Inter Dominion Winner Bred in Western Australia
On the second of September in 1961, a foal was born on a small farm hidden away in Western Australia's south-west. Few would have guessed he would become one of the State's greatest champions.
When broken in, the young Binshaw proved to be quite a handful, earning a reputation around Bunbury as a 'mongrel'. However, the young three year old managed a couple of country wins, went for a spell and as a four year old gelding was sold to a syndicate of Perth owners for 2000 guineas. In the stables of new trainer Bob Pollock, Binshaw won a couple of city races before Pollock also sent the bay to be spelled once more.
When he returned to racing as a five year old, Binshaw was trained in the stables of Phil Coulson, and won the 1966 Christmas Gift. Coulson then prepared him for the 1967 Inter Dominion Championships to be held at Gloucester Park. A relatively unknown horse when the series began, Binshaw's owners secured early odds of 100-1. In the gelding's first night clash with the champion Halwes, Binshaw left the Tasmanian horse in his dust. Three nights later he repeated the win, again over Halwes, which saw Binshaw head the list of qualifiers for the $10,000 Final. He then made history in the Final by blitzing the field to become the first Western Australian bred horse ever to win an Inter Dominion. Binshaw's feat has been repeated only once in the last forty-five years.
In April 1968, Binshaw ran in a special match race over a mile in a very fast 1:57.3. This record breaking run is not officially recognised as two of the three drivers were under suspension at the time. However no horse clocked a faster mile in Western Australia for the next 10 years.
His Final Race
Binshaw won his 29th and final race in 1976 as a 14 year old in the Fremantle Members Mile at Richmond Raceway from behind the mobile barrier, a piece of equipment he had not seen until he was a nine year old.
The Winning Post
Binshaw died in December 1996 at the remarkable age of 35, receiving his greatest honour posthumously: his remains were laid under the winning post at Gloucester Park, the track where he won 20 of his 24 city class races.