I want to highlight one of the great sprinters of the 80’s the mighty Sydney Dingaan. Bred and raced by Warrnambool legend Brian Lenahan she was to win the 1985 Melbourne Cup at 22 months old. A January 1984 whelp by Chief Dingaan from Super Brood Bitch one of the best-ever Sydney Gem. Trained in the early part of her career by Brian’s brother-in-law Peter Keane she transferred to Hall of Fame mentor Ned Bryant. She was unplaced in the 1985 Laurels at Sandown in July then made the Cup defeating Ned’s other star Shining Chariot. Early in 86 again at Sandown, she was too good in the Sir Arthur Rylah Classic. Later in 86, she ran second to Shining Chariot in the Victorian final of the National Sprint. In 87 Sydney Dingaan made the Cranbourne Cup also won by Shining Chariot and was runner-up in the Bendigo Cup. After whelping a litter of eight pups to Brother Fox back home in Warrnambool she returned to racing for Peter Keane winning the 1988 Warrnambool Sires Produce and Warrnambool GOTBA Cup before retiring. She as expected turned out a super brood bitch she had 9 pups to her old sparring partner Shining Chariot in June of 88, six pups to Chariot Supreme in August 1989 and her final litter of seven to Hay Dinney in February 1991. In a bizarre occurrence, she whelped a litter of pups in an accidental mating to a sheepdog. I am sure they would have gotten around the paddock in good time. All 30 of her offspring raced well with the best Immortal Flash, First Pick, Palraph and Supreme. Sydney Dingaan was a mighty chaser that raced well on every track she started at.
