History of the Maturity Classic

Some Maturity fact and figures

Twenty-three favourites have won the Maturity Classic since it was first staged in 1970. Of those ten have started odds on.

The race record at Olympic Park was 29.80 held by Storm Glade, since the race transferred to the Meadows the fastest winner is Fernando Bale in 29.50.

The longest priced winner is Poetic Magic at $27.40 he won in 2005. The Shortest priced winner is Brett Lee at 1.20 when won in 2001.

Graeme Bate won the race on five occasions with Storm Glade (1985), Hay Dinney (88), Northern Legend (95), Shereen Bale (2011) and Barcia Bale (2012).

The only other trainers to produce more than one winner are Darren McDonald with Brett Lee (2001) and Hallucinate (2004), Jason Thompson 2007 Run’s House and 2009 Aston Trivett and Jeff Britton Mepunga Hayley (2014) and Mepunga Blazer (2017) and Andrea Dailly Fernando Bale (2015) and Dyna Patty (2018).

Some of the most famous winners and most noted start with Temlee (74), Satan’s Legend (78), Pharaoh’s Mask (86), New Tears (87), Hay Dinney (88), Best Of Blue (89), Eureka Man (90), Northern Legend (95), Coriole (99), Brett Lee (2001), Hallucinate (2004), El Grand Senor (2010) Shereen Bale (2012) Barcia Bale,  (2013) Marcus Joe and 2015 winner Fernando Bale.

Winners that have produced winners. Temlee produced Satan’s Legend & Murchison Champ, New Tears produced Northern Legend, Brett Lee produced Hallucinate and Fernando Bale the last two winners Dyna Patty and Sennachie.

Only six bitches have won the Maturity Warrenwood Girl (75), Overflow Love (77), Coriole (99), Shereen Bale (2011) Mepunga Hayley (2014) and (2018) Dyna Patty.

In the last 16 years nine of the 12 winners started favourite.

The Maturity Classic was first held at Olympic Park in 1970 when won by talented sprinter Phantom’s Heir first prize at that time was $1250. The prizemoney increased marginally until 1975 when it went to $3,500. In 77 it was $5,600 and jumped to $7000 in 79 before going to $10,000 from 1980 until 1987 the year the mighty New Tears won the race. First prize went to $15,000 for seven years then to $20,000 for two years and reached $30,000 in the year 2000. In 2001 it was worth $40,000 and the Classic was won by AGRA Hall Of Famer Brett Lee. It was elevated the next year to the amount of $50,000 and again in 2011 the race increased to $75,000 to the winner. Then again in 2012 the prizemoney increased to $100,000 to the winner. Listed below is the Maturity Classic Honour roll highlighted by some of the many stars that enjoyed outstanding careers after winning the feature. The full Honour Roll is listed below.

DATE GREYHOUND SIRE DAM ODDS TIME BOX STAKE TRAINER
1970 PHANTOM’S HEIR Phantom’s Return Dasher’s Flight 1/2F 30.31 1 $1,250 J. Bushell
1971 LINDEN LAD Clay Moss Ophir Gold 3/1 30.75 7 $1,250 E. Jacobs
1972 NULLA’S CALL Nulla View Bacall 15/1 30.63 8 $2,200 R. Pyers
1973 SHAN’S TEMPEST Blue Shan Thunderella 5/2 30.33 1 $2,000 R. Jeffrey
1974 TEMLEE Tivoli Chief Temora Lee 5/4F 30.45 1 $2,000 F. Cray
1975 WARRANWOOD GIRL Plunder Road Caledonian Gem 4/5F 30.56 1 $3,500 J. Hickson
1976 AARON KING Newmore King Here Comes Sue 1/2F 30.50 1 $3,500 G.E. Bryant
1977 OVERFLOW LOVE Overflow Eagle Sudden Love 4/1 31.06 2 $5,600 Mrs P Haas
1978 SATAN’S LEGEND Temlee Cyclone Liz 5/2 30.26 7 $5,600 D. Gillard
1979 MARAJAX Agry Shane Maree 4/7F 30.29 1 $7,000 A. Brearley
1980 WORTHY WESTON Weston Pete Furore 4/5F 30.39 6 $10,000 B Jacobson
1981 MURCHISON CHAMP Temlee Top Kewin 4/1 30.46 5 $10,000 K. Richards
1982 WYNLEE SPIRIT Dashing Disco Busy Sadie 6/1 30.28 5 $10,000 A. Roberts
1982 ROCKY PYRAMID Bowetzel Flinders Tiv 9/4F 30.44 3 $10,000 F Ladd
1984 BROKEN CUP Go Club Marungi Idol 9/2 30.03 1 $10,000 L. Ketelaar
1985 STORM GLADE Busy’s Chief Supreme Ocean 11/4 29.80 2 $10,000 G. Bate
1986 PHARAOH’S MASK Roy Trease Forever Eaton 4/1 29.92 3 $10,000 D. Connor
1987 NEW TEARS Pretty Short Starfire Lady 5/4 29.94 5 $10,000 S. Davies
1988 HAY DINNEY Chariot Supreme Mary Baxter 7/4F 29.80 1 $15,000 G. Bate
1989 BEST OF BLUE Nation Parade Blue Louise 5/2 29.96 4 $15,000 A. Evans
1990 EUREKA MAN Pretty Fearless Pride Of Quanne 1/2F 29.82 4 $15,000 K. Patterson
1991 ENFIELD Pop Gun That’s Lika Flash 3/1 30.15 6 $15,000 S. Johannesen
1992 EXECUTIVE CLASS Fremantle Echo All The Aces 5/2 29.82 1 $15,000 M. Taylor
1993 KEYSTONE Chariot Supreme Clever Sue 6/4 29.98 2 $15,000 T. Brown
1994 REFUR Black Pirate Corrossa Girl 11/2 30.03 3 $15,000 R. Halliday
1995 NORTHERN LEGEND New Tears Swift Laser 2/1F 29.85 1 $20,000 G. Bate
1996 ROYAL HONCHO Head Honcho Wee Sal 10/9F 30.10 8 $20,000 G. Edwards
1997 (San) RUNNING GOLD Golden Mike Twiglet 2/1 30.33 7 $30,000 S. Sorbello
1998 (San) ADRENALIN STORM Adrenalize Storm Vixen 6/1 29.94 1 $30,000 N. Maurer
1999 CORIOLE Black Shiraz Idol Storm 5/1 29.97 3 $30,000 D. Holmes
2000 ACACIA DEE Acacia Ablaze DeeBee 9/2 30.28 4 $30,000 P. Giles
2001 BRETT LEE Gun Law Osti Sobbing Sal 1.20F 29.75 8 $40,000 D. McDonald
2002 ROCKA COCKATOO Just the Best Cockatoo Cabin 3.40 30.63 8 $50,000 P. Chaker
2003 HALL’S NORTHERN Legs Ahoy Karalinga 2.40F 29.98 2 $50,000 K. Hunt
2004 HALLUCINATE Brett Lee Elusive Rebel 1.80F 30.15 1 $50,000 D. McDonald
2005 POETIC MAGIC Carlisle Jack Poetic Girl 27.40 30.15 5 $50,000 K. Mugavin
2006 TRAIN A JOURNEY Primo Uno Currency Tears 2.90F 30.11 4 $50,000 J. Galea
2007 RUN’S HOUSE Awesome Aassassin Amy’s Sonnet 1.50F 29.80 1 $50,000 J. Thompson
2008 PADDY’S FLAME Larkhill Jo Miss Holly 2.60F 30.03 6 $50,000 P. Giles
2009 ASTON TRIVETT Bond Miss Spicy 3.70 29.89 2 $50,000 J. Thompson
2010 EL GRAND SENOR Where’s Pedro Elgrando Gold 2.00F 29.99 1 $50,000 C. Jones
2011 SHEREEN BALE Over Flo Horizon Bale 3.20 29.75 8 $50,000 G. Bate
2012 BARCIA BALE Go Wild Teddy Princess Bale 2.00F 30.03 3 $100,000 G. Bate
2013 MARCUS JOE Velocette Mojo Glory 15.10 29.66 3 $100,000 B. Maloney
2014 MEPUNGA HAYLEY Bekim Bale Mepunga Harmony 4.10 29.79 8 $100,000 J. Britton
2015 FERNANDO BALE Kelos Fusileer Chloe Allen 1.40F 29.50 2 $100,000 A. Dailly
2016 KILTY EXPRESS Kilty Lad Bogie Jewel 3.50 30.17 6 $100,000 R. Drew
2017 MEPUNGA BLAZER Premier Fantasy Mepunga Diamond 2.00 29.81 6 $100,000 J. Britton
2018 DYNA PATTY Fernando Bale Unix Bale 2.50F 29.73 1 $100,000 A. Dailly
2019 SENNACHIE Fernando Bale Rhonda Rocks 2.70F 29.53 8 $100,000 S. White
2020 SIMON TOLD HELEN Barcia Bale Lindylu 1.90F 29.60 3 $100,000 D.Burnett