japan Cup in 1990^[3] and was named Australia's champion racehorse in 1991. He campaigned from two to seven years of age, and won 17 of his 45 starts,^[4] including eight Group One races.^[5] In 2004, he was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.^[6]

Better Loosen Up was a small bay gelding, by Loosen Up (USA) out of Better Fantasy by Better Boy (IRE). He was bred by Howard Martin and foaled in Berrigan, New South Wales. Loosen Up won the French Prix de l' Avre and was the sire of six stakes-winners in Australia with Better Loosen Up being the best one. Better Fantasy was the dam of 13 named foals, but Better Loosen Up was her only stakes-winner.^[7]

Racing career

Under the care of Les Theodore, won one of his four starts as two-year-old, a maiden at

Canterbury Guineas. At season's end, his record stood at a relatively unprepossessing five wins from 16 starts, although Les Theodore claims to have told the staff at Lindsay Park that the horse was a 'champion'.^[8]

Now trained by

Cox Plate, Better Loosen Up had come from an estimated 30 lengths off the lead to win in course-record time; in the Mackinnon Stakes, on Derby Day, he was one of a 'world record' six Group winners for his trainer;^[9] in the Japan Cup, he scored a thrilling win to racecaller Bryan Martin's cry of 'Better Loosen Up has won for Australia',^[8]

and remains the only Australian horse to do so; in the Australian Cup, he defeated Vo Rogue by 51⁄2 lengths. Following this season, Better Loosen Up was named Australia's champion racehorse in 1991.

A leg injury, which had cut short his autumn campaign, restricted him to just 12 further starts, at six and seven, and he failed to reach the same heights. His best performance came in the Cox Plate of 1992, where he was beaten just over a length by Super Impose, and successfully protested against Let's Elope, who was second past-the-post. He was retired in February 1993, within days of Super Impose, with which he would star on 'Super Better Best'[8] – the story of how two geldings rose from obscurity to amass a '$10 million fortune'.

In retirement

Better Loosen Up lived at

Living Legends, The International Home of Rest for Champion Horses in the Melbourne suburb of Greenvale before his death in 2016.^[10]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Better Loosen Up (AUS), bay gelding, 1985
Sire Loosen Up (USA) Br. 1973	Never Bend 1960	Nasrullah	Nearco
		Nasrullah	Mumtaz Begum
		Lalun	Djeddah
		Lalun	Be Faithful
	Dancing Hostess 1964	Sword Dancer	Sunglow
		Sword Dancer	Highland Fling
		Your Hostess	Alibhai
		Your Hostess	Boudoir
Dam Better Fantasy Br or bl. 1975	Better Boy (IRE) 1951	My Babu	Djebel
		My Babu	Perfume
		Better So	Mieuxce
		Better So	Soga
	Pure Fantasy 1968	Niksar	Le Haar
		Niksar	Niskampe
		Alecon	Dalray
		Alecon	Boot Maid (Family: 7-d)

References

^ ^a ^b Better Loosen Up's racing record
^ The Australian, Better Loosen Up, champion gelding, dies at 30
^ [1] List of Japan Cup winners
^ [2] Better Loosen Up's career record (Note: While the races contested by Better Loosen Up and his finishing positions appear correct, in many cases the other placegetters are not correct)
^ ASB – Race wins Retrieved on 26 July 2009
^ Better Loosen Up in limelight again
^ "Better Fantasy (AUS)". Australian Stud Book. Australian Turf Club Limited and Victoria Racing Club Limited. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Crawley, Steve (1993) 'Super Better Best', Raceplay, 87–93 Thislethwaite Street, South Melbourne, Victoria, 3205, VHS cassette/DVD
^ "Racecaller Bryan Martin's web site". Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2009.
^ Living Legends Archived 10 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 26 July 2009

External links

Better Loosen Up at the Australian Racing Museum and Hall of Fame

[record-1] Better Loosen Up's racing record

[2] The Australian, Better Loosen Up, champion gelding, dies at 30

[3] [1] List of Japan Cup winners

[4] [2] Better Loosen Up's career record (Note: While the races contested by Better Loosen Up and his finishing positions appear correct, in many cases the other placegetters are not correct)

[ASB-5] ASB – Race wins Retrieved on 26 July 2009

[6] Better Loosen Up in limelight again

[7] "Better Fantasy (AUS)". Australian Stud Book. Australian Turf Club Limited and Victoria Racing Club Limited. Retrieved 13 June 2011.

[SBB-8] Crawley, Steve (1993) 'Super Better Best', Raceplay, 87–93 Thislethwaite Street, South Melbourne, Victoria, 3205, VHS cassette/DVD

[9] "Racecaller Bryan Martin's web site". Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2009.

[10] Living Legends Archived 10 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 26 July 2009

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

Racing career

In retirement

Pedigree

See also

References

External links